Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Adam

This movie hits very close to home for me. My own little brother has Asperger's Syndrome, which is the form of autism that the title character Adam (played by Hugh Dancy) has. WebMD describes Asperger's Syndrome as a type of pervasive development disorder (PDD) that "involves delays in the development of many basic skills, most notably the ability to socialize with others, to communicate, and to use imagination." But knowing how my own brother is, that is far too general of a statement. And after watching this movie, I am confident you will agree.

Hugh Dancy's portrayal of someone with Asperger’s is remarkably spot on. He brings a profound sense of reality to the role by fostering innocence in Adam that is both endearing and empathetic. People with this disorder are fully capable of having very normal lives; they just exist on a different plain from the rest of us. Dancy creates a character that is easy to like, despite his oddities. And you find yourself caring about Adam not because he has Asperger’s, but because you are able to empathize with his predicaments, if not relate to them yourself. It is evident early on in the film that something is a little off with Adam Raki. You see him plunged into unfamiliar territory: first, with the death of his father, then living alone for the first time in his life, and soon with his courtship of his new female neighbor. There are several scenes where Dancy truly captures the under rationalization of Adam, especially in his dramatic outbursts and moments of emotional turmoil.

Rose Bryne and Hugh Dancy
We have seen the depth that Rose Bryne brings to the table, most notably in her Emmy nominated role as Ellen Parsons on the hit television show Damages. And she is nothing short of that as Beth Buchwald in Adam. Beth herself is at a crossroads in her life—she recently ended a prior relationship with a successful, good-on-paper ex-fiance, she is cooping with her career mediocrity as an elementary school teacher with aspirations of becoming an author, and on top of it all, her “perfect” father is being prosecuted for white collar crimes. It seems like she meets Adam at just the right time, because she too is looking for someone to lean on. Bryne brings a saintly persona to a character that seemingly is just as naive in many respects as Adam is, just without a mental disorder.

Frankie Faison as Harlan
Frankie Faison adds some comic relief as Harlan, Adam’s father’s friend who indirectly looks after his interests. One of the classic moments in the film is when Harlan and Adam are having lunch. Adam begins to talk about the Voyager satellite, because astronomy is his passion. Harlan cuts him off proclaiming, “lunch time is for guy talk”. Adam pauses for a moment and replies, “A woman moved into 3A”. Harlan smiles, “Alright, now that’s lunch talk!” It is Harlan who encourages Adam to pursue Beth and tries to give him advice as to how to do so. He understands Adam’s condition probably better than anyone, and therefore can entice him in a positive way to make new ventures in his life. One might consider him to be Adam’s conscience.

When Adam finally does court Beth, we truly begin to see how Asperger’s affects him. Most people would easily consider his actions strange, but once you know that he has this condition, it all makes sense. This scene itself is rather humorous, because Adam admits to being “sexually excited” by her and asks if she was as well. Instinctively, she is about to leave, until he explains that he doesn’t always say the right things because of his condition. It is interesting to see the how someone with Asperger’s would deal with being in a relationship because it’s the simple things that look difficult. He has to meet he friends, her family, and somehow integrate himself into her life in a way he never has; how is this so different from what we all endure in our own relationships? What makes this film so endearing is that a “neurotypical” person (as so frequently referred to by Adam himself) would face the same challenges that he does with dating and surprisingly we start to relate to him.

Peter Gallagher as Marty Buchwald
The subplot of Beth’s parents is somewhat of a distraction to the film. Peter Gallagher and Amy Irving play Marty and Rebecca Buchwald, Beth’s well-to-do parents who still have a great deal of influence on their daughter’s life. The whole Daddy’s Little Girl angel is quite trite, yet explains a lot behind why Beth is the way she is. In her eyes, her father can do no wrong and she is naturally devastated to find out that he’s a criminal. All of sudden, the story line shifts from Adam struggling to just be with Beth, to Beth’s father not wanting her to be with him at all, “He’s not the guy for you.” I think we could have seen a lot less of Gallagher’s character and still had the same understanding of Beth.

There are some absolutely great moments of candor in this film. When Beth brings Adam a box of chocolates as a gesture to thank him, he says, “I’m not Forrest Gump, you know.” Other critics have compared Adam to films such as Rain Man and Forrest Gump, because the main character in these films is also autistic. However, this particular film is not at all like them. In fact, I would compare it more with other New York-set films such as Woody Allen’s Annie Hall or Mike Nichols’ Regarding Henry. What makes this film so refreshing is the fact that Hollywood is recognizing more of the actual illness than before. By creating a movie who’s protagonist has a mental disorder that is directly addressed within the movie, is unlike many films before. It does so, without making Adam’s Asperger’s the focal point of the whole story and achieves an attractive plausibility for the viewer.

