Four Snouts Up for It's Kind of a Funny Story

(:)(:)(:)(:) for It's Kind of a Funny Story in theaters now, at least in Sacramento.

The blurb review from the SF Chron that I read prior to this movie was insubstantial, something like, "3 1/2 stars, kid checks himself into a psych ward and wants to get out but ends up staying for 5 days and doing things." I mostly liked the 3 1/2 stars, the indie-ness and the fact that it was showing at 8pm around the corner.

So I was unprepared to be delighted. The movie was charming, funny, disarming, unpretentious, well-written and unpredictable. I literally slapped my thigh and heaved forward in my seat to gasp for breath at some of the scenes. Even the most minor characters are sufficiently well-drawn, cast and acted that you want to see more of them. Indeed the only criticism I'd have is that this little picture is so tight, so well cast, and so forces you to suspend any disbelief at its semi-absurd premises, that It's Kind of a Funny Story wants you to hang around and watch these guys do stuff. every week. at the same time. on the same (do we still have them?) channel. A true indie, no matter how good it is, should never ever beg for a sequel, let alone a tv show.

I doubt that this little pic will launch a zany sit-com set in a psych ward though, so, by all means, see it now before it ends up at the bottom of our netflix cue.