young couple of manic depressives who fall in and out of love takes on a whole new sense of meaning when you appreciate that he has had his own similar struggles being bi-polar. This heartbreaking tale is of two good looking poets : Carla has published a slim volume of her work, and Marco takes part in rapping at poetry slams held in smoky Manhattan basements. They meet by chance at a psychiatric hospital where they have both committed too …. he by his father but she had inadvertently been admitted voluntary .
Their similar mental conditions meant that they had these manic highs and whilst they were both going through one Marco used his heightened sensibility to persuade Carla that they should embrace these moments (of madness) and use them to lead a much fuller and creative life. He is successful, but the trouble is the moment they come down from these and have to face reality again, their depression can re-emerge and be a real challenge to them trying to develop a relationship with each other, let alone anyone else in their lives.
After they leave the hospital, to the consternation of her parents and his father, Carla and Marco move in and lead a somewhat carefree life not bound by the normal conventions of other couples. Even another spell back in hospital will not stop their ardour, but then when they discover that Carla is pregnant, they both reluctantly decide to try to ‘go straight’ and play by the rules. This means taking their meds regularly and getting a job so that they can become responsible parents.
For a very brief time it looks like they may actually be able to pull it off, but it very quickly becomes obvious that they don’t really stand a chance and their mental states …… particularly his …. render this impossible.
It’s a heartbreaking love story because you know that in the end so called sanity will win out, but actually for once you never stop wanting it to lose.
