Overrated, offensive, disturbing. Does not deserve to be in the same sentence as "Oscar."

Rating: 1/10 (1 February 2013)

Over the past week I believed I had seen the most overrated film currently frontrunning the Oscars this year after viewing "Zero Dark Thirty." And then I discovered this abomination.
There is little to nothing to comment on regarding this film's script or story because when it is boiled down to its roots, it is a trite, cliché bore that has been done many, many times before and far better.
So what makes this movie not a complete copy of many films before it? This film contains a horrific depiction of mental illness that objectifies human beings as caricatures. Cooper's character, who is supposedly the film's primary protagonist, is portrayed in such a disturbing way that an uninformed viewer could not be blamed for thinking that those who are bipolar - a very real illness with very real, good people who suffer from it - are all miserable, violent people who obsess over others to the point of stalking them. His 'character' is then propped up and 'fleshed out' through a collection of tired tropes typically seen in Hollywood's voyeuristic, disrespectful portrayals of those with mental illness.
Avoid this sickening film at all costs, especially if you are someone who suffers from mental illness or are related to someone who does. It handles its subject matter in a way that will disturb you to the point of tears before the movie is even over.