Ben X

Talk about a movie that deserves to be seen, this is one.  Coming out of Belgium from first-time director Nic Balthazar, Ben X is based on Balthazar's novel Niets was alles wat hij zei (Nothing was All He Said).  Ben, who has Asperger's Syndrome, struggles to fit in the world of teenagers and school.  He plays an online battle video game avidly; in the universe of the game, he's a highly-ranked, nearly invincible warrior.  As he prepares for school each day, he mentally tries to put on the attributes of his avatar as he does in the game.

If only we could change our real selves as easily as we can change our video game alter egos.

At school he is relentlessly bullied and humiliated.  His daily "power up" times before the mirror finally begin to pay off as he gains confidence to act, but his real confidence booster comes when his on-screen female fellow warrior shows up in his real world.  Ultimately he gets some revenge, but not in the way I thought he might.

The blending of Ben's fantasy life and real life opens a window into Ben's mind.  As he confronts the school bullies, they become the monsters he fights in his game.  I don't know enough about Asperger's to know how true-to-life this portrayal is, but I do know it's a wide-ranging syndrome, so this could very well be consistent with some.  In any case, telling the story from the perspective of the outcast gives the rest of us pause; who is the Ben in our lives?

Bottom line, 4 stars.

Temple Grandin

If you have a child, friend, or loved one who is autistic, or if you are a teacher, or if you have any contact with autistic adults or children, or for that matter anyone with any disability (have I covered everyone?), you must see this movie!  Today it's not unusual to meet kids with an autism spectrum disorder, and those kids are in schools to varying degrees of inclusion.  But when Temple Grandin was a child growing up in the 1950s, it was a different world.  She was different, odd, hard to teach, etc.  Ultimately she became a respected university professor and animal husbandry expert.  This movie follows her life from her childhood to her early career.

Besides Temple's spirit and determination, her mother and aunt and uncle provided her with the environment and input she needed to reach her potential.  A high school teacher helped her explore her gifts.  In spite of her limitations in speech and social interactions, Temple succeeded and thrived, all the way through college and graduate school.

Several scenes in the movie show her determination at work.  In college, she created a hugging machine, inspired by a cattle chute at her uncle's ranch, to help her calm herself.  Even when the college officials forced her to give it up, she fought back and won permission to keep a device in her dorm.  Later, when she was researching the treatment of cattle in stock yards, the men tried to keep her out by refusing entry to women.  So she dressed as a man, fooling the gatekeepers!  Claire Daines portrays Temple's quirky behavior in these situations beautifully and with respectful humor.

Temple transformed the cattle industry by trying to see stockyards from the cows' point of view.

Temple Grandin takes the viewer into her autistic mind, giving us a hint of the way she thinks visually.  Just as Temple put herself in the place of the cows, to attempt to see the world as they see it, thus coming to a better understanding of how best to treat them, Temple Grandin will give the viewer unprecedented insight into the mind of autistic persons.  Highly recommended!

Bottom line, 3 1/2 stars.

Here are some books she has written, and one by her remarkable mom:

Adam

If you  have ever met someone with Asperger's sydrome, a form of autism, you may not have realized it.  They can be, in varying degrees, socially awkward, compulsive about sticking to routine, and obsessively interested in specific topics.  They can also be brilliant, prodigies in music, computer programming, or technical skills.  Adam featuers a character with Asperger's in a sympathetic, insightful portrayal of a young man at a time of crisis and transition.

Adam, a 29-year-old man, has lived with his father all his life in the same apartment.  Adam has a job, but his father helps support him and helps with his routines and unique needs.  When his father dies, Adam maintains his routine for a while.  Then he loses his job designing electronic toys; it seems he is very good at the technical applications, but not so good about staying within the requirements and budget for his projects.   Without his father's assistance, and without income from his job, he must quickly make some changes.

Amid this time of changes, a lovely young lady moves into his building.  She is not put off by his quirkiness, and they strike up a friendship that becomes a romance.  Whether the romance can last or is destined to fail is the story of the movie.  I won't spoil it for you, but I will say Adam has a happy ending.

There are some good laughs as Adam steps into unfamiliar circumstances, and moving scenes where he is pushed too far.  The comedy and the drama do not come across as overdone, but seem realistic and believable.  Pick up Adam.  It's not only a thorughly enjoyable human story, but it will change the way you look at Asperger's.

Bottom line, 3 1/2 stars.