de facto film reviews 2 stars

Ezra, from director Tony Goldwyn and writer Tony Spiridakis, is a compassionate, empathetic and well-meaning film about three generations of autistic people. It is remarkable, in some regards, because of the casting and the intelligence, warmth and lack of judgment or cliché in which it portrays the neurodivergent. Yet, as a film and a drama, this one has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese, and creaks more than the oldest and darkest of houses. The cast, led by Bobby Cannavale as Max and newcomer William Fitzgerald, who plays Ezra and is on the spectrum in real life, is superb. Robert DeNiro plays the patriarch of the family, while Rose Byrne plays Ezra’s mother, and Whoopie Goldberg plays Jayne, Max’s manager. Tony Goldwyn and Rainn Wilson pop in as the new boyfriend and old friend, respectively. Yes, this is a road movie, and it has all the flaws of that genre.

The film has an uneven pace and seems to lose the thread of the narrative at times, deciding in some places to be a character study and in others, to be a message film, while in yet other sections, it is a drama that cannot decide if it is also a comedy. The best character in the film, thankfully, is Ezra himself, and it is a credit to screenwriter Spiridakou and director Goldwyn, that Ezra is allowed to be a non-caricature of an autistic person. This is not even Dustin Hoffman mumbling his way through Rain Man, nor is it the late, great Peter Sellers, in Being There. Instead, we have a fully fleshed character that is allowed to be completely real, as much as any fictional person can be. Indeed, during one of the film’s greatest moments of cringe-worthiness, it is Ezra who gets to show his worth by helping his father through a traumatic event, in a moment that shows Ezra is a compassionate kid who deeply cares about those around him.

Ezra' review:

Courtesy Bleeker Street

Due to sloppy characterization and sudden shifts in tone, the film winds up uneven. Plot point convenient changes in behavior abound, and are just as quickly papered over. The main dilemma in the film is both stupid and an act of cowardice or even hubris on the parts of multiple characters, one of which we see only briefly and never again. The film hits all the cliches about the “bad world” of clinical psychology and student-centered social work, about angry exes and jealous new loves, and yet, at the same time, tries to turn these conventions on their head. This second aspect would work if the cliches were not present and they would be absent if the film had the nerve to not fall back on such cliches. To continue to explore something a little different and not rely on conventional sources of conflict is a tension within the script, which seems less interested in that and more in showing the realities of living as an autistic family.

Indeed, that is not only where the film shines but the part that deserves celebrating and is the reason to see this one. The dynamic between the three generations, played by DeNiro, Cannavale and Fitzgerald, is a gem of writing and acting. These are difficult people but they do love one another and want the best for each other. They just cannot always express it well or make the best decisions, because of the way their neurodivergent brains operate. This does not make them bad people. It can make them difficult for other people, but is that a problem for the family, or for others?  A bit more exploration there would have made for a better movie, too. Instead, for every good or even great moment or aspect, the film takes a step back or does something which makes you want to turn your head or roll your eyes. This is far from a bad film. It just is not a great one. Is it a good one? Judge for yourself.

ERZA is now showing in limited theaters