Une vie volée

Angelina Jolie, that's the only compelling reason why I watched the film in the first place and why I walked away from it so satisfied. The woman just has it in her, and here she delivers a performance that elevates the entire film both emotionally and qualitatively to a much higher level. That said, Winona also deserves praise, as she bravely carries the main role and, given her talent, gave a performance worthy of admiration, too. It all relies on actors, which is not to say that it's a bad or uninteresting film, but in short, just as the actors made The Crossing a cinematic phenomenon and a legend, Girl, Interrupted became such a compelling drama, mainly thanks to its believable actresses, and with an Oscar-worthy veil. For the fact that I really didn't expect anything else besides Angelina, I have to bow my head in admiration of the quality of the film. 80% (22/06/2013)

It's almost embarrassing how much Angelina towers over her fellow actresses here. James Mangold, before his blockbuster career at the turn of the millennium, has cut a drama from a sort of "mental health treatment facility for the better folk" for which he also co-wrote the screenplay, among other things. The outcome isn't bad at all, but Girl, Interrupted seems like kind of a weaker younger sibling compared to the iconic One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. With the exception of Angelina Jolie’s outstanding (and rightfully Oscar-winning) performance, the entire narrative lacks any strong moment that would be indelibly etched in the memory (again, I keep coming back to Cuckoo’s Nest, which has several similar moments). Still, it's a reasonably well-constructed drama about overcoming your own fears and stepping out of your shadow, and overall it's above average. (10/04/2020)