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Adam (2009)

Director: Max Mayer

Time Out rating

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1 review

Synopsis

First-time writer director Max Meyer offers this comedy drama about a lonely autistic man (Hugh Dancy) and the bizarre relationship he forms with his upstairs neighbour, Rose Byrne.

Movie review

From Time Out London

‘You’re a liar and I hate you!’ yells Adam (Hugh Dancy) at his neighbour and sort of girlfriend Beth (Rose Byrne). She’s not, really, but then Adam has no sense of scale: Asperger’s makes him relentlessly literal minded. There are no white lies in Adam’s universe, nor any shades of grey. It’s all darkness with the odd pinprick of revelatory light. No wonder he’s keen on outer space.

The actors try hard, but Adam and Beth, as a couple, don’t ring true – she’s more infantalised than he is, which is worrying for a primary school teacher. Daddy pays her rent and babies her, which adds an interesting layer when he’s put on trial for fraud or, as Adam would call it, lying. But it’s not clear why a pretty daddy’s girl would fall for a talkative and lonesome engineer with Asperger’s and a space fixation. It feels dishonest, which is a problem for a film so interested in truthfulness – especially one trying to reconcile that interest with the demands of a Hollywood romcom.

Author: Nina Caplan 2009-08-04 13:27:19

Time Out London Issue 2033, 5 - 12 August, 2009

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Anonymous said...

Posted on Aug 07 2009 23:10 In fairness to the review above, I am yet to see the movie so am unable to comment on the directors representation of the trials and tribulations of an Aspergers relationship. However, knowing what it is like living with someone with Aspergers Syndrome, I find the comment in the review above which I quote "But it’s not clear why a pretty daddy’s girl would fall for a talkative and lonesome engineer with Asperger’s and a space fixation" rather offensive, as why wouldn't a person of such social standing fall for someone with Asperger's, they are in fact people after all.

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