It's an interesting story, based on actual events.

Does it matter that every time Jolie's offscreen the film wilts a little? Ryder should be perfect as the bright spark; her lines are sharp as a knife. There's a gap, however, between what we hear and what we see.

A muddled production that misses the jarring tone of the autobiographical book by Susanna Kaysen on which it is based. The film is entertaining, but not very powerful.

As a picture that wishes to examine different characters in a specific environment (and during a brief period) rather than telling a precisely structured story, the pacing is a touch slow, though the character development is excellent.