A Boy Called Po

I really did not expect to enjoy this movie, but indeed I did. Never before have I seen such an authentic portrayal of autism . Julian Feder was truly brilliant . (Freddie Highmore could/should take lessons.) Only one other movie captured my heart by its authenticity and that was "Whale Watcher" and the stellar performance by Keisha Castle-Hughes. These two actors were and are talented beyond their age.

Why this movie would win any awards, let alone twelve, is a mystery to me. From the first minutes you get that awful feeling this movie is made for Lifetime. I was actually surprised it wasn't. That typical horrible piano music you get in every scene, it's just cringing to hear, it's a basic signature for lousy Lifetime or Hallmark tv-movies. the story is also typical, we got to learn a life lesson here, but first let's fill the movie with mediocre and unnecessary scenes. You won't hear me saying that some passages aren't worth watching, the ones about autism and the imaginary world they live in were interesting to watch, but for example when the autist disappears after calling a taxi that comes pick him up at the special needs school, driving him far away and that without getting paid and without warning the police, that's the kind of stupid scenes that bring down a story that could have been good. Julian Feder did a decent job playing his character, he's the best actor of this movie. His father played by Christopher Gorham is the opposite, mediocre acting, just the kind you would expect for a tv-movie. It's not because it's a dramatic movie about autism that it's going to be good. There are wonderful movies about autism, but A Boy Called Po isn't one of them.

An autistic son makes life difficult and also a joy for a father who lost his wife and found himself struggling to cope with work, his son's education, and the lack of understanding the "normal" world has for this condition.

This film is suited for Lifetime TV or Hallmark Channel. With falling box office revenues, it's astonishing ithas had limited distribution to theaters.

Autism is a topic of massive concern that deserves to be treated with great care. This film presents a touching portrait of a widowed father trying to raise an autistic son on his own. Unfortunately it has the emotional finesse of a charging rhinoceros both in character-development and tone.

The father and son roles are aptly portrayed, but the script ventures into unknown territory and attempts to define it in ham-fisted ways. Then there's the played out trope of a grieving father who won't discuss his loss, despite repeated questioning from his son asking where his mom is. A lot of their interactions feel like those between two people who haven't met before, such as a dietary issue that could be remedied if the father bothered to incorporate what the boy needs (fiber) into what the boy wants.

The result feels overly ambitious. The school bully and others are one-dimensional and played with such gusto they lose their places. And then there's the person with whom Po most easily relates: a mentally-challenged person. Give me a break.

Most unforgivable was the happy ending; actually the avalanche of happy, tidy endings. The film's final act heads into territory that is so choked with tidy conclusions that I wondered what drama was up next to be neatly and much too easily solved. This script doesn't know when to stop.

As someone who has worked in the autism field for nearly a decade, I can vouch for "Po" as a film that captures the everyday challenges of thousands of families across the globe. Director John Asher's emphasis on the rawness of autism is met with magical cinematography that transports the audience to places beyond fantasy. Asher is the father of a son, Evan, who is on the autism spectrum, and insights from his personal experience are evident in the film.

Expertly written, the storyline grabs the viewer and takes them on a ride across the fine line of imagination and reality. Christopher Gorham and Julian Feder are an on-screen "dream team" - connected, convincing, and compelling.

"Po" is a brilliant film worth seeing again and again.