Wochenendrebellen

I watched this on the plane back from New Zealand. I learnt German in school and am trying to maintain my brain by watching German language films. I have no knowledge of autism or Aspergers so cannot comment on the authenticity of how the condition was portrayed or the parents handling of their son. All I can say is I found the movie very moving and came away with a broader understanding of the issues faced by those who have these conditions and their families. But my primary motivation for posting is to heap some praise on the actor who played Jason. I don't know whether he is autistic or was playing a part, either way his performance was outstanding. They really should have an age related best actor Oscar.

The film combines three outstanding themes in a fascinating way: the deeply touching father-son relationship, the unique perspective of a restricted boy on the world and finally the passionate love of soccer. This trinity is extraordinarily rare in the film world and offers a multitude of facets that will delight audiences.

Particularly impressive is the masterful realization of the visual and auditory representation of the perception of an autistic person. The character development of father and son is created with great sensitivity, and the use of the popular sport of soccer as a unifying element adds a deep, universal dimension.

The film is characterized in particular by the multi-layered emotions it evokes. These range from poignant moments to compassionate sadness, joy and a subtle form of tension. The acting is consistently positive, with the portrayals of the father and his son standing out in particular. Their authentic performance lends a remarkable intensity to the father-son relationship and the emotional depths. On the other hand, in my opinion, the woman's acting performance is the only role that stands out negatively.

An outstanding film is often characterized by memorable character development. This movie offers just that, coupled with a deep connection to the love of sport and family as well as a touch of social enlightenment with regard to autism. As such, the film presents itself as a multi-faceted masterpiece that deserves an unreserved recommendation for any lover of cinema and soccer.

This is the the first time that the fact that my sister has a degree in taking care of people with special needs (e.g. People with autism) helped with my review. After reading the synopsis it was obvious that the goal of "Weekend Rebels" was to have an emotional moving story about finding a way to connect with an autistic child eventhough it can sometimes be a challenge. Unfortunately for me personally it didn't feel that way at all - for me it was the story of how a couple of parents is incompetent to take care of their son with Asperger syndrome, because most of the time they don't communicate with him at all and just shake their heads without addressing what is happening (and I don't think that was the director's intention). I must admit that in the end this film actually made me furious because of the unlikable character of the father, who just have no idea how to raise a child with special needs. Apart from this issue I found "Weekend Rebels" extremely lengthy despite the fact its runtime is only 95 minutes. I wish I could recommend this film because I always support more representation of minorities in television, but sadly "Weekend Rebels" was just a disappointment.