A suicidal young man is committed to a Dublin psychiatric hospital where he meets new friends who greatly influence his life.
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Reviews
The Worst Film Ever
Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
In a way, On the Edge is a wasted potential, but it's hardly a film that should be avoided.Its main problem is the fact it doesn't offer anything new. Patients in the mental institution, group therapy, doctors, rebellious patient that just doesn't want to follow the routine. That's right: we've seen it all, and we've seen it better; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is simply too memorable and impossible to forget when watching one of the films about mental institutions.On the Edge also feels a bit rushed, as if 30 minutes of it is missing. This doesn't let us get to know characters better or understand their stories.But the film isn't completely bad. Stephen Rea does make us believe he's a doctor, and it's possible to sense a real person behind the professional persona, even if we never get to know much, if anything, about him. But the real heart of the film is Cillian Murphy, who manages to make his Jonathan as complex as the script allows him to.He brings warmth, honesty and sarcasm to his character, without being over the top, even in extreme situations. Cillian Murphy is one of those actors who can speak with their eyes, and in this early role he proves himself as a talented actor that should not be overlooked.
If Cillian Murphy had only one movie role to identify himself by, On the Edge should be it. You could almost feel the energy coming off his slender body in waves as he strode through the scenes, wise cracking one minute, driving a BMX off a cliff the next. In this story of Jonathon Breech, a young Irishman's battle with death, depression, and love, my only beef came with Jonathon Jackson's accent. It wasn't terrible, but it was enough to make me cringe a few times when I'd rather have concentrated on Cillian's ice blue eyes, Cillian's deep Irish brogue, Cillian's large, working man's hands... Well-known for playing mentally off-kilter roles, Cillian Murphy is one of those blue-eyed actors (Paul Newman, Robert Redford) who can emote with stillness. There were times when the soundtrack in this film seemed to dominate, catchy teeny-bopper gingles gangling in the background, and then the camera light would catch a certain nuance in his face. It was like seeing a window opened. If you're a romantic, this one is worth renting.
"On the Edge" is a somewhat flat flick which focuses on a suicidal young man and woman who meet in a mental institution and discover that living and loving may be their most difficult option. The film offers good performances, a solid premise, and little else. An okay Irish flick with unrealized potential for couch potatoes into drama. (C)
There doesn't seem to be enough good movies about the mental asylum anymore. While this film will inevitably be compared to Girl, Interrupted, it really shouldn't be. Girl, Interrupted focuses on girls going crazy, while this movie is mainly focused on three young adult characters trying to figure out how to deal with traumatic amounts of pain after losing a significant other. The quick story is that a person named Jonathan cracks after his father passes away and attempts to kill himself by taking a stolen car and driving off cliff yet still manages to survive. He is sent to a place for the criminally insane to get rehabilitate. This movie tries to be both a love story & a coming of age story, but I don't know at times which its trying to be. The main plot is that Jonathan is attracted to a patient named Rachel who also has a thing with blood. Jonathan becomes a friend with Toby and they seem to become best friends. Whenever the two would be together, Toby would end up getting in trouble and Jonathan would have to bail him out. I found this subplot to be much stronger in the film and feel it should of been explored a lot further. Another turnoff was the relationship between Toby and Rachel that was barely scratched on yet was a major turning point (no spoiler here) during the film.The main point of the film was Jonathan learning about himself, how he affects over people, and the changes of good & bad things happening to people. With a great soundtrack of music put in this film, this is recommended film to people who are 16-28 dealing with issues about life, death, losing someone important, and suicide. Just be sure not to bring a significant other, as this is not a date movie.