The Girl He Met Online

Acclaimed Director Curtis Crawford helms this suspenseful drama that serves as a fine thriller as well as an important cautionary tale. In a superb performance, Yvonne Zima plays a bipolar young woman who acts out her fury upon the rejection of love interests. Shawn Roberts, particularly effective, is the man who meets her online and comes to regret the challenges she presents. The film works on several levels and is an eye opener for the uninformed on all of them. As an exploration of the risks of internet dating it is a powerful statement indeed. The threats inherent in the medium are stunningly demonstrated in some detail. The issue of mental health is sensitively observed and beautifully portrayed. Bipolar Disorder does not necessarily lead to deadly violence and unspeakable rage in relationships but the potential is there. This motion picture serves as a cry for help from the mental health community for more funding for both research and care. However, the drama and suspense drives this film and on that level alone it is a superior production.

So, it's about an unstable women named Gillian, who was adopted at young age with her sister. She has troubles with men, clearly meaning she doesn't know how to keep them without scaring them off or beating them. With that said, she's bipolar to the extreme! She lives with her mother who's been recovering from a heart attack and you know right off the bat that there is some very heavy tension and hostility between Gillian and her adopted mother. She decides after a break up with her boyfriends, she searches for another man. She finds a successful man, things at first go smoothly till it spirals downwards as things and people get in her and the relationship way.

-I, personally can say for a girl growing up not knowing who she truly is... Not having anything she's very jealous of other women she meets who she thinks have it all... Not a bad movie, it does for some reason keeps you a little interested. I guess it is with a watch!

Seriously, this is one of- if not THE - most amateurish movies I've ever seen on the Hallmark Channel, which is not known for compelling drama or quality acting. The main character, Gillian is supposed to have bipolar disorder but her behavior is more symptomatic of schizophrenia. The acting is so poor, that regardless of the label put on the character's illness, the result is laughable. Yvonne Zima, who plays Gillian, has no business calling herself an actress. Her lines are all delivered in the same flat, wispy, little-girl voice and her face is expressionless. Her bipolar rants are amateurish and she is unconvincing as someone who would be so appealing to all the men in her life. Don't waste 90 minutes of your life on this one.

What the character portrays is more like borderline personality disorder, not bipolar, and many people with borderline aren't like that, I speak from experience with both. Borderline is a wide range of different symptoms coming from childhood pain, some are more normal and functional, some are less. People who have bipolar are mostly not so violent, just feeling up and being creative, or depressed maybe creative, sensitive, intelligent, sleep issues, sometimes normal. Maybe can have trouble handling their emotions but I think majority do not kill or harm or else the world would be even crazier. I hope many people know that many people who've had bipolar have contributed greatly to humanity in all disciplines. People with borderline are also intelligent, creative, sensitive, etc. They all just need help, understanding, compassion, nonjudgement. Either way, people need to learn and get educated about mental health. It seems horrible to make a movie that is so misinforming. Another comment suggested a disclaimer and educational information aired before and during commercials.

I don't mean to be cruel, but why in the world did the producers ever cast Ms Zima in the role of Gillian? This lovely young lady couldn't act her way out of a paper bag. The supporting cast overshadowed her by a mile. Personally, I would have preferred seeing the 'storeowner' play Gillian, than the other way around.

Ms Zima seemed to stall or at the very least pause before speaking her lines. Was she unsure of herself in her role, or was this simply bad direction? Someone should have explained that acting bipolar does not mean acting zombie-like. Her 'downs' were pitiful and her ups were ridiculous.

Overall, I was extremely disappointed with this movie. I think it had promise, but someone dropped the ball.