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Clean, Shaven -
As tense as it is heartbreaking, this may be the most accurate portrayal of schizophrenia I have ever seen in a movie. While it is specific to this condition, as someone who has bouts of anxiety and obsessive thoughts, the same could be said of how the movie portrays mental illness in general. Like he does in the also great Keane, writer/director Kerrigan provides a masterclass in how to walk in a character's shoes. The close-quartered cinematography and unique use of sound to indicate Peter's thoughts, especially the use of a car radio, are highlights. Regardless, it's the work of Peter Greene, who comes across like a man who would remove his own brain if he could, that I will remember the most. Just as worthy of praise is how the movie not only addresses common attitudes about the mentally ill, but also our own. Despite its lean running time, Kerrigan manages to fit in three thoughtful perspectives towards people like Peter, i.e. a parent, an authority figure/law enforcer and the typical bystander without making the movie seem overstuffed. As for the latter, I like how Kerrigan made me own up to my perspective without realizing it with the murder subplot. In other words, it made me wonder, “is Peter really a suspect or am I just ignorant to schizophrenic behavior?”
Finally, there's MacDonald's performance of Peter’s daughter, Nicole, which as just as instrumental to the movie's success as Greene's. Does she say or even emote that much? No, but the point that she's already experienced more trauma than the average person should in a whole lifetime, not to mention some of which could have been prevented, is made. The movie ends up being one that hit me like a ton of bricks - partly because it hits close to home and partly because it's so tragic - but it's worth noting that my reaction seems earned instead of feeling like the movie forced it out of me. Even so, I came out of it feeling like a better person for how it taught me about the schizophrenic experience in the process.
As tense as it is heartbreaking, this may be the most accurate portrayal of schizophrenia I have ever seen in a movie. While it is specific to this condition, as someone who has bouts of anxiety and obsessive thoughts, the same could be said of how the movie portrays mental illness in general. Like he does in the also great Keane, writer/director Kerrigan provides a masterclass in how to walk in a character's shoes. The close-quartered cinematography and unique use of sound to indicate Peter's thoughts, especially the use of a car radio, are highlights. Regardless, it's the work of Peter Greene, who comes across like a man who would remove his own brain if he could, that I will remember the most. Just as worthy of praise is how the movie not only addresses common attitudes about the mentally ill, but also our own. Despite its lean running time, Kerrigan manages to fit in three thoughtful perspectives towards people like Peter, i.e. a parent, an authority figure/law enforcer and the typical bystander without making the movie seem overstuffed. As for the latter, I like how Kerrigan made me own up to my perspective without realizing it with the murder subplot. In other words, it made me wonder, “is Peter really a suspect or am I just ignorant to schizophrenic behavior?”
Finally, there's MacDonald's performance of Peter’s daughter, Nicole, which as just as instrumental to the movie's success as Greene's. Does she say or even emote that much? No, but the point that she's already experienced more trauma than the average person should in a whole lifetime, not to mention some of which could have been prevented, is made. The movie ends up being one that hit me like a ton of bricks - partly because it hits close to home and partly because it's so tragic - but it's worth noting that my reaction seems earned instead of feeling like the movie forced it out of me. Even so, I came out of it feeling like a better person for how it taught me about the schizophrenic experience in the process.