Adam

Movies about people with mental challenges are tough to pull off. The storytellers must find a way to be realistic yet empathetic, keeping the grislier, audience-alienating details to a minimum while steering clear of condescension. Therefore, it’s no surprise that writer-director Max Mayer was in over his head with this uninvolving drama about a man with Asperger's syndrome (a high-functioning form of autism) whose life is topsy-turvied by the death of his father, the loss of his job and a blossoming romance with his neighbor. British actor Hugh Dancy almost redeems the whole thing with his skilled portrayal of the title character, using subtle body language and not-quite-eye contact to convey Adam’s lack of connection with the world around him. Though his detachment unfortunately becomes ours, it’s interesting to note that the romantic trajectory here is pretty much the same anywhere: family objections, work obstacles and the woman’s realization that if she wants the relationship, she’s gonna have to take care of him.