TOUCHED WITH FIRE (Paul Dalio). 107 minutes. Opens Friday (February 19). See listings. Rating: NNN
Bipolar couple Carla and Marco (Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby) are trying to figure out how to love, make art and have a family. The barriers: drugs that dull their exquisitely vibrant senses, mental health facilities that are more like jail and well-meaning parents who have no idea how to handle their fragile children.
Director Paul Dalio, who also wrote the screenplay and the soundtrack, has a full grasp of the content – Marco’s ramblings when he’s on a high are fascinating – and the central theme connecting madness with creativity is well developed. Dalio has also landed a wholly committed cast. Kirby’s especially believable as a guy refusing to take his meds, and Christine Lahti and Griffin Dunne find a way to play the flummoxed parents with a mix of lovingness and anger.
Too bad the script devolves into something close to an issue-oriented piece and the plot points turn predictable. Kinda like a Lifetime movie – but a good one.
