Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

ScoobyMint Disappointment for a huge fan!

Michelle Ridley The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

davidbeland I am not a gamer at all, so when i first saw the intro; Ben (Greg Timmermans) logging in his RPG account, picking up some cloths and weapons while narrating with his troubled and stuttering voice i thought: "Oh man, this is gonna be lame and boring as hell". I couldn't be more wrong!If you don't know how a guy suffering the Asperger syndrome (a form of autism) feels, this is THE movie by excellence. The actors performances are simply flawless, even breathtaking, the scenario is absolutely brilliant and the story, heartbreaking! Scenes after scenes, layers after layers you discover the cartesian mind prison in which Ben is held, trying his best to look normal. But also the disquietude and pain his family have to bear; some bullying scenes are quite painful to watch. If you've notice how teenagers can be cruel to each others, specially with those who don't fit the mold, then you won't have troubles believing that this story is based on real events. It's a very humane approach of a complex and misunderstood mental illness with a lot of depth. It's also a reflection on bullying vs "sin of omission" in a way. This movie should have way more exposure.

José Carlos Matos The "lesson" of the movie is good, but there are some production/direction flaws. Warning: spoilers incoming!Ben-X: he is a teenager who is constantly bullied at school. He suffers from some psychological disorder. The movie suggests it's autism, but doesn't actually give a final answer to what it is. Here starts the first problem - Ben is in a constant hypervigilance state, while seeming to have great mental abilities (like shown in a doctor's appointment where he can record in his memory dozens of characters by just looking at them), yet has hallucinations too (as seen in the end of the movie). So, the symptoms vary from some schizophrenia to autism, which is really weird. The production tried to give Ben a "mad man" look, which ended up with an overreacted character.The second biggest mistake I find, is the fact that Ben's parents actually encouraged him on feeding his hallucinations and living that lie (as you'll notice in the end of movie). I'm sorry my friend but if you have hallucinations on a regular base, there's something wrong with you. Since I've dealt with schizophrenic people, when the person gets to that point the behavior is seriously modified and the delusion and paranoia just mess up someone's life. Even without all the technical psychological stuff, encouraging someone to live a lie is not the end of a movie I was expecting.Third: I think they could have come up with a better "masterplan" than the one the movie presented (a awfully made false suicide). Suddenly he was getting better at that state of the movie and out of nothing, with a lot of minutes for the film to end, he decides to commit suicide (dead bodies or wounds are not displayed). I think no one actually believed he had died in that scene - that's the kind of non-occurring death I'm tired to see in American cinema and I was expecting something different to be honest. As the movie suggested, Ben-X would have good mental capacities so bringing some more elaborated suicide, or some other plan, would have been so much better.For last, the movie is about some serious issues like autism, discrimination, school bullying, etc. This movie could have had a much more serious environment, and specially a Ben who'd express more feelings other than non-stopping distrust, like anger, depression, etc.;)

runamokprods A study of a tortured teen with Asperberger'™s syndrome, Ben is bullied and mistreated by his peers, and since his divorced parents are pretty clueless, he retreats into an on line role- playing fantasy game, where he has won the heart of a female player. Greg Timmerman is is excellent in the lead, but also looks a little old for the role, which takes a little something away from the reality, and heartbreak of the film. Most of the supporting performances are very good as well. The film captures the trauma of adolescence, honestly and brutally.(possible mild semi-spoiler ahead!) But the documentary like interviews are ultimately setting us up for a twist ending that is both weirdly satisfying and a huge cheat and let down at the same time. It feels good, but makes all the raw emotion of the film up to that point feel a bit copped out on. None-the-less, there is some very inventive filmmaking here, and the film is rarely less than riveting. It just seems that, sadly, it adds up to less than the sum of its parts.

Michael Hall Being a professionally diagnosed aspie myself, there were several details and traits amongst this film that really contrasted my own personal experiences in dealing with the general public and their mass confusion towards mentally-inept differences that millions of other Asperger-diagnosed individuals like myself face daily. Truth be told, I felt as if I were watching myself throughout the entire presentation. This little Nederlandic/Belgium-based film touched upon so many similar experiences to my own, it was mystifying and immediately familiar to witness what our protagonist had to endure throughout the film. Let it be no surprise that this way-underrated gem has inspired and motivated me like no other Asperger-based film thus far. Hollywood still has an awful lot of work to do in order to truly convey the mind and personality of an introvert with such honesty and determined "high-end-functioning autism" ethos. Kudos to Nic Balthazar for writing and directing an honest portrayal of the sublime tension and utmost agony in which different-yet-the-same peers of my own endure regularly. Just because we don't smile all the time doesn't mean we aren't smiling on the inside. Forget "Mozart & The Whale", "Adam", even "Rain Man" doesn't quite hold a torch up to this film. I believe "Ben X" truly defines a generation of misunderstood savants yearning for affection by any means necessary. I strongly urge anyone to watch this movie at least once. You will most notably understand Aspergers Syndrome better and respect those who are diagnosed with it more so than ever before. Do yourself a favor: get over your dislike of subtitles and watch this movie NOW. I encourage everyone & anyone to watch. For our sake. Thanks for your consideration.