The film is harrowing, if maybe a bit melodramatic, until it crashes and burns in a feel-good ending.
Ben X (2008)
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Reviews Counted:7
Fresh:4
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Thoughtful and provocative Dutch film concerned with autism, online gaming and bullying, though loses steam in the final act.
Theatrical Release:Oct 24, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Ben is different and his life is a universe all unto itself. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism that prevents normal communication, and while he is a courageous hero—BEN X—in the... Ben is different and his life is a universe all unto itself. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism that prevents normal communication, and while he is a courageous hero—BEN X—in the fantasy on-line gaming world that consumes him, in his daily life Ben is tormented by bullies and ignored by apathetic teachers. As the bullies’ relentless attacks push him over the edge and out of control, his on-line dream girl, Scarlite, appears to him and helps him devise a perfect plan to confront the bullies and make them pay for their torment. Director Nic Balthazar’s dazzling debut blends fantasy and harsh social realism. Based on a true story, Balthazar brings us an utterly original and important film. --© Film Movement [More]
Starring: Greg Timmermans, Marijke Pinoy, Laura Verlinden, Greg Goossen
Starring: Greg Timmermans, Marijke Pinoy, Laura Verlinden, Greg Goossen, Titus De Voogdt, Maarten Claeyssens, Jakob Beks, Gilles De Schryver
Director: Nic Balthazar
Director: Nic Balthazar
Screenwriter: Nic Balthazar, Lou Berghmans
Producer: Peter Bouckaert, Erwin Provoost
Composer: Philippe Ravoet
Studio: Film Movement
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Reviews for Ben X
There's not a moment of warmth or ease in Ben X, Nic Balthazar's punishingly cacophonous debut.
The best movie I've seen about teen angst since Donnie Darko comes from Belgium?
What leads off like a docudrama of the social ills accompanying a misunderstood condition merges into fantasy until, in very clever ways, director Nic Balthazar turns the medium into the message.
It's not the overarching naturalism of the performance that stands out but the conceptual breakdown of the portrayal into smaller, loosely connected segments.
[Director Nic] Balthazar's determination to draw a positive message from a negative situation doesn't quite fit.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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