Mozart and the Whale (2005)

Memorable, crazy movie

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

"Mozart and the Whale" is a weak, saccharine love story revolving around Jerry, an autistic maths genius, and Mary, a talented musician with Asperger syndrome. The film was written by Ronald Bass, writer of "Rain Man", another film supposedly about mental illness. His "Mozart and the Whale" script was once set to be directed by Steven Spielberg, who ditched it in favour of a couple of even more saccharine scripts.The film somehow manages to both trivialise mental illness and glorify it, our inordinately photogenic heroes magically imbued with savant-like super powers specifically because of their illness.The film is "about" the troubles those with "autism" have when socialising, but its plot is too sugarcoated and negates all insight. The film is too quirky, too heavy-handed, is constantly telling instead of showing, lacks subtlety, and is approaching its material from two almost contradictory positions, wanting to at once be a fairy-tale romance and a gritty, grungy drama.Amongst the cast, a much hated Josh Hartnett stands out. He's been criticised, but it's a poor director and poor writing which makes the cast look bad. The film is highly regarded by people with Aspergers and those who are married to or know people with autism (it's a comforting fantasy, despite the film implying that our couple won't last). On IMDb, the film seems to disproportionally appeal to women. In real life, the divorce/virginity rates of those with autism/Aspergers are well above national averages. I watched this film with a young woman with Aspergers. She doesn't behave like anyone in this film. When it was over I asked her what she thought of it. She described it negatively. Which films portray Aspergers correctly? According to her: "The 40 Year Old Virgin", "Snow Cake" and "Punch Drunk Love". Two of those films aren't officially about Aspergers. 5/10 – Worth one viewing.

Having Asperger's Syndrome basically means that you're born without emotional intuition (which includes emotional empathy) and while the symptoms that are a consequence of this are largely the same among most (if not all) individuals, there is nevertheless a significant difference in intelligence and personality between people with Asperger's Syndrome."Mozart and the Whale" focuses on two extremes within the diverse ranges of people with Asperger's Syndrome, this being the quiet introverted conventional guy and the loud extroverted anti-conventional woman, both having higher than average intelligence. As a man born with Asperger's Syndrome, I recognize myself for about 75% in Isabelle (we even have the same laugh) and about 25% in Donald and I regard both of them as very accurate representations of Asperger's Syndrome.For me, this makes "Mozart and the Whale" a very personal movie. It's not a perfect movie by any standards, but it's a great movie for those who like to see how people with Asperger's Syndrome can function in society and have a meaningful relationship in spite of their social difficulties.

First, I have to say that my wife and I have raised an autistic boy. He is now an adult and doing well. So, we have known autistic and Aspergers individuals for years. The movie purports to be a story about the romance of an autistic woman and a young man with Aspergers. (based on real events.) Modine does a decent job of "performing" like a person with Aspergers. But, the lead actress is a major joke. She is quirky, like Diane Keaton is quirky in "Annie Hall." This is NO autistic individual. She has this dumb laugh that is annoying-- but, oh, is that acting??? It was torture to see autism trivialized by her lame attempt to portray a heart breaking condition. The script is unrealistic. The situations and the things she says are ridiculous. Autistic individuals find it very hard to express emotion. She says things that sound like a Lifetime Channel production...Someone said Spielberg was going to make this? He would have started with a major re-write AND an actress with major skills willing to do some research.... Big disappointment.

This film is about a young man and a young woman, who have Asperger's Syndrome, falling in love with each other.This film is very impressive. Josh Hartnett portrays the main character, Donald, who has poor social skills and social relatedness. His lack of eye contact, shyness, inability to comprehend facial expressions and body language are all portrayed well in the movie. It shows that Josh Hartnett can seriously act. The film is bright, warm and sweet. As for the visuals, there is always abundant colours in the film, and adequate lighting is ensured throughout the movie. I really like this point because it adds a positive feel to the film. I am glad to have watched this film, and even more glad that it can help to raise awareness of Asperger's syndrome.