[yasr_overall_rating]
A socially awkward teenage math prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.
The British film industry loves a good underdog story. From the dancing feats of outcast Billy Elliot, to that “One Chance” Billy Corden gets in the recent tearjerker, the desolate weather of the otherwise-beautiful Kingdom of Great Britain clearly needs to be counterbalanced by the occasional serving of inspirational fluff. (That trend doesn’t so much translate to British television programming, which is as dry as the streets are wet, and utterly fatalistic, often to hilarious effect). Some of those feel-good films work (the recent “Pride,” about gay activists, was touching and relevant), some not so much (see (or, rather, don’t): “Blow Dry,” “Pirate Radio”); Morgan Matthews’ “A Brilliant Young Mind” falls right in the middle. It goes through all the usual motions of such fare, but its dependable cast and unexpectedly subtle ending keep things from becoming too maudlin.
The tone and characters are swiftly established from the outset. The prologue, scored by an almost-unbearably twangy soundtrack, wastes no time introducing us to the dismal world of the Ellis family: the young child, Nathan, is declared “unique” by his doctor, who goes on to – somewhat harshly – state that the boy will remain socially awkward for the rest of his life. Nathan’s parents, Julie (Sally Hawkins) and Michael (Martin McCann), are naturally horrified. “I have lots of things to say,” Nathan’s voice-over whispers, “I’m just afraid to say them… I’ve always been like that.” (Asa Butterfield plays the older version of Nathan, while Edward Baker-Close shows up as the young Nathan in frequent flashbacks that halt the story-line.)
Michael is your definition of the perfect father, sticking french fries up his nostrils to amuse his kid, but never forgetting to sprinkle a little wisdom here and there. One day, as they’re driving, just as Michael utters another “gem” – “You shouldn’t be afraid,” to be exact – a car smashes into them, instantly killing the father, and forever scarring Nathan and his mom.
Cut to the present. A pot-smoking, foul-mouthed, self-loathing math professor who suffers from a debilitating illness and depression (yep, that’s some heavy stuff right there), Martin (Rafe Spall), recognizes Nathan’s incredible arithmetical talent and agrees to tutor the boy. From that point on, we see the events unfold mostly from the boy’s perspective, as he is accepted into the International Mathematics Olympiad, travels to Taiwan with another tutor, Richard (Eddie Marsan), meets a girl, learns how to play piano and speak Chinese (!!), bunks with another socially-awkward teenager, and has his triumphant moment, overcoming his fear and figuring out a math sequence, making everyone smile/nod in recognition, and then proceed to clap uproariously. In the meantime, Julie and Martin engage in a little romance of their own – a minor but affecting subplot that buoys the film in much-needed sincerity, maturity and novelty.
Matthews is a TV veteran, and while his direction is confident, his filmmaking roots are apparent: “Brilliant”’s visual approach and structure are quite pedestrian. Its pretty shots of despondent city districts, courtesy of cinematographer Danny Cohen (“The King’s Speech”), keep the film just this side of having that “Lifetime special” feel.
The cast, saddled with sometimes-overbearing characters, handle their roles with aplomb. And therein lies the strange juxtaposition: the film’s thoroughly predictable story beats are counterbalanced by the actors, whose little mannerisms (one scene, involving an awkward kiss between Julie and Martin, is particularly memorable), gentle humor and barely-perceptible nuances keep all the triteness imminently watchable.
The same disparity can be applied to the film’s dialogue: for every obvious mathematical analogy (“It’s about adaptability… Sometimes we have to change our shapes to fit in;” “Music is math”) there are shining moments, perhaps improvised by the actors, such as when Richard calls Martin a “wasted opportunity,” and then proceeds to describe his flock of genius outcasts as the “sixteen cleverest young brains in the country”.
Matthews made the sensible decision to focus the film on the characters, not the the competition. Butterfield is quickly becoming one of the more promising contemporary young actors, though, to be hypercritical, his performance here does lack a little depth (the blame is on the director, who seems to have failed to elicit more from the actor than a mystifying blankness). The kid does show range and growth, after his roles in “Hugo” and “Ender’s Game.” Sally Hawkins reunites with her “Happy-Go-Lucky” co-star Eddie Marsan; though they barely share the screen, both have moments of real warmth. But the heart and soul of the film is Rafe Spall, making his character a lonely, passionate, caring bear of a man.
There is a commendable anti-bullying message – especially powerful in a scene where an angry, socially-awkward boy cuts himself (“If you’re not gifted, you’re just weird”). Other themes have been explored before – and better – such as those of loneliness, physical ailment, depression, the meaning of success and how there’s no mathematical formula for love (ugh). What Matthews nails is the ending. In fear of spoiling it, I’ll just say that, instead of the usual victory you get in such films, there is another one, infinitely more powerful, involving two hands connecting over a car’s stick-shift.
In Britain you get “The Full Monty” and “The Theory of Everything.” In the United States, Land of the Underdog, filmmakers clone the uplifting plot over and over: “A Beautiful Mind,” “Dead Poets Society,” “The Emperor’s Club” and “Good Will Hunting,” just to name a few. At one point in Mathews’ film, a fellow young mathematician tells Nathan, “we’re painstakingly average”. “A Brilliant Young Mind” comes close to that definition, but – by a hair – progresses to the finals.
In select theaters including the Angelika Film Center in Dallas October 2nd
