FULL of tender moments and blessed with fine central performances from British actor Hugh Dancy and Australia's Rose Byrne, the 2009 Edinburgh International Film Festival's closing film Adam (screening Saturday at the Cineworld) may not be the strongest of the fortnight, but it should make even the hardest-hearted viewer smile in parts.
Suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, a type of autism, Adam (Dancy) finds it difficult to interact with the real world, particularly when new neighbour Beth (Byrne) moves in. Though attracted to Adam, Beth must decide whether she can cope with someone
who isn't quite the perfect man she thinks she needs in her life.
Dancy impresses as the childlike Adam, occasional flashes of darkness appearing from beneath his calm exterior.
While it touches upon the problems such a condition could bring to a relationship, writer/director Max Meyer's script merely dips its toe into the water of the subject matter rather than managing to fully submerge itself in the issues it seems intent on raising.
Still, this is unusual fodder for a mainstream Hollywood picture and Meyer should be applauded for offering audiences an alternative to the usual rom-com fayre we're normally served.
Of course, Adam is just one of the many films which has screened over the last ten days. Whether you've wanted to see comedy, horror, romance or, in the case of Romeo and Juliet vs The Living Dead all of the above, this has been an impressive year for both film fans and critics alike.
I've felt that the decision to focus on new discoveries has been a real success, the continued move away from a reliance on huge Hollywood names to pull in the punters a bold move by Artistic Director Hannah McGill. Instead, it's directors such as Sam Mendes and Darren Aronofsky who have been in the spotlight, while the old-school Roger Corman arrived to show the newbies exactly how it used to be done.
According to industry members I've spoken to,
Edinburgh is still one of the most important festival's in the world, vital from both a publicity/sales perspective and in the way the public are able to see watch new films early, unlike the Cannes Festival which is much more impersonal and industry-focused.
The controversy over last year's move of the EIFF to June seems to be forgotten and I think 2010 could be even more important for the festival, as the place of cinema as an escape from a recession-hit economy and a means to convey social and political messages comes further under the spotlight.
I'm looking forward to it already.
