Adam Review

Adam is a small budget drama/indie-romance about a man with Asperger’s (Adam, played by Hugh Dancey) and a woman (Beth, Rose Byrne) who moves into his apartment building. I went into this film expecting a light, sentimental, mildly satisfying feature and left having seen something more substantial, if a still little slight.

The film follows the relationship of Adam and Beth as they get to know each other better with her finding out about his disability and what it entails. Roadblocks in the way of the couple’s true happiness include Beth’s father’s misgivings, Adam’s struggle to find a job and the difficulties intrinsic to Adam’s Asperger’s Syndrome.

The film has been a huge success both in the US and internationally, having already out earned its miniscule budget several times over. All of the actors are fantastic in their roles. The subtleties portrayed by Dancey and Byrne are enjoyable to watch. Rose Byrne is just enjoyable to watch full stop. A cynic could point out that playing a character with a mental disorder is a guaranteed Oscar nomination, so Dancey’s decision to play Adam is a good career move. However, his subtle and convincing portrayal of an Asperger’s sufferer lacks the hackneyed tear-jerking bullshit of blatant Oscar grabs of the past. There is no I Am Sam, Sean Penn over-sentimentality here.

The film’s lack of sentimentality is both its strength and its weakness. There is a sweetness to the film’s central relationship that is palpable and enjoyable. Max Meyer’s simplistic, artful direction allows this sweetness to flourish. However, the film lacks an overarching emotionality. This isn’t to say that it is heartless, or that it lacks character or class, I just don’t think I was affected enough by it. There is a detachment inherent to the films presentation of Adam and Beth’s relationship that doesn’t give the audience full access to the emotions that the characters are experiencing. This detachment surely wasn’t an accident. It works to reflect Adam’s detachment from those around him, with his Asperger’s rendering it impossible for him to know what other people are thinking or feeling.

The film makes good decisions in terms of plot and character development, but somehow it doesn’t add up to a completely satisfying whole. I really enjoyed it, but I wanted to enjoy it more. I feel that in doing the characters justice and providing a real and informed portrayal of Asperger’s, Adam has somehow fallen short of packing a full emotional punch.

That being said, it deserves to be watched.