‘Gabriel’ Movie Review – captures the unpredictability of mental illness
The stereotype of mental illness on film is not too dissimilar from the stereotype of mental retardation put forward by the film ‘Tropic Thunder’: Successful characters have to be “disturbed,” but they can’t be completely out of control, or else audiences won’t relate to them. Thus, Lou Howe’s debut feature ‘Gabriel’, opening this week at the Tribeca Film Festival, draws notice simply because it challenges the rule.