Rent X+Y (2014)

Good lead actor - X+Y review by PR

Another reviewer has said it: the BBC just can't resist pushing the politically-correct message! Why oh why do they have to force the women into the plot? The original true story is fascinating and moving in itself, all it needed was a bit of glamourizing to make it a good film. The actor Asa Butterfield has certainly done his bit; apparently the (real) father of the (real) mathematical genius was amazed at how well the actor had emulated his son's personality and behaviour. His (real) girlfriend was indeed Chinese though not a gifted mathematician as far as I know, and her influence in getting him to express his feelings was genuine. He did also teach himself fluent Chinese in record time. What more do you need for a good film? Still, try to ignore the BBC's irritating habits because, in the end, it is worth watching.

Realistic Characters - X+Y review by PM

Thought the film tackled the issue of autism and the "gifted" end of its spectrum very well. Asa Butterfield could have studied a few students I have worked with, the lights are on, but you’re not sure which room the occupants are hiding in. The awkward stillness and blank emotion was well targeted.

An issue driven film? Slushy? Life can be all of these things. Forgivable?...I think so.

The film was watchable and overall warmly entertaining and judging by some of the reviews surprisingly controversial. Gosh, women doing maths, whatever next, women in space?

Sentimental, manipulative autisto-soap aimed at the Chinese market - X+Y review by PV

I was intensely irritated by this film - which, I note, is made by BBC Films and based on a documentary by the director.

Was it because every social issues box was ticked (autism, tick; self-harm, tick; ethnic diversity, tick; mixed relationships, tick; bereavement, tick; MS, tick etc)? Or was it because of the brazen and shameless attempt to aim this film at the lucrative Chinese market? Or was it the dreadfully fey and whimsical soundtrack? Or was it the cop-out unbelievable ending? Or was it the wishy-washy wimp of a mother character? Or the completely unnecessary inclusion of girls in a maths contest (which really does not happen) and a silly love triangle subplot with one blonde English teen girl and another Chinese one lusting after the boy teen? Or the utter absurdity of the main character learning Mandarin Chinese fluently by reading a phrase book on the flight to Taiwan (yeah right!)Gosh, whom knows? Maybe I'll work it out in an equation and claim to be on the autistic spectrum too eh?

Good actors in this movie especially the always -wonderful Eddie Marsdan. Also Rafe Spall, even though this posh boy just doesn't get the character's London accent quite right (it's a stage school version...) Those performances get an extra star - otherwise I would have given this one star.

But I really didn't believe the main character, even though Asa (what a name!) Butterfield is possibly the next Spiderman. And the mother character and the teen girls characters were just shoe-horned into the plot because, frankly, high level maths is a male-only world, and that would never do (esp at the BBC...) Still, it has disability, autism, and is multi-ethnic, so no doubt the BBC think that alone makes it a wonderful film.

But it isn't. It is over-rated, calculated, schmaltzy and annoying. And it sure ain't a comedy either - I didn't laugh once.

And, by the way, at the vast majority of UK Chinese takeaways (all except the new ones opened to cater for Chinese students), they speak CANTONESE and NOT Mandarin, because the owners and staff are from Hong Kong families.