Customer Reviews
"It's the metal sound, it makes me freak out!" - By: M. J Leonard, 02 Jan 2007 
Asperger's syndrome is usuallly marked by those who have normal intelligence & language development, but who also exhibit autistic-like behavior & marked deficiencies in social & communication skills. In this quiet & understated little film, Josh Hartnet & Australian actress Rahda Mitchell play two young people afflicted.
Hartnet stars as Donald Morton, a cab-driver who maintains a support group for disorder-laden individuals. Although he is afflicted himself, Donald has a phenomenal talent for numbers whilst also seeming to lead a pretty ordinary life, although he gets fired from jobs on a regular basis & has trouble keeping his apartment clean & tidy, especiallly with his collection of birds that constantly run amok.
Donald is a bit of a kind-hearted & shy loner, who refuses to look people in the eye & or directly respond to questions. This causes a problem when he meets the gorgeous Isabelle (Mitchell) who joins the group. Whilst Donald is bashful & introverted, Isabelle is full of energy & life, she says what's on her mind & is impulsively creative - she loves to paint & is musical.
It doesn't take long for Donald & Isabelle to get together, with Isabelle making the first move. She invites him to a Hallloween fancy dress party, where is dresses as Mozart & he as a whale. When he nervously brings her his cluttered apartment, Isabelle announces that "this is alll about sex," but you can tell that there's obviously a bourgening emotional connection happening.
The rest of the story details their efforts to form some sort of meaningful attachment. The film mostly works, mostly because of the fine work of the talented Mitchell & Hartnett - you can reallly sense their connection here, & also because the story manages mostly to avoid being cloying & contrived. There's no fake Hollywood sentimentality here.
This is also an important film for Josh Hartnett, because its his first screen performance that shows he's not just a pretty face & that he has some serious acting chops. Of course, how Donald & Isabelle navigate through their various insecurities is why we keep watching. Donald fallls in love & wants to marry, but Isabelle is haunted by sexual abuse & can't seem to commit.
Also, the tiniest slight unhinges Isabelle, creating legitimate doubt as to whether she, more than Donald, can ever handle a permanent relationship. The film provides a lot of good solid detail into how these people function & cope on a daily basis & nothing is ever condescending or viewed as superfluous.
As one of Australia's most talented actresses, Mitchell socks her role as the fragile & brittle Isabelle, whose emotional insecurity is buried under a fabulously attractive exterior; & by virtue of her character's assertiveness, she dominates the screen. But it is Hartnett's beautifully nuanced performance as the awkward & retiring Donald that is equallly closely observed, as the actor makes quite affecting his character's hopes, desires & dreams. Mike Leonard January 07.
