Review: Adam

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Adam

It doesn't bode well for a film when it opens with a voiceover comparing the title character to that of The Little Prince, and how he taught her about love. It reeks of Movie-of-the-Week-itis, and all the clichés that implies.

Throughout the opening scene, and most of the film, Adam is calculated to manipulate the heart strings, which gets tiresome right from the start. With a dysfunctional meet-cute, this take on the boy-meets-girl story never strays outside of predictable boundaries.

Adam (Hugh Dancy) is an electronics engineer with Asperger's Syndrome; Bethany (Rose Byrne) is a teacher with aspirations to write children's books who moves into his building.

Writer/director Max Mayer, whose primary experience is with episodic television, relies heavily on the devices used in television to move the story along. The only person who understands Adam is an old family friend who wields out pithy advice. Adam, or course, has all sorts of obstacles in his life, without the complexities of a relationship; bad boss, callous cops, and some life changing events that would challenge most people. Bethany, on the other hand, not only befriends Adam but turns him into her rebound man despite the fact she's gorgeous, rich and the epitome of a daddy's girl -- more likely to fall for a nurturer.

That's not to say there's nothing redeemable in the movie; there are some genuinely sweet and funny moments. Byrne's Bethany clearly is someone who would befriend most people. Watching Adam struggle with how to respond to situations is often mesmerizing, until it gets overly dramatic. Perhaps the best performance is the understated Amy Irving, who, as Bethany's mother, demonstrates unconditional love with an elegance rarely depicted in romance films.

It's hard to ignore a pervading expectation to be moved by the film or be considered heartless. As politically incorrect as it may sound, Adam doesn't get much love from me. Then again, very few romantic movies do these days.