Ezra

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 was pleasantly surprised to find actual comedians here. I actually watch Emma Willmann's stuff, and it seems like she even wrote her own material here. The movie convincingly portrays its themes, highlighting the struggles of parenting, especially in the context of divorce and a child with mental health issues. We also see the valid reasons behind the parents' disagreements. They both wanted what was best.

The film exceeded my expectations. The conflicts felt realistic, and the acting was good, particularly from William A. Fitzgerald in his first movie role. He was so good that I hope he doesn't get typecast like the dude from The Good Doctor. Overall, the cast did well. Robert De Niro's introduction was funny, and he had some great moments. He's excellent at playing father roles, as I noticed in Silver Linings Playbook.

The humor was well-balanced, with the best laughs coming from moments outside the stand-up comedy bits. I'm glad the movie didn't overdo the jokes, even though one of the main characters is a comedian. It balances out with the dramatic moments without overshadowing them.

While the movie didn't leave a lasting impact, I still think it's worth watching. It was a pleasant surprise since I expected it to be overly sentimental, but it turned out much better. One of the cool things about mystery movie screenings is discovering unexpectedly good films, even if they're not ones I was eagerly anticipating. I'm a bit conflicted about giving it 3 or 3½ stars.

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.

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.

He's read the New York Times since he was 5 and can eat only with plastic silverware. That's Ezra, the film is Ezra, and Ezra is autistic. This new melodrama from Hollywood, directed by Tony Goldwyn, is a tearjerker in its best form: so likeable is dad, Max (Bobby Cannavale in his career high), so fetchingly gruff his grandpa (Robert De Niro), so loveable Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald) that you root for them from the first frame to the last.

Max doesn't want Ezra to be put in a special school, so in his usually off-kilter way, he kidnaps Ezra to take him to California away from the cold-hearted child services and to appear as a comedian on the Jimmy Kimmel show. Despite the challenge of an Amber Alert, the fugitives manage to make the odyssey with grandpa's help and that of the endearing mother (Rose Byrne), divorced from Max but loving both Ezra and him. That she accepts the authorities' decision to drug Ezra and place him in a special school stretches credibility given the questionable authorities.

Although some of these situations seem like setups for pulling at the heart, the film peppers each with a reality that proclaims how we could easily be in the same situation. Max often acts like a child, while the child acts like an adult. When Max attacks the principal, the script seems unreal.

However, the film successfully shows not only the rough side, but also the charming side of autism, much as Rainman did. In other words, humanity outweighs film formula.

Life constantly gives Max chances while he tends to blow the opportunities. While being a stand-up comedian who earns a gig on Kimmel, he has some of the worst jokes ever, such as finding his inner child who happens to have a gun.

One of the memorable segments is De Niro showing his considerable chops when he apologizes to Max for being an emotionally distant father. It's the old Travis first-rate acting even when it feels like writer Tony Spiridakis is forcing the moment and its emotion.

The movie Ezra is a stellar summer outing with excellent acting and caution about being a parent and bringing up an autistic child. The imperfections are negligible when you consider its strengths.