Clemence Miller leaves college after a sequence of behavioral outbursts. During her leave, she is finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Who is in it?
Alex Heller - Clemence
J. Smith-Cameron - Sherri
Emily Robinson - Carlin
Kyanna Simone Simpson - Beth
Favorite Scene:
Clemence meets Beth on her first day at Big Deals.
Favorite Quote:
"So you have friends. That's a flex"
Review:
"The Year Between" is quite the complexity of a film that balances dealing with serious issues with a comedic and varied perspective. Alex Heller, the writer and director of The Year Between, plays the character of Celemence who can be crass, rude, obnoxious, and creates her own poor scenarios, but runs concurrently with a character who intrinsically understands the actions and consequences.
Clemence uses her condition throughout the movie which is often cringe, but yet - and again, plays right into the external encounters she faces and the relationships she endures.
The film also carries an interesting outlook on how mental conditions can wear on a family, emotionally, and financially.
The strengths of this film are clearly how it balances real topics, real experiences, on a real topic with comedic levity and entertainment. You root for Clemence, her journey, and the Miller family through every weird, awkward, crass, and unfortunate scene.
Though not a perfect film, somewhere along the latter end of the film, the plot outlook changes and the film feels like it loses a little something toward the end. But not much.
Of course, this is all based on the real experiences of Alex Heller, who was absolutely great in the film.
The Year Between is an extremely interesting film that at the very least, leaves you entertained and with a new perspective on mental health issues.
Grade: 3/5