Title – Infinitely Polar Bear (2014)

Director – Maya Forbes (feature debut)

Cast – Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Imogene Wolodarsky, Ashley Aufderheide

Plot – Manic-depressive husband and father Cameron (Ruffalo) finds himself responsible for looking after his two daughters Faith (Aufderheide) and Amelia (Wolodarsky) when his long suffering wife Maggie (Saldana) sets out to get a better chance of supporting the family.

“We don’t want people to see how we live”

Review by Eddie on 11/12/2015

Piggybacking on the tireless and likeable work of its star Mark Ruffalo, Infinitely Polar Bear (a title than can only really be explained by watching this based on a true life tale) is a breezy and quick fire tale that has a slightly to0 laconic feel that stops it from becoming a classic but for many this will be one of the feel good films of the year.

Directed by first time filmmaker Maya Forbes, who delivers Polar Bear based around her own upbringing with a manic-depressive parent, this is a film that wastes little time on the non-necessities and does have the air of a movie that could’ve benefited from a little more polish.

The film almost feels too quick and events pass from one to the other with little time to consider what has come before but at the same time this element creates a film that seems to move at its own drum beat and has a heart and soul that could only come to fruition from personal experience.

The heart and soul that is created from Forbe’s film is brought to life by another hugely impressive Mark Ruffalo performance. So often the member of large ensembles, whenever Ruffalo is allowed time to shine as a leading man he very often if not always delivers and Polar Bear’s material lends to what could well be one of Ruffalo’s best ever headlining turns.

His Cameron is a sometimes loveable and a sometimes downright annoying person but it’s a clever turn by Ruffalo and he ably possesses wit and charisma that many other actors would die for. With Ruffalo on winning form, his supported well by child actors Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide who are more than up to the task of matching Ruffalo’s antics while poor old Zoe Saldana doesn’t get a whole lot to do as the trying hard mother of the trio Maggie.

While there’s absolutely nothing earth shattering about Infinitely Polar Bear, it’s by the very definition of the word a feel good tale that would be impossible to watch without a smile on your face. Backed up by another standout Ruffalo performance, keep this one in mind next time you’re after a short, sharp and well intentioned tale.

3 slices of cinnamon toast out of 5