“Ezra” Review
Bobby Cannavale (Left) and William Fitzgerald play a father and son dealing with the challenges of autism in “Ezra”.
With its numerous variations, autism is definitely a challenge to legitimately portray. After all, in a world that is obsessed with putting things into clearly defined boxes, autism is multifaceted and affects people differently so, if a character in a film is autistic, it can be tough to determine what this character should be like and how the actor can bring this to life. Several non-autistic actors, like Claire Danes and Dustin Hoffman, have done a marvelous job with their roles in “Temple Grandin” and “Rain Man” respectively but there is always that knowledge that they’re not autistic. That doesn’t detract from their award-winning performances in the slightest but it is there. This is where a film like “Ezra” comes in. With the title role being played an autistic actor and much of the cast and crew being connected to autism in some way, the film has a level of reality attached to it that makes it an admirable production. But authenticity isn’t the only reason to get behind “Ezra”. The film’s engaging characters, good humor and sense of heart give the film an underdog feeling that, despite some lapses in logic regarding the plot, made me smile all the way through.
Max Brandel (Bobby Cannavale) is a comedian who has recently divorced from his wife Jenna (Rose Byrne) with the two remaining committed to co-parenting their autistic son Ezra (William Fitzgerald), whose struggles with school have gotten him expelled and recommended to a special needs school as well as a series of prescriptions. Not happy with the treatment of his son, Max takes Ezra on a road trip from Hoboken to Los Angeles where Max has a chance to perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” with one small hiccup, he doesn’t tell Jenna which makes this a kidnapping. With Max and Ezra traveling across the country and Jenna not far behind, along with Max’s father Stan (Robert De Niro), the pair bond while also continuously learning from each other about how to navigate their differences.
With Tony Spiridakis, the film’s screenwriter, being an outspoken advocate for autism awareness and having an autistic son, which serves as the foundation for “Ezra”, it’s clear that this film is striving for genuine honesty and gets it right. This is apparent in William Fitzgerald’s remarkable performance. I never got the feeling that you sometimes get with child actors, or even adults for that matter, where it seems like you can see them reading cue cards or trying to be annoyingly precocious. Ezra is his own unique brand of awesome with a love of dinosaurs, movie quotes and his father’s comedy that feels real. He not only has natural credibility but he really holds his own during the film’s dramatic scenes which is impressive when you consider that his scene partners are Emmy-winner Bobby Cannavale and Oscar-winner Robert De Niro.
The relationship between Bobby Cannavale and Rose Byrne also feels honest as the film portrays their struggles to raise their kid together despite their marriage having dissolved. “Ezra” doesn’t try to do anything contrived like have the parents get back together by the end but you still feel the love of this family unit. Cannavale’s performance in particular feels so raw as he wants Ezra to be treated like any other kid and also wants direct honesty regarding his son’s autism instead of soft language. It’s an engaging turn for Cannavale that allows him to show his range in both drama and comedy.
With Max being a comic, his stand-up sets are pretty funny and also give us some insight into his current struggles. But the character interactions also lend their way to a lot of good humor with Robert De Niro and Rose Byrne having relatable talks as ex-in-laws and William Fitzgerald being hilarious but not at the expense of his autism. It isn’t Ezra’s autism that is funny, it’s the fact that he’s an interesting kid that goes big with his actions and you really get attached to. When I first saw him use movie quotes to summarize his feelings, I immediately said to myself “well, this is going to feel personal.”
The biggest strength “Ezra” has is that it does feel like a passionate, personal project with a screenwriter who knows firsthand the joys and trials of raising a son with autism, a caring director in Tony Goldwyn and a dedicated crew which had multiple autistic members. There’s a sincerity to the message of the film and it doesn’t sugarcoat how tough autism can be for both the people that have it and their loved ones, especially when dealing with people who just don’t know enough about it. There are scenes where Max is about to lose his mind because he doesn’t know what to do for his son and then there are scenes where they’re joking around with some of Max’s friends that are entertaining and full of levity.
However, as much as I enjoyed the film, “Ezra’s” third act starts to lose me and I think that it’s due to the basic premise of the film. After all, the film is about a kidnapping and, while Max is commiting a crime for the right reasons and you understand his mindset, it’s still a crime. The film is wise not to paint anyone as a villain, just relatable people navigating change, but Max is still committing a felony. Now, the film does acknowledge how distressing this scenario is and that’s not the problem I have. My issue is that the film’s ending feels way too smooth and wraps up too neatly when you consider what has transpired. There is character growth and warm feelings of love but I think the resolution needed to be rethought to make this a grand slam film. As is, I still think the film worked overall for me but I can understand it if people become turned off by how everything is ended.
But with an authentic representation of autism and this inherent likability to such vivid characters, “Ezra” is a film that shouldn’t be underestimated. There’s just too much love to say no to.
