I've been waiting to see this film for a while. Because I suffer from Bipolar disorder, I was eager to see a film that accurately portrayed others who had the same mental illness. The film was an incredibly, romantic yet tragic love story, and many of the visuals were stunning. However, I don't agree with the viewers here who are saying, "This film hits the nail on the head, with Bipolar", or "Only a person with Bipolar could understand this film."
First of all, let's talk about that psych ward. I've never been in any psych ward like that....when I've checked in, I've had to check my shoelaces and hoodie at the door. But at their psych ward, they seemed to have the run of the place.....they got into the kitchen and were able to get forks! When I've been in the joint, they've collected the plastic flatware after dinner. The nurses are mysteriously absent of course, until the scene where Marco and Carla are torn apart.....and then suddenly, there are a dozen of them. There is a funny part too....somehow Marco is able to drug the one nurse that is around at night. Wow! What a place!
There is a second missed mark...I might get some blowback for this opinion. From my interpretation, it seems like Marco has Bipolar 1, like me, which can include bouts of psychosis.... Marco's not from this planet. And, it seems like Carla has Bipolar 2, which is a bit more manageable, no psychosis, hyper mania, but mostly depression. Carla is actually a published poet, in the beginning of the film, on the surface, it seems like she has her life a bit more together. So how does this relationship spark? They're both in the psych ward, theoretically Carla should be getting better, if she's taking her meds. We definitely know Marco isn't taking his. There's something missing in the scenes, depicting the beginning of their attraction. It's true, you often form bonds with the unlikeliest of people in psych wards. But, with all the supervision and rules, it's nearly impossible to get that close to someone.
The third issue....burnout. I've had several best friends who also had Bipolar. And yes, we would sometimes feed off each other's mania, but that does not last for long. The manic energy and fun will eventually turn into annoyance or arguments. I've never met two manic people who were constantly in sync. I think that is one of the worst elements that the film gets wrong about Bipolar. They romanticized Bipolar and mania too much. It's not an honest portrayal, it's fantasy. A relationship between two people with Bipolar is not a Thelma and Louise....we're in total agreement to drive this car into the river...best friends forever kind of relationship. On the contrary, many people lose friends and family, because of this illness. Bipolar is a rollercoaster, and when you are up, your bestie with Bipolar may be flying down the hump, about to crash.
First of all, let's talk about that psych ward. I've never been in any psych ward like that....when I've checked in, I've had to check my shoelaces and hoodie at the door. But at their psych ward, they seemed to have the run of the place.....they got into the kitchen and were able to get forks! When I've been in the joint, they've collected the plastic flatware after dinner. The nurses are mysteriously absent of course, until the scene where Marco and Carla are torn apart.....and then suddenly, there are a dozen of them. There is a funny part too....somehow Marco is able to drug the one nurse that is around at night. Wow! What a place!
There is a second missed mark...I might get some blowback for this opinion. From my interpretation, it seems like Marco has Bipolar 1, like me, which can include bouts of psychosis.... Marco's not from this planet. And, it seems like Carla has Bipolar 2, which is a bit more manageable, no psychosis, hyper mania, but mostly depression. Carla is actually a published poet, in the beginning of the film, on the surface, it seems like she has her life a bit more together. So how does this relationship spark? They're both in the psych ward, theoretically Carla should be getting better, if she's taking her meds. We definitely know Marco isn't taking his. There's something missing in the scenes, depicting the beginning of their attraction. It's true, you often form bonds with the unlikeliest of people in psych wards. But, with all the supervision and rules, it's nearly impossible to get that close to someone.
The third issue....burnout. I've had several best friends who also had Bipolar. And yes, we would sometimes feed off each other's mania, but that does not last for long. The manic energy and fun will eventually turn into annoyance or arguments. I've never met two manic people who were constantly in sync. I think that is one of the worst elements that the film gets wrong about Bipolar. They romanticized Bipolar and mania too much. It's not an honest portrayal, it's fantasy. A relationship between two people with Bipolar is not a Thelma and Louise....we're in total agreement to drive this car into the river...best friends forever kind of relationship. On the contrary, many people lose friends and family, because of this illness. Bipolar is a rollercoaster, and when you are up, your bestie with Bipolar may be flying down the hump, about to crash.