A Brilliant Young Mind

My wife and I watched this movie on Amazon streaming, it turns out to be significantly better than I had hoped. Young Butterfield, around 16 or 17 during filming, does a remarkable job playing a complex teenager.

The subject is nominally a maths prodigy who gets the opportunity to be a member of a team representing England for the maths olympics. But that only is the starting point, the boy lost his father at a young age and being borderline autistic finds relating to others and having meaningful conversations very difficult. All he enjoys doing is mathematics.

Asa Butterfield is remarkably good as the boy, Nathan Ellis. He bonds with a maths teacher who helps him along and urges him to apply for the maths team. But when he gets to the far east where they will train with a Chinese team he is immediately a fish out of water with no idea how to fit in, but he gets help from a young Chinese girl, English actress Jo Yang as Zhang Mei, who likes Nathan and gives him a way to learn to be a better adjusted person.

A really good movie. A bit of a "Good Will Hunting" ending.

In my reviews I have observed on more than one occasion that the Brits don't know how to make a bad film. Their challenge is usually in making a great film.

This is a case in point. Technically perfect, with a script so polished it gleams, and acting so sharp that even the secondary roles stay in your head long after the credits roll.

Butterfield's character is a young boy with Autism who, as a result, may or may not be a world class math prodigy. The point of the story however is not whether his character will win a math Olympics but rather if he will ever become a functioning human being.

Butterfield, in a cast of greats, stands out. Has a great career ahead of him, he has mastered the art of delivering dialog with his eyes.

The wonderful Sally Hawkins (Poppy in the unforgettable Happy Go Lucky) does a great job in a difficult role as the mother. Since Butterfield's character as written is constantly ignoring his mother, there is a tendency for the audience to do so as well. Hawkins does not allow this.

It is an excellent film, more a journey than a destination, and therefore not for everyone.

My favourite scene -- the one I will remember for a very long time -- is Butterfield with his (almost) Chinese girlfriend, eating some take-out.

The container is opened and the number of comestibles inside is NOT a prime number. The audience (by that point) has been trained to know this will be a cause of great discomfort for the boy, who likes his meals pre-sorted in prime numbers.

The girl notices his discomfort and he quickly explains the problem to her. With no hesitation she grabs one of the items and wolfs it down happily.

Problem solved! It is a microcosm for the film - start with an impossible boy, add a naturally joyful and spontaneous young woman, and the result is ... serendipity.

Excellent performances all round for this charming story concentrating on a family who have a son on the autistic spectrum. The characters are very believable and put in sterling performances. The youngsters especially are great. It gives an accurate insight into the world of autism from everyone's point of view. Sally Hawkins as the mother gets it totally right! Fine actress she is. I know it's early days, but I would like to see some Oscar nominations for this movie. I would like to give this movie a 10, but I feel the ending is somewhat too simplistic and almost Disney-esque 'Happily Ever After' scenario. Autism isn't a one-size-fits-all condition, and people shouldn't come away with the idea that everyone with autism is a genius. The social awkwardness is portrayed beautifully as is the feeling of not fitting in and seeing the world in a way that's different to most people. I highly recommend this movie. The whole story about an International Math Competition is very engaging. You will wipe your eyes too!

Since The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time seems to be staying on the stage rather than hitting the screen, I've been curious as to when UK cinema would dig into the perspective of a kid on the autism spectrum with the same affection. Disregard the dark aspects of Haddon's novel, and X+Y has a wonderful element of bringing someone who's inherently felt like an outsider into a world where they aren't alone with math competitions. It's nice and affectionate, though dips into gooey realms of sentimentality. But despite a few insincere or extraneous moments, it gets away with it due to director Morgan Matthew's earnestness. It's definitely easy to enjoy splendid moments where the photography has a chance to show off. It does tend to romantize far too much, particularly about China and England, but it's fairly balanced though it does have a rushed pace. I'd like to say Asa Butterfield is the highlight, but Rafe Spall steals the show in a gruff sharp performance that channels his dad in a way that makes me look forward to what he's going to do next. It's great to see a little Happy-Go-Lucky reunion with reliable support from Sally Hawkins and Eddie Marson. X+Y may rely on certain clichés, but it has a confident vision when it could've been bland.

7/10

This movie came onto my radar because of the talent involved, I didn't really know what to expect, so I blindly went to see it.

From the start this film pulls you in and pull on your heart- strings. Granted, I was jet-lagged when I saw it, which probably explained why I was teary-eyed for much of the film. The movie, is very much a character film. It tackles every aspect of Nathan's life and that of the people around him. The film manages to be a family drama, a coming of age movie with a dash of romance, and a comedy at the same time. It all seamlessly fit together and keep you captivated.

The cast is out of this world. The group of young actors they chose is simply impressive because they are all so natural that it's easy to believe that they are the characters they're portraying. Asa Butterfield is wickedly talented and morphed into Nathan for the duration of the film.

Morgan Matthews' background in documentary film-making has a huge impact on how realistic and natural the film feels. The film really shows a wide spectrum of teenagers, among the socially awkward, quirky, math prodigy children. He conveys a strong message by showcasing these kids as they are and not falling into common stereotypes.

A Brilliant Young Mind is a gem that I would recommend to every one. I LOVED this film, it's touching and amazingly well made.

@Wornoutspines