Adam

7.7/10 Dropps.

Genre: Drama, Romance
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hr. 39 min.
In Theaters: Jul 29, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $2.1M
Written and Directed By: Max Mayer

Over the years movies portraying a mentally challenged lead characters have
built up quite the audience. Like it’s predecessors Rain Man or Forrest Gump,
ADAM draws on the idea that just because you’re “challenged,” doesn’t mean
you can’t be brilliant, but as Adam says “I’m not Forrest Gump, you know.”

ADAM follows Adam Raki (Hugh Dancy) and Beth Buchwald (Rose Bryne). Soon
after moving into her new apartment in the wake of a rough break-up, Beth meets
Adam, her handsome, seemingly normal, yet odd next-door neighbor. Adam,
who has a disease called Asperger’s, a mental disorder in the Autism spectrum
that makes everyday interactions a bit more difficult than normal, has just lost
his father and now lives alone. With genuine emotion and a curious affection
Adam and Beth create an unlikely couple showing us that taking a step into the
unknown with someone can lead to something eye opening and life changing.

Written and directed by Max Mayer, ADAM is an upbeat film with splashes into the
darkness of what living with Asperger’s can really be like. If the film has any real
downfalls when it comes to plot, it’s that it had a good chance of becoming a more
thoughtful, deep film if it had addressed more of the dark and difficult aspects of
the situation, rather than (for the most part) the upbeat and easygoing. That said,
this being Max Mayer’s feature full-length debut, it’s a well-crafted, smart first film.

Hugh Dancy gives a fantastic performance; his portrayal of Adam is natural and
convincing. Like Tom Hanks with Forrest Gump (in it’s respective time), Adam
could be Hugh Dancy’s strongest performance to date. Opposite him is Rose Bryne
(Sunshine, 28 Weeks Later, Get Him To The Greek), playing a girl put in a difficult
situation; she too gives one of her strongest performances to date. Both actors
are not yet household names, but with performances like this it wont be long.

ADAM is at times a film that you feel you have seen 100 times, but to its defense has
twist in a unique and refreshing not-so-tidy conclusion. ADAM is a strong film in the
romantic comedy/ drama genre.
-Hunter Freiburg