Movie Review: Max Mayer’s Adam
A lovable and charming film, Max Mayer’s Adam, is about discovery and that love is something we all still try to figure out in some way. Adam is why we go to the movies with it’s perfect chemistry and complex story, it is the biggest and best surprise of the year.
After seeing 500 Days of Summer, I didn’t think there could be another movie that could restore my faith in going to the movies. After a dismal summer of weak blockbusters being beat-up by clever comedies and Sundance greats, Max Mayer’s Adam is no exception, a wonderfully charming and beautiful story about falling in love. While it doesn’t necessarily reach the same heights as 500 Days, it’s the next best thing, and easily one of my very favorite films of the year.
The story begins by showing us space, no there is no final frontier montage, but what we end up finding is Adam (Hugh Dancy), a late 20-something who sadly just lost someone close to him. Come to find out it was his caretaker and father. Though the movie starts somewhat depressing, there is some immediate humor and love in how we will get to know this particular character on-screen for the next 2 hours. Adam suffers from a condition known as Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism, that primarily affects his social skills and without the help of his recently diseased father he really doesn’t know what he should do other than eat the same meals, talk about astronomy and go to work. He is actually quite brillaint and normal in any other way. However everything changes in his life when a girl moves next store. Beth (Rose Byrne), is just so cute in this film, and is immensly curious of Adam, not knowing about his disease right away, she is mystified by his awkward behavior but finds herself smiling and affectatious towards it.
Bryne’s voice is actually the first we hear during the space montage in the opening credits and she explains that she thought she knew everything about love, but it wasn’t until she met Adam that she realized she had so much more to learn and you know what I think most people in theater thought the same thing after the movie. Adam and Beth begin a relationship and we learn more about Adam not having a social filter. It is quite funny in a non offensive way and just makes you like him and their relationship throughout the film.
The story features a complex character driven narrative that features these two very different people meeting and building a relationship. Beth, with her emotional problems and her family’s legal troubles affect her while Adam, is affected by his father’s death and his struggle to build a social shell. Both the performances are great. I do not know anyone with Asperger’s syndrome but Dancy didn’t seem over the top or unbelievable to me. I really enjoyed the story, though there are moments of sadness and drama, its mostly light-hearted, charming and the very reason we go to the movies. The ending will surprise a lot of folks but I assure you there is no cliche and we love Adam more and more. Max Mayer has a great cinematic style to the film and his story has great layers and themes. Adam is about discovery and odes itself to the two leads – Byrne and Dancy – who’s chemistry is just perfect. I recommend Adam to anyone for its why we go to the movies, its what we love about the movies and its one the best films of the year, so go discover Adam and you may discover something about yourself.
Total Score – 10 out 10
