Welcome To Marwen, The film on mental illness we did not deserve

(Video Article)

Films focusing on mental illness, generally fall into one of two categories, they either exploit the mental illness for cheap drama, or they use drama to explain mental illness, Welcome To Marwen is the latter kind of film. This is not a film that is meant to make you cry,  this film will make you laugh, and it does that so you can relate to the odd story of a man with severe PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, you name it, this man has it. Those issues are quite scary, and intense, they can even be rather violent, but they can also be rather amusing. Not in the laugh at the crippled woman, who has fallen and can't get up kinda way, but in the so odd and totally fascinating kind of way, that just makes you smile. Yes, the film's tone is just as confusing as my last sentence was; but, that is part of the point, mental illness is confusing and strange. Which is why I am unsure of the film's appeal, outside of those who know or have a mental illness. Yes, there are vivid action scenes, done in a Toy Story gone R Rated kinda way; but, they only really work with the story if you get the point of them. Steve Carrel plays Mark Hogancamp, an artist who uses his homemade town of Marwen, to tell stories with high-end dolls through photography. He does this as a source of therapy after a brutal gang assault, that took place because he drunkenly admitted to wearing women's shoes, so that he could feel closer to the essence of women. It may seem odd, but it is no reason to be beaten until you forget most of your life. The film is based on a true story, however, if you want the true story, there was a documentary produced a few years prior, that is far more accurate. This is not to say the film is a normal Hollywood dramatization, it would be easy to mistake it for one, just as it is easy to mistake it for Oscar bait; yet, you do not take these kinds of artistic risks, unless you're telling a very meaningful story.

They could have made this film one of those sob fests, instead, it focuses on action and humor; on top of that, only half the film takes place in reality, the rest takes place inside Mark's imagination. We see the stories his photos are meant to tell, most of all, we see them unfold so we understand the meaning behind these stories. When the dolls come to life for scenes which, do look like Toy Story on some wicked acid; you are seeing Mark's internal pain, his desires, his fears and, feelings that even Mark does not understand at first. Every scene of action is a metaphor, which includes possibly the greatest example of a panic attack on film; during a courtroom scene where Mark must confront his attackers, all of a sudden the enemy toys are in the room shooting at Mark, and only his trusty pal Captain Hogie can save the day by returning fire; Captain Hogie is Mark's alter ego inside the world of Marwen.

This is what will either endear the film to you, or totally turn you off to it. These scenes are sudden, violent, twistedly funny at times, and carry a strange kind of fun, one where you're not sure if you should be having fun. These scenes also do a great job of showing how the mentally ill face enemies greater than any human, because their minds are their enemy, as much as their mind is their ally and source of power. The film's tone is not all over the place in a bad way, nor is it confusing in a poorly made way; this is a unique film that, and here comes the cliche, you'll either love or totally hate. I loved how they used exciting, and entertaining sequences to convey the struggle of mental illness; I think it is a very good teaching tool, for those who care to be patient enough to understand it. Sadly, I also think, much like those with mental illness, this is a film that people may wildly hate for no reason, other than it's being totally different.