Ben X (2007) Reviews

• Ben X @ Montreal World Film Festival

  venom40032007-08-27

  This film goes very deeply into the problems that Children with the form of Autism know as Aspergers syndrome. The film uses glimpses of what seems to be a future interview with many of the characters to build a suspenseful atmosphere thru the whole film. The use of flashbacks thru out the film to explain Bens early childhood are extremely effective in conveying the listlessness that is felt by parents and children as they try and find out why their child is different. I will leave it to others to provide a plot summery but I will tell you something of the experience of the screening at the Montreal World Film Festival. Both the director Nic Balthazar and the actor who played Ben, Greg Timmermans addressed the crowd that night before the beginning of the film. Nic Balthazar spoke to the crowd in fluent French and English himself with no translator, leading to a booming applause as he talked of his joy at being at the festival and of working with Greg on his first film. Greg Timmermans then went ahead and spoke to us in passable French and English and talked of how nervous he was on that night. This is Greg Timmermans first film and he preformed beyond beautifully, bring subtlety to his role rarely seen by seasoned actors let alone a brand new face. This is not to diminish the other actors and actresses all of whom preformed extraordinary well. I hope that this film recedes world wide distribution for it is one of the most pointed comments I've ever seen or heard of on the treatment that children with these types of differences receive from classmates, teachers, and parents. Though I say this the teachers while sometimes seeming exasperated and at a loss for what to do, were never cruel, intentionally or otherwise. This film ranked as the best film that I was able to see in my short time at the festival. Lastly I would like to say that as the credits began to roll the audience roared forth with applause that did not cease completely for a full 3-5 minutes. I left this film with my tears proudly displayed on my cheeks. Good luck in competition to the cast and crew of BenX. May you see wide spread distribution and happy lives. You have touched my heart.

• Great film, not too predictable

  FlorisV2008-05-10

  I was interested in this film as soon as I read about it because you don't see that often that the topic of games is incorporated in a serious film with relevant issues. I was interested in how they would blend in images of the game world and the real one. It turned out fine, the movie is beautifully shot. From the beginning on, the film makes you believe it's going to end in a predictable way but it had a good surprise ending. Of note are the well thought out monologues of Ben X, using very little words to express what he feels (something he cannot do towards others). The movie also kept it's integrity in showing how most autistic people would probably be towards girls: mostly invisible. Although Scarlite plays an important role in the film, she's mostly in Ben's mind. Ben is also not spared when the cruelties committed against him are revealed. There was definitely a statement in the film without handing out a clear solution. On a side note: personally I think autistic people should be able go to special schools. They are in some ways very gifted and smart and should be cherished that way rather than treated as people with a problem that should constantly struggle to adapt. Back to the film: all in all it delivered all you could want from director Nic Balthazar who I only knew as host of TV show Filmfan and I knew it would have integrity because he is clearly an honest and personable guy. There's also a lot of nice extra's on the DVD including the game Archlord itself, overall a well thought out, complete film package!

• Pulls no punches

  howard.schumann2008-04-21

  If you remember your high school experience, you may agree that there is a widespread distrust of not just anyone different but anyone perceived as being intelligent. In Belgian director Nic Balthazar's Ben X, Ben (Greg Timmermans) is not only highly intelligent but is different - very different. Ben has Asperger Syndrome, a form of Autism that causes social isolation, physical clumsiness, abnormal speech patterns, and limited areas of interest. With Ben, we see it in the way he goes through his morning rituals of washing and dressing, saying goodbye to his mother, and the tense way he walks to school, listening to his Walkman without expression as loud music booms in his ears. We also see it in Ben's obsession with the video game Archlord which he plays every morning before going to school. Called "Frankenstein" and "the Martian" at school, in the computer game he is a powerful figure, everything he cannot be in the real world – hero and ruthless slayer of enemies. He also has a love interest, a virtual girlfriend named Scarlite (Laura Verlinden) who is his healer. Integrating scenes from the virtual world of online gaming into the main story, the film blurs the distinction between the internal world of Ben's mind and the reality he faces daily and, with Ben as the narrator, the effect can be fragmented, leaving doubt about what is real, and what is not, a situation that creates some confusion. Ben X is also the story of the struggle of Ben's mother (Maijke Pinoy), a woman relentlessly devoted to her son without receiving any affection in return. She suffers when Ben goes to school and is fearful when he comes home. She knows that school for Ben is a harsh reality, one he never talks about. Although the film tells us that it is based on a true story and opens with an ominous warning that in video games and life "someone always has to die", we root for Ben and hope that he will discover a larger sense of self. However, when classmates, Bogaert (Titus de Voogd, Belgium's hottest young actor) and Desmedt (Maarten Claeyssens, two of the most obnoxious bullies ever seen on screen, pull his pants down in the front of the class while others stand around and watch or film it on their mobile devices, we fear the worst. When this is posted on the internet for everyone in the school and in his family to see, Ben downloads a document entitled "101 Ways to Kill Yourself", creates a dagger in shop class, and enlists Scarlite in devising an end game that takes the film in an astonishingly new direction. Ben X is visually stunning and the first feature-film for Greg Timmermans who, though he looks too old for the role, conveys Ben's internal struggle with amazing authenticity. Based on the best-selling book Nothing Was All He Said that also became a play, the film pulls no punches in its depiction of the extent of bullying taking place in the school, with only passive concern from teachers and administrators. Balthazar has said that he hopes the film (which will soon get a U.S remake) will open discussions about bullying in a country where ten percent of teens admit that they have attempted suicide. That would be a most welcome end game.

• Speechless

  Unholyxxxx2008-09-25

  This is truly one of the most, if not the most, beautiful films I have ever seen. It just happened to be on TV and since it was an unknown title for me, the least I can say is that it totally surprised me. Never in my life have I cared so much about a character in a movie, Greg Timmermans made me forget that I was watching one. Ben X made me angry at times, sometimes it made me smile, but many times it brought teares to my eyes. No that's not true, I'll admit it, I cried like a baby, and that's not something I do on a regular basis. Although it's spoken in Dutch(luckily my own language), I still hope it will reach people through out the world, so that many can enjoy it, and learn the lesson that's been given here. Everybody, if you can find it, watch it and it will move you.

• it reaches perfection

  lora852007-11-02

  This movie really has it all: it touches the audience in a way that is never transparent but always smart and subtle. A beautiful story that leaves you breathless. It gives a clear image about how people really react to other persons who don't fit in, without trying to impress the audience with unrealistic dialogues. Especially the ending gives a very important message to all of us. I really think that the only goal of Nic Balthazar honestly was: to give that message, nothing less, nothing more. One of the best Belgian movies I have seen, although I'm afraid that through translation it will lose much of its charm, just because the lines are so perfect sometimes!