This is a really good “movie of the week” about mental affliction – maybe the most enjoyable I’ve ever seen. But that’s all it is.

This is not meant as a damning criticism, mind you. I enjoyed Adam, and I must say I have enjoyed very few films this year. It’s a good little film, straightforward and a bit sad. And it seems pretty honest about the tough realities of Asberger syndrome.

Hugh Dancy is fast becoming one of my favorite actors, and his performance is so good it is the only time I have ever actually liked the afflicted character in one of these “affliction movies.” The problem is that by the very nature of the character he is playing he is rather limited in terms of the emotion he can directly bring to the movie. The overall warmth and emotional resonance of the story falls to Rose Byrne, who unfortunately is a soulless widget. Even so, Hugh Dancy is SO good that he makes Rose Byrne look almost decent.

Go see it! It’s probably better than 90% of the crap out there right now. It’s just not the kind of film you will necessarily be adding to your collection and watching on a regular basis.