Ben X Review: Better Late Than Never
You know when you’re about to drink vodka, but it turns out to be water? And even though you like water, you really wanted vodka so you’re confused and can’t decide if you like what you’re drinking or not.
Well, Ben X is kinda like that.
I haven’t seen a movie about a Belgium kid suffering from Asperger yet, so at first I was pretty pumped. I really felt for the main character, Ben. He’s not your typical high school gamer outcast, because he’s actually abnormally scared of the world outside of his video game bubble. In order to live each day, he goes around thinking he’s in a video game. The gaming characters spliced throughout major scenes are true to video game form and really add something to the movie, showing Ben’s emotions in a way he can’t express as a person. He can fall in love with a girl like a totally normal person in a video game, but will stand stiff and shaking like a weirdo when he has to meet her at a train station. Sadly, even living life through a video game can’t keep Ben away from the every day obstacles he seems to constantly face.
As far as high school movies go, it’s standard to have bullies and the ones featured here are particularly mean. This small gang of assholes use Ben’s problems to their advantage, and go way beyond the old being stuffed in a locker prank. They are vicious and relentless and of course, they are never really reprimanded.
So is the catalyst for Ben’s demise. And, unfortunately, this is where I start to find the major flaw in this flick. Throughout the movie, there are testimonials from Ben’s parents and teachers, describing moments that lead up to this ultimate catastrophe. And when I finally realized what it was, I was majorly disappointed.
That said, if the movie ended without this big prank at the end, I might’ve really like it. All I wanted was the last 10 minutes cut off so I could enjoy the movie through and through. But it didn’t, so I ended up feeling weird and unsatisfied, like the vodka/water analogy.
So, I guess what I’m saying is, go see this movie (even though it’s not playing at SIFF anymore I believe somewhere out there you can rent it). Just make sure to leave at 80 minutes in. If you do this, you’ll like it a lot. If you don’t, you’ll be scratching your head wondering what went wrong, like me.
I meant to reply to this yesterday but forgot.
I will admit to have some bias for this film since I saw it shortly after speaking to its writer/director and being impressed by his charm and his passion for the film and its subject. Being predisposed to liking it didn’t make me blind, though–there are a few things about the film I didn’t like, mostly minor technical details–and I will agree that the last ten minutes were a little awkward but I think the ending actually worked. It’s a little melodramatic, sure, and I can see where people might feel shortchanged by it, but I know I’ve spent a lot more time thinking about the ending as it is than I would if it had ended in a different way.