 | | |
| Mozart & The Whale (Widescreen) | 
 enlarge | Director: Petter Naess
Actors: Josh Hartnett, Radha Mitchell, Gary Cole, Allen Evangelista, Sheila Kelley
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.94
Buy New: $2.65
You Save: $12.29 (82%)
Buy New/Used from $2.26
Avg. Customer Rating:  (30 reviews)
Sales Rank: 12435
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 94 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 17104
UPC: 043396171046
EAN: 0043396171046
ASIN: B000J10KO6
Release Date: December 12, 2006
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
A dramatic romantic comedy Mozart and the Whale is inspired by the lives of two people with Asperger's Syndrome a form of autism whose emotional dysfunctions threaten to sabotage their budding romance. Donald (Josh Hartnett) is a good-natured but hapless taxi driver with a love of birds and a superhuman knack for numbers. Like many AS sufferers he likes patterns and routines. But when the beautiful but complicated Isabelle (Radha Mitchell) joins the autism support group he leads his life - and his heart - are turned upside down.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre:DRAMA Rating:PG-13 UPC:043396171046 Manufacturer No:17104
Amazon.com
This quirky, low-key romantic drama delves into the lives of a group of misfits intent of fitting into a world that views them as strange, demented, and (at times) retarded. A fictionalized account of a real-life couple with Asperger's Syndrome--a disorder characterized by repetitive behavior patterns and impairments in social situations--Mozart & the Whale follows the lives of shy Donald (Josh Harnett) and outgoing Isabelle (Radha Mitchell). Donald is a mathematical genius who takes things literally. Isabelle is a stunning beauty whose inability to take minor suggestions causes her to run from one relationship after another. When the two begin dating, she is the aggressor, even cleaning his pig sty of an apartment. "You can't disappoint me," she tells Donald. "Because whatever you are is exactly what I want." The movie has some sweet moments, but doesn't spend enough time delving into the challenges of being part of an Asperger's couple. The problems that they have in their relationship (insecurity, commitment and communication problems) really aren't that different from that of your "normal" couple. Hartnett and Mitchell give convincing portrayals of a complicated pair, but the film's lukewarm storyline ultimately isn't as compelling as the stars' acting abilities. --Jae-Ha Kim
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Loved it! June 8, 2008
As a parent of a child with Aspergers, I was curious to see how this movie played out.
Josh Hartnett should be up for an Academy award- he portrayed many mannerisms I see daily. He was Great!
I loved the story line (I really could do without the 'bed' scene)- and would recommend it to anyone who is trying to understand AS.
autism spectrum June 7, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I saw this film several days ago while in South Africa. I missed the very first part and probably wouldn't have paid all that much attention to the film until the lead female character is convulsed by the clanging sounds of carnival rings. I'd seen somebody--a four year old child--do this before except the aural stimulus was flushing toilets rather than brass rings.
The rest of the film was entertaining and informative. It was sympathetic to people suffering the enormous disability of being unable to accurately relate to their social surroundings. The film also accurately depicted some of the various manifestations of high-functioning autism of which Asperger's is but a variety. The film examines, as films will, the social and love difficulties of these people but I am pleased that the screen writers made a real attempt at getting it right.
At one time this wasn't true of movies about medical issues. All the producers were interested in was the drama itself and medical details were largely irrelevant. Nowadays, I'm glad to see that writers/directors/producers make a real effort to get the medicine right. I'm reminded of "Mr. Jones" in which Richard Gere plays a manic-depressive with all its high-lows, confusion, depression and exhilaration. Manic-depression [bipolar] is, however, is a well known entity wheras high-function autism/Asperger's is not.
I can guarantee that most physicians and even some psychiatrists/psychologists wouldn't recognize a high-functioning autistic patient if he hit them in the face. If the child is verbal, intelligent and bright, how could he possibly have autism? After all, autistic children are non-verbal, sway and bump and have lost virtually all contact with the surrounding world. Well it ain't that easy. Most autistic children and adults show "milder" forms of autism.
Why the spectrum? I don't really know but I can make a fairly accurate prediction. Autism isn't a single thing and doesn't have a single causative agent. It's a syndrome with many causes and with many clinical manifestations. Some cases may be genetic, others due to pre-natal damage, others due to viral encephalopathy, and others... Well, you get my point.
Ron Braithwaite, author of Mexican Conquest novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"
 Flat May 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ron Bass won an Oscar for his screenplay Rain Man and like so many people who have tried to replicate their success with a similar work, here he has failed. Mozart and the Whale takes us into the world of two people who suffer from Asperger's, a form of autism, but where Rain Man was compelling and moving, Mozart and the Whale falls flat. Josh Harnett gives a pretty good performance and Rhada Mitchell is charming and attractive, but these two actors can't fix a terribly flawed script.
Funny, heartwarming April 27, 2008
This movie is funny, yet heart warming. It shows you what it's like to go threw life not fitting in with the "norm".
 Needed more clarity April 21, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was disapointed in this movie in some ways. I work with adults with aspergers and found it to be not so real in some ways. I would have liked to seen more on they both developed their relationships to be better and not so much on them being in bed and having intercourse. That to me was a turn down. I would have liked more of a way to show how they were able to cope together more and see more of the subtle ways of aspergers develope. Its a "3" star movie but its a ok version of aspergers if one does not know about them.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |