runpros Characters may have been subconsciously drawn from the season 6 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine called "Statistical Probabilities." Genetically engineered and socially isolated individuals showed eccentricities nearly identical, in part, to some of the "Mozart" characters in the support group. Still, it's a great film.

deconstructing Many people have doubts about Josh Hartnett's acting abilities. He's landed some good performances in his earliest roles (The Virgin Suicides, O), but once the teenagers adopted him as the next big celebrity crush he got swallowed in the hype that led to Pearl Harbor. This destroyed any credibility he might have as an actor, and he has spent the rest of the decade trying to prove himself as a serious actor and to get rid of the hearth throb image.He completely succeeds in this goal with Mozart and the Whale. He plays Donald, a young man with Asperger's syndrome so well, you forget it's him. The performance is rough, unpolished and honest, and while it might not be technically perfect it's evident Hartnett was very inspired and motivated. It is a very good performance, and anybody who doubts his acting abilities should watch this film before making a judgment. The only problem is: not many people saw this film. And it is a shame.Radha Mitchell plays Isabelle, a young woman with Asperger's, and the film follows the two protagonists fall in love. Mitchell is also good in her role, but is less sympathetic; that is, until you realize what it seems like annoying, shallow girl, is actually the display of her Asperger's syndrome.The film itself, however, is full of the problems. It tries to be a romantic comedy about an unusual couple, but it doesn't work that way. Rumor says something went wrong in the production, and due to some executive meddling the film failed to be a drama it was meant to be. Allegedly, this made Josh Hartnett mad and he chose not to promote the film, which is a shame, because it's probably his best performance to date.Sometimes, it feels like a genuine story about people with Asperger's meeting, falling in love and having a relationship (it is based on true people and events), but at the moments it is reduced to the common denominator. You simply can't do that with a theme like this; this one doesn't work as a romantic comedy with quirky protagonists. It also feels like good 30 minutes of it is missing; it's rushed, especially in the last third.Still, even simplified and "Hollywoodised", this film is a good watch. But it's mainly because of the main cast, particularly Hartnett. He finds his voice like never before and manages to make us believe he's an individual with Asperger's living his life, falling in love, and trying to resolve everyday problems.At the end, the film is disappointing, but the best scenes deserve to be watched over and over again. Essentially, this film is a missed potential with some great acting.

HomePlantedMommy As a mother of a child with Aspergers I was extremely interested the other night when I saw this was on one of my movie channels. I recorded it and watched it the following day. I love that they show having Aspergers doesn't mean that you still can't love and have strong feelings just like anyone else. Although my son struggles to understand others emotions he has ones of his own. I laughed and cried watching this film, feeling the surge of emotions from the characters just as I experience my sons. I would watch this again and will encourage my son to do the same as he gets older! If you know someone with Asperger's (or high functioning Autism) I recommend this film. Although every child with Autism, no matter where on the scale they fall, are different this movie lends some understanding to the struggles and joys that they experience. They often say that if you have met one child with Autism, you have only met one. I think that everyone in the support group in the movie were so different showed that extremely well.

Gordon-11 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.