Simple Simon

I saw this film at Noordelijk Filmfestival 2011 (in Leeuwarden, province of Friesland NL). I was a bit reluctant at first to book this film, as I feared some uncomfortable moments where you feel you can't bear to watch any further. But I stand corrected.

The first half gives us an insightful view into the lives of people dealing with Asperger, including the problems faced by family and friends. A nice touch were the mnemonic diagrams we saw projected on screen, obviously an internal aid for Simon in deriving someone's mood from his facial expression. Most "normal" people don't need such lists, but requiring such is a genuine characteristic of this syndrome.

A lot of humor is interwoven in the script. It offers many moments of relief for us (the audience). That is definitely a positive side of this film. On the other hand, I suspect several things to be simplified too much. People dealing with Asperger syndrome in the real world, may see many flaws and impossibilities, most of which we (as bystanders) are bound to overlook.

The role of the parents is sketchy but believable, and it is clear that they are at their wits end in dealing with Simon. The only one who can cope with the various difficult situations we witness on screen, is his brother, who can get him back from the imaginary rocket he climbs in when wanting to escape from a situation he cannot deal with. The girl friend of this brother can cope for only a short period, and leaving is the only logical solution for her. But for Simon it is a disastrous move as it breaks down the duty roster with daily household tasks, hence needing a solution forthwith.

A considerable part of the film is devoted in finding a new girl friend for this brother, leading to all sorts of hilarious situations, between the lines illustrating how Asperger patients think. We see Simon translating the girl hunt into an algebraic exercise. He takes the good and bad features his brother mentioned about his ex-girl, much too literal when composing a score card to be used when interviewing possible candidates. Later on, his brother shows that opposites attract (beautifully demonstrated with two magnets), and Simon adjusts the search protocol accordingly.

I was a bit disappointed with the feel good scenes at the end, where Simon went to a lot of trouble while organizing a romantic dinner for this brother. I truly believe that someone like Simon can think of the necessary preparations to get this off the ground, since planning ahead is Standard Operating Procedure for him. But involving and motivating several helpers he needs, is a bit far-fetched. Even worse, it seems impossible for someone with his handicap to deal with complications and unexpected problems that cannot be avoided with such an undertaking.

All in all, the insight it gave us in the minds of people like Simon, is an important feature of this film. In many aspects it does remind us of Jim Parsons aka Dr. Sheldon Cooper and his tendency towards rigorous routines and protocols. On the other hand, I suspect some simplifications about Asperger patients in interaction with their family and friends, and also in his apparent success in organizing the romantic dinner for this brother. I scored a 4 (out of 5) for the audience award when leaving the theater.

This movie was honestly very very good I have watched it several time and would for sure watch it again

Even before Andreas Öhman's "I rymden finns inga känslor" (called "Simple Simon" in English) identified its protagonist as someone with Asperger's, I noticed that he displayed a number of the characteristics: intense focus on a topic, awkward communication, and preference for structured, unchanging schedules. Sweden's submission to the 83 Academy Awards does an excellent job depicting Asperger's without turning it into a joke, although it does manage to be funny. With his role as Simon here and his role as Pennywise in last year's "It", Bill Skarsgård is showing himself to be a fine thespian. I recommend it.

PS: keep watching after the credits.

This is a fun movie. It is heartfelt and genuine, and worth a watch.

Most of all it is a very good portrayal of a person with autism spectrum disorder (in the movie referred to as "Asperger's", even though that term has since fallen largely out of use). Simon is hampered and empowered in equal measures by how his brain works, and he navigates his life as best he can, inflicting a sort of ordered chaos on the people near him.

The visualization of his thoughts lends an understanding to him that makes him feel human and more relatable.

This is a good movie, and not one to miss.

I just got back from watching it. Just wanted to pop in to say that if you're on the fence about whether to watch this movie or not: Watch it!

I'm generally not a huge fan of Swedish movies as they tend to be quite similar and somewhat thin in terms of plot and characters (huge generalization I know, bear with me), but I absolutely fell in love with this movie. It feels like a breath of fresh air in the Swedish film-industry, and leaves you feeling joyful and amazed. It's funny and sweet but not overly so, and every single character in it felt utterly real and believable to me. Great acting throughout, not least by the young Bill Skarsgård who really brought Simon to life and awoke sympathies and fondness from the audience.

Writing and direction managed to perfectly balance humor and seriousness, and to make us see the world from Simons point of view so that no action or event seemed out of place or uncalled for. I also feel that the movie portrayed Aspergers accurately, and managed to make it key to every event without exaggeration or ridicule. I predict greatness for this film.

I'm no expert, and these are my views only. I'm guessing someone else here will give a more in-depth review in time, but for now I hope I have convinced you to watch it if you get a chance. It really is worth it!