Le monde de Nathan

I pre-ordered "X+Y" from the UK, not realizing it was being released in the US (under a different name). This ended up being one of my favorite movies of this year, but I feel like many people will not give it a chance for several reasons, but mainly the subject matter.

"It" is a delicate petal to step around to a lot of people. Nathan is not the epitome of all people on the spectrum, he is unique and also based on a real person (albeit loosely). You don't have to have any kind of "diagnosed condition" to understand the hardships portrayed in the film. His is not the only struggle, just the most emphasized.

I must say that I was impressed with Asa Butterfield's portrayal of Nathan. Not many actors can convey emotions or thoughts without actually saying much of anything. When you feel empathy for a character, you know the actor is doing far more than just saying their memorized lines. That being said, everyone did a pretty good job bringing their characters to life.

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.

'X+Y' is somewhat of a detour for its star and revelation, Asa Butterfield. He is already in popular demand, having been at the centre of Martin Scorsese's attention in 'Hugo' and the failed Young Adult fantasy adaptation 'Ender's Game'. It seems strange to me that Butterfield has forgone the realm of Hollywood Blockbusters to enter a profound and revealing Indie Drama. Consider me happy beyond measure.

'X+Y' sees Butterfield play the intelligent, but autistic Nathan. He finds it extremely hard to form bonds, even with his own mother. Nathan never admits it, but we can tell that he blames her for the awful car crash that proved fatal to his father. Whom he had always shared a special connection. He finds he is able to maintain new friendships when he gains a place on the British Squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad. This gives Nathan newfound confidence and the attention of a girl on the opposing squad. Nathan understands Mathematics better than anyone, even his parents at the age of five. But he is not able to work out why he has an attraction to this girl, by the name of Zhang Mei played with keen spirit by Jo Yang. He diverts so much of his attention to her, that he finds it increasingly difficult to keep his mind focused on what matters most for his future.

'X+Y' is the type of film that is all too rare to find in the cinema. When it finally does appear on the big screen, it lasts a week before it stops being shown. Therefore, if you are reading this then I am sorry, but at least you can pre order the DVD. I wish there were more films like this, with the same energy, style, charm, acting talent and intimacy. The movies would be a better place for it.

The script for 'X+Y' is handled with care and delicately, so that every line shows the audience what rapt attention to detail the screenwriter paid to make sure it flows smoothly, even containing laughs and many heartfelt moments scattered throughout its brief runtime. The most marvellous thing of all is that 'X+Y' contains two romances and both of them feel genuine and make sense. They do not slow down the pacing and only highlight what a joy the film is to behold. The casting from Sally Hawkins to Rafe Spall plays a large part in selling the romance to the audience. Not only making them invest in it, but believe it as well. The music feels soft and tender, never overbearing always hitting the right notes on the nose. The cinematography is excellent and proves that films do not need CGI fakery to look splendid or gorgeous; I am looking at you Peter Jackson.

'X+Y' may be ultimately too predictable, but at least it feels sweet and soothing, a truly lovely film to engage in and even shed a tear when it all ends. Hollywood simply does not make films like this anymore. Can you resist? Will you even want to try? I urge you to at least give 'X+Y' a chance, it deserves at the very least to be seen once.

I am not going to reveal any details about the film and I would highly recommend that you go to the cinema or get it on DVD to watch it yourself. I have the great honour to know this guy on whom the movie is based. We were having lunch and he told me that a director was going to shoot a film about him. That was more than two years ago in a Chinese hotpot restaurant in London where he took me. My friend could read the Three Kingdoms book and is fascinated with all the figures. He loves to play a game based on the Three Kingdoms. I felt quite embarrassed when he invited me to play and I said 'I am sorry, I don't know how to play it'. He really is a genius and a role model. Days ago in 2015 he sent me a message telling me that the film was on now. Therefore I went to the cinema to watch this long waited film. To be honest, I was a bit suspicious about if Asa Butterfield was going to deliver this task of portraying my friend. But after watching it, I am totally convinced that he managed successfully. The acting in this film including all the leading and supporting actors and actresses is stunningly good. Watching the film all the way through was not an easy task for me and I found it really hard sometimes as it was quite reminiscing and upset for myself. Part of it also reminded me of the 'dark July' almost everyone in China has been through - the national matriculation tests to enter universities. Day and night we sat there trying to figure out all these maths, physics and chemistry questions. Nervousness, frustration, fear, upset. The questions of course were no where near those at the IMO, but the feelings we had back then was comparable to the contestants. The film centred on some very true aspects of real life, cruel but real. Either 0 or 1, no grey area. So where do I belong if I do not fit into either 1 or 0? Maybe the two limits of both Nathan and his mom do converge at a point and that point is love. It is very difficult to write a review without mentioning the details, perhaps I failed to convince people by writing this review, but the film will not fail you.

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