Sunday, October 3, 2010

Adam



*Spoilers contained below*

Adam has been on my list of movies to see for a while, considering it is the only one I have heard of to focus on the subject of Asperger's Syndrome. I approached it apprehensively, of course, having no idea how the film industry would treat the disorder, but I have to say, it did an excellent job.

I knew I would like this film from the moment it referenced The Little Prince at the very beginning. There were small, cringe-worthy moments where I saw my own life reflected in Adam's: the repetitive breakfasts, the obsessions with stars, the rather on-the-nose sexual conversations. Still, it interested me more to see such clear evidence of levels of Asperger's; his outbursts and panic attacks were clearly more intense than my own, yet perhaps they were just the external views of what takes place internally for me. But I digress.

Fox Searchlight does a consistently good job at finding films that portray romance without the sap, my current favorite being (500) Days of Summer. The romance between Adam and Elizabeth felt real to me. Adam gave Elizabeth the honesty she craved, while Elizabeth reciprocated with a feeling of normalcy. I enjoyed their interactions, despite the moments that made me cringe (mostly out of recognition), though I wonder if there is a deleted montage floating around on a cutting room floor that gives us a glimpse of Adam entering his new life in California, alone for the first time.

In any case, I enjoyed Adam and would recommend it. The acting is fine, the story is compelling, and the characters are memorable. It moved me. Four stars for emotion.

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