. . . of whether bipolar manic\depressives should have access to firearms. Cam, the title character of INFINITELY POLAR BEAR, takes his prescribed lithium only occasionally. Otherwise, he's exposing his loved ones to a couple packs-a-day worth of second-hand tobacco smoke, though half the time that he's driving he seems to switch over to a joint. It's not made clear in the movie whether his most recent psychiatric commitment is voluntary, or has been ordered by the state. Though he's shown wielding a machete around his apartment, Cam's most violent outbursts are with his fists. He speaks of having beaten up a pan-handler (destroying the gent's means of support, a bagpipe),and he's pictured trashing a business office while punching a family member in the face. He's constantly shouting at his wife, his young daughters, and random strangers. Cam also is in the habit of kicking in doors and throwing dinner bowls against walls, and thinks it's a great idea to replace his lithium with "sips of beer." Would YOU be comfortable knowing that this guy or someone just like him was sitting next to you in a dark movie theater, bearing a lethal weapon?

Cam Stuart (Mark Ruffalo) is a manic-depressive in Boston. During another episode in 1978, his wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) tries to leave with their daughters Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide). He is institutionalized. Maggie is forced to seek work in NYC leaving Cam in charge of their kids. His manic behavior is a constant source of embarrassment to them. His rich family keeps most of the fortune away from him. It's a struggle but the kids find minor joy within their father's mental issues.

Mark Ruffalo is good and the girls are natural. They have a nice chemistry. The narrative doesn't really have a drive to it. It feels more like a real life unfolding. There aren't jokey moments but there are funny moments. It has a lived-in feel like a real family struggling with issues. Most of all, it has Ruffalo.

In the late 70's, in Boston, the bipolar Cameron "Cam" Stuart (Mark Ruffalo) lives with his mulatto wife Maggie (Zoe Saldana) and their daughters Amelia (Imogene Wolodarsky) and Faith (Ashley Aufderheide) in an isolated house in the countryside. When Cam is fired from his job, he has a mental breakdown and Maggie is forced to institutionalize him. When he is released, he moves to a small apartment while Maggie works to support the children. She decides to apply to an MBA to improve her income and she is accepted by the Columbia University in New York. She asks Cam to take care of the girls for eighteen months and he agrees despite his fears. Maggie moves to New York and Cam is responsible for Amelia and Faith education. Will the scheme work?

"Infinitely Polar Bear" is a heartwarming film with outstanding performances. The dramatic situation of Cameron is shallow, but the movie is delightful to watch. Just as a curiosity, the girl Imogene Wolodarsky is the daughter of the director Maya Forbes. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sentimentos que Curam" ("Feelings that Heel")