TOUCHED WITH FIRE
Touched with Fire stars Katie Homes and Luke Kirby as two poets with bipolar disorder whose art is fueled by their emotional extremes. When they meet in a treatment facility, their chemistry is instant and intense driving each other's mania to new heights. They pursue their passion which breaks outside the bounds of sanity, swinging them from fantastical highs to tormented lows until they ultimately must choose between sanity and love.
Inspired by the film maker's own struggles overcoming bipolar disorder, Paul Dalio wrote, directed, edited and scored his feature film debut which also includes performances by Griffin Dunne, Christine Lahti and Bruce Altman. The film is produced by Jeremy Alter and Kristina Nikolova and executive produced by Spike Lee.
Director:
Paul Dalio
Cast:
Katie Holmes, Luke Kirby, Christine Lahti
Screenplay:
Paul Dalio
Screening Date:
Jan 30, 2016
Studio:
Roadside Attractions
Running Time:
110 min.
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16.2% | 24.3% | 27.0% | 17.2% | 14.2% |
“The portrayal of mental illness was well executed. The message is important especially the ending. I have known people and the advances thanks to the medications is promising.”
“Not exactly ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ but at least we are spared a dance contest. I liked it, real more than romantic, but a very moving finale.”
“If you have no money taking care of young mentally ill people is not going to happen. They will be living in the outside the system without any help.”
“Poetry readings, rap or otherwise, were very effective. Young people should be made to love words not just type them into cell phones.”
“For a professional not an amateur.”
“An intense depiction of manic depressive Bi Polar states. One of the most realistic portrayals and challenges people with this condition I have seen will help people understand how it manifests and affects the families. These two had financial and continuing family support. What happens when people live in poverty and in communities where there is no or little mental health support? The next film should explore mental illness within the less affluent and minority communities. Great acting by Katie and Luke. At the end I sort of felt it was also a promotion for the book. Could also have depicted the emotions of shame, guilt and anger in the parents to a greater degree. O yeah the group therapy scene was not professional. Facilitator was not good.”
“Was slow at times.”
“Loved the blues and the moon contrasted with the sun and the yellow, with the ultimate ending of the eclipse. Sensitively done, devoid of screenplay ‘keep you interested’ tricks. Takes some work but well worth it.”
“Although the subject has interest to me intellectually it does not appeal to me. I didn’t find the film particularly interesting. The acting was excellent!”
“Perfectly cast. Not all bipolar people are artistic, that needed to be shared too.”
“Difficult subject of bipolar disorder and not a bad treatment. Quite realistic and no particular criticism but despite excellent acting this just didn’t contain a compelling story. There were some interesting scenes (3 AM in the art room, the neighborhood garden) but others were boring. The overall effect was uneven.”
“Redundant feel good one note film. Boring!”
“Katie Holmes a revelation, Luke Kirby a great discovery. Hard to think of this film as a ‘date night’ film but ultimately a very moving love story. And heck, who’s relationship is perfect?”
“Where did they keep finding the great apartments and who paid for them?”
“A compelling look at bi-polar disorder, but perhaps too long a look, film dragged at times. But a great ending.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
The film Touched With Fire gives a somewhat easy to comprehend depiction of bipolar disorder/manic depression. However as can be expected it is not overly descriptive in regards to how this disorder is brought about and how it functions in detail. The link below outlines many of the basic aspects of this disorder.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder-in-adults/i...
A common feature in films regarding mental disorders is that of the patient being unwilling to take their medication. The reason this has likely occured is due to its prevance in real world situations. Below provides a brief summary of four main reasons patients end up not taking their medication.
http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/resources/consequences-of-lack-of...
As the causes of a disorder can often be a source of curiosity so can its treamtent. The film touches on the treatment of patients with bipolar disorder in regards to both to its affect and intended result. However, whether it be due to this film or other films, or even one's own personal experiences, on may question the benefit of the current treatments for bipolar patients. The article below gives a critique which can help expand on the question of whether or not current treatments should be maintained or abandoned.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/magazine/the-problem-with-how-we-treat...
If after watching this movie one wishes to further view films featuring bipolar disorder the site below can help you find one to your liking. It provides several films featuring the disorder broken down into categories such as fiction and documentary
http://www.bipolar-lives.com/movies-about-bipolar-disorder.html
