Benni

This movie is so shocking realistic. I work with kids like Benni everyday. Watch it, it will be worth it. It makes you cry, you will feel the despair of the girl and the responsible adults. The acting of the girl is outstanding.

This movie was really impressive, especially considering that it is the director's first feature film. Helena Zengel, who plays Benni, is such an excellent actress and she can go very far as an actress if she continue in that way. Can't wait what she is doing next.

To me, this movie was comparable in some ways to "The Good Son" from the 1990's with Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood. The difference between Benni and Culkin's character though is that Benni does not act out just for the thrill of it or the purpose of acting evil. She is just a girl with major mental health issues, which appear to more than likely be the result of schizophrenia. She has violent outbursts that she can't control and you can tell throughout the movie that she wants to change but is unable to do so at that stage in her life.

On top of the out of control mental outbursts, she is thrown into ever changing situations and environments that it seems would only confuse her and make her healing process more difficult. The doctors cannot seem to find the proper medication to balance her out and at one point even prescribe her a schizophrenia medication that is meant for adults, and she is only nearly 10 years old. As far as that part goes, I travelled that path myself as a child with being prescribed medication that is meant for adults at that age and it does not do your mental health any good when you are a child to take medicine that is designed for someone who's brain is further along in development.

This is a very powerful film. If you yourself have struggled with mental illness from a young age, you will probably find yourseld relating to certain aspects of this movie as I did. Its definitely worth a watch.

I saw this at the Palm Springs Film Festival. It was so real I had to remind myself it was a theatrical film, not a documentary, when it was over. It's raw and moving, flawlessly directed, edited and above all acted. Not easy to view but so well worth it. It's been a week and I still think about it. I imagine it will be in indy theaters before long. If you get a chance and like truly unique films, go see it!

Unbelievable, impeccable performance by the little girl who shakes up the life and faith of many good people that genuinely want to help but are pushed to their limits. Unusual dramaturgy but realistically showing the back and forths of such an extreme case. Great camera and sound to support this excursion into the world of a lovely but hardly bearable girl who is innocent of her condition due to a failed family structure. Very moving film that raises important questions. Incredible debut work.