It's Kind Of A Funny Story (2010 Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck)

From the same team that brought you Mississippi Grind and Half Nelson, this is the best of the three, an excellent comedy-drama about the pressures of being 16, as Keir Gilchrist somewhat unwisely checks himself in to a psychiatric ward, where he meets Zach Galifianakis (spent much of film trying out pronunciations in head - accent is on the final 'a' thus Gal-if-an-akiss) and troubled girl Emma Roberts, who gets one of the film's rare close-ups early on (I am very much in favour of the judicious use of the close up). Witty, interesting filming e.g. tripping Jews, conversation between couple that's all stills and voiceover, very end montage.

Parents are Lauren Graham and Jim Gaffigan, friends Zoe Kravitz and Thomas Mann, fellow inmates include Jeremy Davies and Bernard White.

Roberts is very natural but Zach steals the film in a subtle and wonderful performance that is inches away from an Oscar.

Film also features Egyptian music and some wonderfully illustrated and animated sequences by Brian Drucker. Loved the title, too; it sounds like a line from a Woody Allen film.

Ned Vizzini wrote the source novel in 2006. Shot by Andrij Parekh and edited by Anna Boden herself (well, you would).