A study of a tortured teen with Asperberger's syndrome, Ben is bullied and mistreated by his peers, and since his divorced parents are pretty clueless, he retreats into an on line role- playing fantasy game, where he has won the heart of a female player.
Greg Timmerman is is excellent in the lead, but also looks a little old for the role, which takes a little something away from the reality, and heartbreak of the film. Most of the supporting performances are very good as well.
The film captures the trauma of adolescence, honestly and brutally.
(possible mild semi-spoiler ahead!)
But the documentary like interviews are ultimately setting us up for a twist ending that is both weirdly satisfying and a huge cheat and let down at the same time. It feels good, but makes all the raw emotion of the film up to that point feel a bit copped out on.
None-the-less, there is some very inventive filmmaking here, and the film is rarely less than riveting. It just seems that, sadly, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
Greg Timmerman is is excellent in the lead, but also looks a little old for the role, which takes a little something away from the reality, and heartbreak of the film. Most of the supporting performances are very good as well.
The film captures the trauma of adolescence, honestly and brutally.
(possible mild semi-spoiler ahead!)
But the documentary like interviews are ultimately setting us up for a twist ending that is both weirdly satisfying and a huge cheat and let down at the same time. It feels good, but makes all the raw emotion of the film up to that point feel a bit copped out on.
None-the-less, there is some very inventive filmmaking here, and the film is rarely less than riveting. It just seems that, sadly, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.