Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)

Note - this is a post from April that somehow got "lost in translation" = forgot to press the publish button after writing the English version of my original Romanian entry ...

Families are complicated. That's almost an axiom. What we have in "Infinitely Polar Bear" is an example. Not too light, not too dramatic...

Sometime in the '70s... Cam Stuart, an ex-hippie from Boston, coming from a wealthy family is diagnosed with bipolar disorder = manic-depressive behavior. The problem is that he also has two daughters, and his wife, Maggie, decides it would be healthier to take them and separate. When her financial situation gets critical, and after he gets out of hospital, somewhat rehabilitated, Maggie decides there's no other way than an MBA in New York for getting a better job. And the only option for the kids seems to be leaving them with her husband. From here onwards...

We have a life drama with some comic accents here and there, some romance, and overall very settled I would say compared to what you would expect after the intro. Even too settled compared with what you might think after seeing the intensity of the bipolar disorder we see in the beginning. Based on this I would say it's an average family movie. On the other hand, I can appreciate the accuracy in several points that might not be that obvious... from tiny aspects like the periodic switch between a disorganized life and the need for some "order anchors", up to the pretty usual capacity of manic-depressive person of getting aware of having the problem. It's I guess one of the few cases that somehow moves over the paradox: "If I know I'm insane then it means I'm not insane". Conclusion: a bit too simple, but probably enjoyable :) ... Oh, and happy holidays ;) for what's still left of them ;)!

Rating: 3 out of 5