X+Y

[LatrellBrown]

X+Y just finished watching this film in Wimbledon.

It's a film you can warm to main character is a young math whiz diagnosed with autistic at a early age and has a passion for maths to compete at the highest level and faces new obstacles along the way.

6.5/10

[stuartboy]

Didn't find this nearly as endearing as I was as expecting. In fact it is rather dull and uninteresting. Injection of a little humour would have gone a long way.
Was amazed at the similarities between the young Hugo and the older Hugo - it was almost like they were the same boy as in Boyhood - filmed over several years, but I don't think it was. What amazingly deep blue huge eyes both boys have.
Film is overlong by about 30 minutes too.

6/10

Oh -I take it subtitles and words describing sound effects was a botch at Edinburgh and not everywhere? Admittedly it could be an intentional (but deeply annoying) feature of the film.

[newdot]

subtitles also ever present at derby, soon able to ignore.

found the 2 self harm scenes kinda shocking & slightly out of place in this film (12a certificate seems to generous for me...)

that said, all main leads were uniformly good, so 8/10 for me.

[steve9872]

I thought the ending was terrible, practically every story line was left hanging.

[stuartboy]

I thought the ending was terrible, practically every story line was left hanging.

.....leaving it open for a sequel!

.......called Z!

[yogi]

I thought this was a pretty good film raised up by some excellent performances.

Nathan was hard to connect with, but I guess that's partly the point and both the young and older actors playing him were very excellent, Rafe Spall was very good and some of the scenes with Sally Hawkins were heart breaking.

I didn't mind the ending, I thought you learnt enough to work out were the characters would end up next but...

Spoiler

Show

it's probably time to take a break from the side on car crash technique in films. I can remember how shocking it was when I first saw it in Pulp Fiction, but now as soon as I see that camera angle I'm bracing myself for the crash

Overall 8/10

[midian]

i thought the ending was a bit odd and abrupt.

Spoiler

Show

wasn't sure if the scene in the train was from before the exam or after? was this a dream? were they going back to his home or china? it just needed more context

but overall I enjoyed the film. it was mainly scenes of being awkward so you were obliged to think about the meaning of what was happening. also i know someone on the downward spiral with MS. That part was so honest and brutal I think they were studying my friend.


luckily was at a screening with a director's Q&A with Morgan Matthews. and he explained the ending after someone in the audience asked what next.

the main character was loosely based on /inspired by a man who he met whilst filming a documentary about odd competitions for the BBC. This one was based on an autistic man called Daniel he met whilst filming about the Maths Olympiad. The ending is supposed to sort of/kind of touch on Daniel's actual journey.

Spoiler

Show

Daniel really does go to china, learn mandarin in 3 months, marry a chinese woman at 18 years old

I hope the bbc repeats the original doc series as this film is coming out. daniel sounds fascinating. also I would love to see Morgan's film about the world taxidermist competition; I would love to know why it takes months to stuff a goldfish sized fish!

[akh43]

I saw this last night and enjoyed it 7.5/10.

All the cast were very good and I felt I had seen the older Nathan before and just checked and he played Hugo.

Thanks midian for the extra info from the Q&A as good to know some background about the film.

[The Sparrow]

He was also in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

[prettyxcool]

I also saw this last night with the Q&A with Morgan Matthews, the BAFTA-nominated director of X+Y, at the Institute of Education, organised by The Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE). They even provided popcorn.

Lovely to see so many FMUKers there.

Really liked this film as the acting was so good from all, especially Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan and Asa Butterfield, yes, he was from Hugo and the Ender's Game, the Director confirmed and how he just shot up, so no one recognised him from Hugo. Everyone in the audience chipped in with "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas"!

An amazing film about very gifted children with autism, or it could be the other way, and the challenges of rising such a child, but nevertheless really interesting, heartwarming and heartbreaking, a very emotional journey for me, having had a personal experience. As the director explained in his Q&A, it is loosely based on the people in his documentary he did for the BBC called Beautiful Young Minds, about Maths Olympiad competitors. Shame it is not available on iPlayer now. The character studies are brilliant, poignant and beautifully done, there are funny and touching moments, and hilarious dialogue. 9/10