Meu Filho, Nosso Mundo

I had the feeling that somewhere, in the process of the movie, I am seeing another version of Rain Man. It has some plot lines and a one of the main characters has autism, but this movie only can be flattered for being compared in any way to the timeless masterpiece and exciting movie with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.

Ezra is a kid that has autism and while he is trying to live his life as a regular kid, his divorced parents are investing a lot of work to make everything tick well for their son. They try to keep him in a regular school but Ezra and his environment are having troubles to mash-up with each other.

His father - Max is a stand-up comedy dude, who live with his father. They both have unsolved issues between themselves and their past, but this subject is touched microscopely, in order to give some background for both of their statuses. The mother is dating another guy and Ezra is living with her, but someday the plot thickens, due to a McGuffin, within one of the scenes and throws away Max and Ezra to a strange and short road trip.

During this trip Max is learning a lot of his son and on himself, while other characters evolves a little bit more, in an instant plot catalysator moves. This is too short of a movie to get the characters to get arced well, but surprisingly they manage to stay interesting, compelling and very emotional and heartwarming.

Underrated Bobby Cannavale is making one of his best performances, while running around and getting crazy, like his character should react to all plot scenarios. Rose Byrne is great, as usual, but not very noticeable and Bobby De-Niro is fabulous as he is being expected of. Great chemistry between all the characters and also from young William A. Fitzgerald, that plays Ezra.

Tony Goldwyn is making a great work for not loosing his audience to over drama, by taking a large part for the comedy in this movie - letting his viewers to feel authentic and still get excited from the small and captivating moments, that the audience should get excited from. A small, heartwarming and uplifting movie.

It must be challenging to tell a fictional story about a boy with autism and make it authentic. Director Tony Goldwyn and writer Tony Spiridakis (who drew on his own experience as a parent of a child with autism) have done that with Ezra. Max (Bobby Cannavale) is a standup comedian who struggles to raise his autistic son, Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald). Max has very different views with his ex-wife, Jenna (Rose Byrne), on parenting Ezra. Additionally, Max and his father (played by Robert De Niro) have a tense relationship. And when Ezra is placed in a "special" school, Max illegally takes Ezra on a road trip on his way to an audition for a comedy gig. And, of course, a great deal of drama ensues.

The family dynamics, the challenge of parenting a child with autism, and the demands of personal growth are explored with sensitivity and compassion. Many people have praised Ezra as an accurate portrayal of autism. The performance by the young Fitzgerald in his acting debut is stunningly good. Cannavale and De Niro are also excellent in their roles. It's great to see De Niro in one of his best performances for some time. And Rose Byrne does a good job as Ezra's mother, although her character does seem to be underutilised.

Goldwyn's direction balances emotional depth with personal story telling, but sometimes, some of the plot seems to be a bit extraneous to the central story. And the narrative occasionally ventures into cliche. But, overall, it's a warm and heartfelt story that moves along at a good pace, although the final act of the film does feel a bit drawn out.

There have been other movies similar to Ezra, such as The Peanut Butter Falcon. But what makes this one stand out is its feeling of authenticity. If you're interested in family dramas, and particularly if you are interested in neurodiversity, you will find this a compelling watch. Despite some of its narrative flaws, its sincerity and depth make this one worth checking out.

Ezra, directed by Tony Goldwyn, stars Bobby Cannavale as Max Bernal, with Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, and William Fitzgerald in key roles, and has a runtime of 105 minutes. The film tells the story of a father navigating the challenges of co-parenting his autistic son, Ezra, through a heartfelt cross-country road trip.

Initially, the movie threw me off with a somewhat cliché start. The plot was set into motion by decisions that felt irrational and not entirely believable, making it difficult to get fully immersed right away. However, as the story unfolded, Ezra managed to win me over. The narrative gradually moved away from the typical setup and developed into a more nuanced exploration of family, connection, and personal struggles.

One of the film's biggest strengths is the performances from the entire cast. Bobby Cannavale and William Fitzgerald lead the charge with compelling portrayals, and you can feel every emotion emanating from their characters. Robert De Niro and Rose Byrne add depth to the supporting cast, and all the actors bring a sincerity to their roles that makes the story engaging. Each scene is given room to breathe, allowing the characters' emotions to resonate without feeling rushed.

The film's pacing is another highlight, as it never felt hurried or forced. This careful approach allowed Ezra to evoke some truly heartfelt emotions, making the viewer feel invested in the journey of Max and his son. It's clear that Tony Goldwyn's direction and Tony Spiridakis's writing aimed to capture the raw and tender moments of parenting, and for the most part, they succeeded.

In conclusion, despite a rocky start, Ezra finds its footing and delivers a touching, emotional journey. The strong performances and well-paced storytelling make it a movie worth watching. I give it a 7 out of 10.

I don't understand the ones that hated this to me it's one of the most heartwarming, quite relatable, and wonderful tearjerker; I'm probably one of few that cried a couple times during this. I have had stomach pain most the day but I love crying to movies I sympathize with and felt sad I don't have a great dad like Bobby Cannavale's character even Robert De Niro was magnificent in this!

I'm fine with being in the minority that loved this a lot to me anything about someone on the spectrum hits the spot and this is one of the best ones I've seen. I quote movies often, I've had meltdowns, I have sensory to certain foods, and I was forced into special needs classes at a young age. I genuinely hope Ezra gets appreciated truly deserves it.

I'm a fan of sweet, simple stories with memorable characters and I found all of that in Ezra. Bobby Cannavale turns in a magnificent performance in the role of Max, a struggling standup comic co-parenting his autistic 11-year-old son Ezra with his ex-wife Jenna played by the always fabulous Rose Byrne. When Ezra's outbursts spin out of control at school, a doctor suggests putting him on a special medication. Jenna is receptive to the idea, but Max is having none of it and flees with Ezra, taking him on a cross-country road trip with hopes of appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. It's a trip that proves life-changing for both Max and Ezra.