The Year Between

The trailer did just enough to make this seem interesting. On top of being borderline bipolar myself, theTribeca laurel and Steve Buscemi sold it. Sadly this (The Family Stone Sans Christmas) missed the mark. The problem with these biopics is the writer often thinks no one else could possibly play the lead and they destroy the thing they worked so hard to build. A great lesson to young film makers out there, don't cast yourself if you're also going to direct it. The directing was also flawed, same old boring choices and settling for shocking blocking rather than getting actually creative with shots.

The dialogue however wasn't bad at all and at times there were a few laughs. I hope the writer will learn to hand off their next project to an actual director on the next outing.

Normally a girl with mental illness would just develop an eating disorder or cut herself or start a drug addiction. Not funny! In this movie however, the girl awkwardly tells everyone about her problems and generally makes everyone around her uncomfortable. She has a knack for being overly blunt, crude, and truthful. She makes poor decisions and then just goes with it and makes even worse decisions. Her life is completely messed up and she just embraces that. You can never be sure from the dialogue whether she likes or hates the person in front of her. Is this dark humor or just hilarious? You will know in the first 60 seconds if this movie is for you.

Sobbed, laughed, hugged my mother when it ended. The kind of film that makes you love indie moviemaking. :]]]]]]]]]]] alex the director and star is such a talent and the performances are phenomenal.

The lead is so incredible (well the whole cast is honestly) but so realistic, this is very much like real life, and I was really blown away and how true it all felt. It can be a bit heavy of course, it's not a light hearted comedy, but it has a lot of humor in it for sure. For anyone who has gone through hell in college, struggled with mental illness or just the pain of life and family (so all of us) this really feels on point. The lead is so good in this, I never saw an actor acting for even a minute, I felt like this is a real life person going through it the entire time I was watching this movie.

The Year Between is a semi-autobiographical film written, directed and starring Alex Heller as a young woman who drops out of college after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She returns to her hometown and tries to cope with her condition while reconnecting with her family and friends. The film follows her ups and downs over the course of a year, showing how she deals with medication, therapy, relationships and self-discovery.

The film is a refreshing and realistic depiction of mental illness that avoids clichés and stereotypes. Heller gives a brave and nuanced performance as the protagonist, who is not defined by her disorder but by her personality, dreams and struggles. She is supported by a strong cast of actors who play her supportive parents, loyal sister, understanding boyfriend and quirky best friend. The film also has a warm and humorous tone that balances the drama and makes the characters more relatable.

The Year Between is a heartfelt and inspiring film that shows how one can overcome challenges and find happiness in life. It is a testament to the power of love, family and friendship in times of crisis.