Watch Mad

Mad is a thought-provoking yet funny movie about the struggles of mental illness and the impact it has on a family. The movie follows a family of three - a mother, daughter, and grandmother - as they navigate their way through the challenging dynamics that arise due to the daughter's mental disorder. The movie's protagonist is a young woman named Renee (played by Jennifer Lafleur), who suffers from bipolar disorder, which causes her to experience intense mood swings, erratic behavior, and deep depressions. Renee lives with her mother (Maryann Plunkett) and grandmother (Eilis Cahill) in their 19th-century New York home, which arouses a sense of nostalgia, isolation, and historical weight.

From the outset, the movie portrays Renee's struggles in a respectful, compassionate, and genuine manner without exaggerating her symptoms or marginalizing her experiences. Renee is seen as an authentic human being with complex emotions, desires, and dreams. The movie captures the ways in which mental illness can impact individual identity, relationships, and social interactions.

One of the most compelling aspects of the movie is how the three women in this family have to navigate their own traumas alongside Renee's struggles. Renee's mother, a retired concert pianist, is dealing with her own aging and facing the potential loss of the house she grew up in. Meanwhile, Renee's grandmother, who is dealing with dementia, is struggling to recollect her past while keeping up with the present.

The movie also touches on themes of guilt, loss, and self-acceptance. Renee's mental disorder has caused her family to look at life from a different angle, causing them to reevaluate their assumptions and beliefs about mental health. Her mother, in particular, has to grapple with the reality that her daughter's disorder may have been triggered by her own upbringing and past trauma.

The movie uses humor to lighten up some of the heavier scenes and add a sense of irony to the situations posed. It is an understated, subtle use of humor, which allows the characters to feel authentic.

The cinematography of the movie is stunning, as the movie captures the quiet beauty of the house, with its vintage furniture, patterned wallpapers, and old family photographs. The camera work shows shots of the city and surrounding areas, providing an elevated and historical perspective.

Overall, Mad is a poignant and reflective movie that exposes the realities of living with mental illness without generalizing, exaggerating, or romanticizing it. It's a movie that brings diversity to the conversation about mental health and highlights the unique ways in which each individual deals with it. The excellent performances of the actors and the matter-of-fact portrayal of mental health make it a standout film well worth watching.

Mad is a 2016 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 24 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.6.