Raising children is hard, even more so when you suffer from manic depression. Despite the challenges a film like this would pose, INFINITELY POLAR BEAR tackles them head on. Maggie (Zoe Saldana) has 2 daughters with husband Cam (Mark Ruffalo) who has bipolar disorder. When Maggie leaves for university, it’s up to him to take care of their children on his own, all while wrestling with his condition.

What director Maya Forbes manages to achieve with this semi-autobiographical story in terms of emotion is certainly impressive. The mix of comedy, heart and melancholy is captured perfectly from the film’s opening, and such a flawless blend seeps into every scene. While the film never causes uncontrollable laughter or hysterical waterworks, it doesn’t matter thanks to the swift pacing and tight running time, both of which work in the film’s favour rather than against it.

Both Ashley Aufderheide and Imogen Wolodarsky (as Cam and Maggie’s daughters) give strong performances and despite their occasional screaming tantrums, Forbes keeps them on the right side of precocious: they never overwhelm Cam. Instead, the duo are his match, constantly keeping him on his toes, challenging his issues and constricting him to routine. The film’s core is focused upon these three, and Forbes never produces a bad scene.

But this is undoubtedly Ruffalo’s film. He bounds around their cramped apartment, taking on half a dozen tasks at a time, a cigarette perpetually hanging from the corner of his mouth. As a person he’s flawed. He means well for his family of course, but is often messy, unfocused or just blind drunk. Yet he’s utterly endearing, he has heart, and this makes him totally likable. It’s a difficult task to portray mental illness is a way that’s both accurate and allows for a character that can gain empathy, but Forbes manages to wrangle such a challenging subject. Her depiction of bipolar disorder isn’t perfect, but it’s certainly handled with care and a gentle touch.

While Cam and his struggles of raising his 2 daughters on his own are rightfully the centrepiece of the film, it’s unfortunate that less time is afforded to Saldana, whose task of being the sole breadwinner as a black woman in the 70s is never fully explored. This is sorely reflected in the film’s conclusion, which almost omits her from proceedings completely; the credits begin to role and the notion of ‘that’s it’ lingers over the entire thing. It’s a massive shame to go out on such a limp note, as for the most part, INFINITELY POLAR BEAR is a touching, delicately crafted directorial debut that is both funny and engaging.

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