42. Ben X

Set in Belgium, Ben X is about Ben (Greg Timmermans), who has Asperger syndrome.  Although having Aspergers doesn't affect him directly, it's the way others treat him because he has Aspergers that is the problem.  Ben is constantly being bullied at school, so he retreats into an online game world called Archlord.  It is here that he meets his best friend (maybe even his dream girl), Scarlite (Laura Verlinden).  Together, they device his ultimate end game.

This film is hard to sum up.  A lot is going on and it goes through different mediums.  There's the real world where Ben is being tortured at school, then the avatar world where Ben is one of the top players, and you also have documentary interviews being done at the same time.  The way the film is edited puts you in his mind, where you see things but you don't really see them (if that makes any sense).  The edits are jumpy and often and they bring in the virtual world to help show what is going through is mind.  The colors fade or are more vibrant based on how he feels about certain things.  The sound comes in and out and sometimes sounds like you're in a tunnel.  It makes the viewer feel uneasy, just as Ben does.  Knowing that this film is based on a true story makes it that much worse.   I mean obviously not everything is true, but kids today are a bunch of little shits (excuse my French) and it makes me nervous about ever having kids.  Now this is a good approach at a bullying story (with the ultimate F U at the end).  Much much much better than Mad World.  And no LiveType!!!

Rating:  ***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s3GR7QNo6g