The lead is completely endearing, illustrating life with Asperger's syndrome in a comprehensible way. I even thought, several times, "I do that, just to a milder degree." I thought, "His response to this situation is completely rational. It's just 'too' rational. Is it odd that I identify?" I used to struggle seriously with idiomatic expressions. I wondered why people didn't just say what they meant. These and other sympathies made me wonder if I have the same traits that, in more extreme forms, make up Asperger's, or if the only difference between him and me is that I am somehow able to learn and adapt in ways he isn't. :-)
I enjoyed, perhaps (again) because of personal experience, the portrayal of such conflicts as how to enter into and remain in a relationship in which you know your partner will likely be unable to show you affection in the way you want it or are used to receiving it (for example, she questions whether he'll ever say "I love you" and, if he does, whether he'll understand what that even means to most people or whether he actually feels it). Despite being mostly fairly predictable and the ending being sweet but leaving me...mildly confused and trying to figure out what I might have missed, I really enjoyed the movie.
My favorite lines from it stood out probably because of my own frustrations with people's perspectives on relationships. I don't remember the exact wording, and a quick search didn't turn up the quotes online, so I'll go from memory:
"It's wonderful to feel loved. But to love, that is the necessity."I slapped my friend on the leg and whispered, "Yes! Thank-you! Somebody's daring to say it."
This one I'll deliberately paraphrase to de-spoil it a touch, but be warned it may still be a bit of a spoiler:
"If you want me because you can't function without me, then I can't be with you."
Good flick.
1 comment:
Looks like a wicked good movie!
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