0
Wow. It’s difficult to know what to say when you witness something so compelling and clever that it leaves you completely shocked and blown away by its ability to be that good.
Morgan Matthews’s X+Y touches on the subject of disability with a striking honesty, which makes this film heart-wrenching, uncomfortable and humorous all at the same time.
It’s not so much a film about a gifted autistic child; rather it is a film about human relationships and the lengths a loved one will go to in order to make you happy.
What this film reminds us of is the outstanding capabilities of British film-makers. X+Y is a refreshing, sweet and poignant film that will probably never get the recognition it deserves in the forefront of the movie world; yet it will stay in the hearts of its viewers for years to come.
Good films would be nothing without good acting and X+Y supports this theory entirely.
Aside from his striking blue eyes, seventeen year old Asa Butterfield is a breath of fresh air in this profoundly important drama. He takes centre stage as a young man haunted by the tragic death of his father, who has resisted the love of his mother ever since. He portrays a teenager with autism with such careful accuracy, and is able to make us laugh, sob and applaud as he tackles his fears and tries to make sense of the world around him.
Britain should be very proud – we have produced a wonderfully talented group of young actors over the years and Asa Butterfield is certainly no exception.
Easily matching Butterfield’s performance is the charming Sally Hawkins. Hawkins’ performance as a mother trying her very very best, despite being tortured by the loss of her husband and the difficulties Nathan brings to her, is simply magnificent. Hawkins is the kind of actress who has you believing her every word, smiling when she smiles and crying when she cries. Her ability to show her troubled soul through her smiley exterior is so believable it’s easy to forget she’s an actress on a screen. Sally Hawkins is one to watch; she will be everybody’s favourite actress in the blink of an eye. And rightly so.
Rafe Spall adds a splash of comic genius and hope into this otherwise upsetting story, while battling MS and ongoing depression.
Jake Davies as Luke Shelton is tragic and wonderful, and another jewel in the British-young-actors-crown.
The tagline reads: Is there a formula for love?
Find out for yourself if Nathan can find the mathematical formula or whether love is something we are unable to measure.
Go and see X+Y. It’s not talked about, or raved about and you’ve probably never heard of it; but it’s a film that just makes you really quite happy, and it will be end up as one of your top five if you’re anything like us.