I am not so easily convinced when it comes to cinematic portrayals of characters that are suffering from some sort of mental condition. However, Max Mayer’s film Adam is anything but unrealistic. It is poignant when you least expect it to be and dramatic in an unfamiliar sort. It reaches out to us and explains life through the eyes of someone who would otherwise be written off altogether. I think we all have had a moment or two where we felt like we just weren’t being understood. This is a film about choices and circumstances, and loving someone in between all of that.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Bottom Line: Simply put, Adam is a tiny little film with a great big heart.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Public Enemies

Through the classic style of director Michael Mann, we catch a brief glimpse into the life of famed outlaw John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) in his latest biopic Public Enemies. Although arguably plain in plot structure and character development, the film strikes a highly accurate note with history and recounts Dillinger's period as a fugitive extremely well. This is undoubtedly thanks to the brilliant adaptation of Bryan Burrough's non-fiction book Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. Mann recreates this era of criminal malice and legal inconsistency without elaborating too much on the character's individual circumstances. This is a poor choice for a film that is set against the backdrop of The Great Depression. One cannot justly recount the story of Dillinger without conveying the struggles induced by the times.

In the opening scene where Dillinger is broken out of prison by his faithful comrades, Homer Van Meter and Baby Face Nelson to name a few, we are introduced to the slew of bandits that remain loyal to Dillinger. This is one of the best scenes of the entire film because it sets the mood and pace for what is in store for these criminals. There is a wonderful onscreen moment where Depp creates a conflicting sense of anger and sorrow as Dillinger is physically forced to "let go" of one of his men as they race off in their getaway car. Such inner emotional struggle is rarely conveyed by anyone else because Mann has created a film that we are not necessarily induced to interpret through the character's feelings, but merely witnesses to a series of events.

Johnny Depp as John Dillinger
Depp does however manage to create a criminal that the audience can empathize with. His sterilized approach to the character of John Dillinger is not without merits. You feel compassion for Dillinger despite his illegal actions and he comes across as being a modern day Robin Hood. In the first robbery, Dillinger briefly addresses one of the clients in the bank, telling him "we're not here for your money, we're here for the bank's money". This was one disappointing aspect of the real John Dillinger that Mann did not fully elaborate upon in this film. Depp approaches Dillinger as a man of high morals and great character, creating a gentleman criminal on screen.

Billy Crudup as J. Edgar Hoover
Probably one of the most historical scenes, independent of Dillinger's raids, is the part where J. Edgar Hoover, played by Billy Crudup, addresses the Senate sub-committee responsible for all Bureau appropriations, asking them for more funding in order to keep up with the likes of Dillinger. Although the back story is left unmentioned in the film, it is very obvious that Senator Kenneth McKeller has a personal vendetta against Hoover, just by his demeanor and the sort of questioning he poses upon him. Because so much of Burrough's novel was about the initial construction of the FBI, the omission of such key plot points seems outright sinful. What was going on with Hoover and the Bureau of Investigation could have been just as encapsulating as Dillinger's evasive life.

Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis
Christian Bale's performance as Melvin Purvis is just as responsive as Depp's. Here is a character whose sole purpose is to catch the protagonist, along with all his criminal associates. Purvis' presence creates a traditional good guy versus bad guy subplot. When he discovers that Dillinger's girlfriend Billie Frechette, played by Marion Cotillard, has been abused by one of his agents, he rescues her without question. He also recognizes that his initial staff of G-Men are no match for Dillinger's posse and pleads to Hoover to bring in more experienced agents to avoid further deaths of his men. Bale manages to retain the audience's good opinion of him because he stands by his commitment to the safety of his men and is loyal to a system of justice that upholds human decency and honor.

Marion Cotillard as Billie Frenchette
Dillinger's love interest, Billie Frechette, added a great deal to the story. She was the one character that had no ties or connections except through her love for Dillinger. And while his associates were seemingly always loyal to him, she did not have an ulterior motive aside from being with him. When the two first meet, she asks Dillinger what he does for a living; he openly replies "I rob banks". This is reminiscent of Warren Beatty in Bonnie & Clyde where he admits to the farmer that they too "rob banks". The look of surprise on Faye Dunaway's face is very much like Cotillard's reaction, where she says, "That's a serious thing to say to a girl you just met." The audience can often feel the turmoil of Billie Frechette through her eyes. Cotillard embraces the role of Dillinger's lover soulfully and passionately, often without saying a single word. This is the kind of performance that we have come to expect from this Academy Award winning actress.

The director's approach to this film fell short of the historical context of both Dillinger's gang and the men at the Bureau of Investigation at the time. The script itself focuses on the situations at hand and ignores the surrounding circumstances of the characters. I am honestly surprised that Michael Mann accepted this sort of simplicity so willing, having directed other highly intricate films as The Insider & Collateral. Overall though, the movie was very well acted and beautifully reenacted on the screen. What it lacked in story strength, it made up for in dynamic scenes of excitement. As a result, the audience never looses interest in the antics of John Dillinger or the crusade of Melvin Purvis.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Bottom Line: A period gangster film that parades bank robbers as heroes. Michael Mann delivers as always, but the story itself remains lacking.