Ben X
Director Nic Balthazar was compelled to make this film, after seeing the tragic news of a young autistic boy in his hometown of Ghent, Belgium, who committed suicide after having been bullied to the point of utter desperation.
But apart from its basis in reality, and its handling of a very real issue (bullying), Ben X veers off into fantasy territory, as a creative means of engaging the audience, while at the same time depicting the way in which the protagonist experiences the world around him.
Before discussing the film at length, it’s important to get a couple of niggles out of the way. The first, is the actor who was cast in the titular role, Greg Timmermans. Timmermans is playing a school-aged teenager, yet he was nearly thirty when he played the role. The problem is, that he looks too old for the part, and, coupled with the cowering mannerisms of his character, intimidated by the world around him, it makes for a caricature-like performance. Not entirely a bad performance, but at times distracting.
The second point is the comparison of this film, with Donnie Darko. If you watch this film expecting it to be similar, you will probably end up disappointed. There are similarities: an adolescent with neuropsychiatric problems, at odds with the world around him. There are shots, such as one of Ben in front of a mirror, smiling inanely, that are practically the same as Donnie Darko. But that is where the comparisons should end, for the sake of your enjoyment of this particular film.
Now those issues have been dealt with, we can focus on the strengths of this film.
Ben is an adolescent in senior secondary school, who is afflicted by Asperger’s syndrome, a constellation of symptoms along the milder end of the autism spectrum, which, in Ben’s case, is manifested by sensory sensitivity, occasional tantrums, and an inability to interpret social signals and engage in emotional interaction.
Despite his disability, Ben is enrolled in a mainstream school. Unfortunately, his differences make him the target of brutal torments at the hands of the other students. A small number of them routinely harass him, but, more disturbingly, a large number of students succumb to a particularly tragic mob scene that is bound to tip our protagonist over the edge.
In his spare time, Ben immerses himself in the comforting and empowering world of an online role-playing game, ArchLord. While in this fantasy world, Ben has adopted a heroic avatar, who goes by the name of Ben X. This choice of moniker is a clever play on words; Ben X sounds like “ ... bin nix”, a derivative of “ik bin nix”, which means “I am nothing”. The name encapsulates how Ben feels, but his avatar represents his ideal self: courageous, strong, heroic.
This film has resonated with many young people, who relate to Ben’s plight. It has also been used as a tool in schools, for discussing the troubling issue of bullying, which, due to the proliferation of technology, is not just limited to the schoolyard, but has leeched to mobile phones, and the internet, and therefore, is more pervasive and destructive than ever.
Balthazar’s direction and frenetic camerawork have been criticised as being “gimmicky”. This is an unfair criticism, since it seems he has done a commendable job of portraying the sensory assault that descends upon people with autism, as they try to function in the world the rest of us perceive as normal. Stimuli are overwhelming and human interaction and emotional signals are virtually impossible to decode.
It is also provides a means of visually interspersing Ben’s real and fantasy worlds, again, conveying Ben’s constant state of psychological turmoil and desire to retreat to the place where he feels most comfortable.
Additionally, there are several interesting references to Christ in this film. They aren’t religious, per se, so agnostics and atheists need not be deterred. They are merely a metaphor for our central character, vilified by those who are more powerful than him – a young man who must summon an extraordinary amount of courage in order to persevere in the face of hostility and ridicule.
There is also an important lesson to be learnt, particularly for those who spend an inordinate amount of time submerged in unreal worlds, be they online or in console games. There are attributes of the ideal selves people create for themselves, that are attainable and infinitely more rewarding in the real world.
There are some quibbles with this film, but for a debut feature, it shows considerable promise for a Director who can adopt an innovative approach to issues-based cinema.