With awkward slow-motion effects, clunky transitions and pregnant zooms that seem conspicuously in the wrong speed or otherwise a little off, Mr. Oliver’s script and the performances by an ensemble of brilliant character actors, including James McDaniel’s portrayal of a doctor and Joe Morton’s turn as Jack’s father.
With its touching portrayal of the relationships between the patients and health care workers, “Home” resembles something more like a low-budget “ Awakenings” (without the focus on pharmaceutical solutions) than last year’s screwball, maniacal “Silver Linings Playbook.” Mental illness is presented here as something by turns endearing, surprising and frightening. This seemingly impossible hunt is endured with humor and sensitivity, as well as minute pangs of suffering, thanks to a stunning performance from Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Partlow in “The Wire”) in the story of Jack’s efforts to leave a group home where he’s lived for many years.
Jack, the hero of Jono Oliver’s debut feature, “Home,” is balancing his dosage of antipsychotic medicine while seeking an apartment in New York for less than $600 a month.