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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Let's face it, romance on the silver screen often follows a plodding, predictable format that's given a nice, big red bow at the end to help insure that everyone leaves satisfied. It may upset some apple carts, but the new romance Adam pushes the crayons outside the lines with a colorful, heartfelt presentation of a complicated relationship.

Adam Raki (British actor Hugh Dancy) has lost his father. It's a tragic scene made even sadder by the fact that while the now-deceased Mr. Raki was a devoted father to his only son, he was perhaps overly so because of Adam's Asperger's Syndrome. As such, Adam has difficulty adjusting to a new life on his own even with the assistance that old family friend named Harlan (Frankie Faison, The Wire) tries to provide.

When he makes his first apparent foray into the world of doing one's laundry, Adam encounters Beth Buchwald (Australian actress Rose Byrne, Knowing), a newly arrived tenant in his building. Beth is a grade school teacher and an aspiring writer who is still hurting from a past relationship. Whether it's purely out of loneliness or genuine attraction is hard to say, but Beth develops feelings for Adam.

Adam's life becomes even more topsy turvy when he suddenly loses his job. Now he's expected to find a job on his own for the first time, share a relationship with a girl, socialize with people, and meet Beth's rich parents - Marty (Peter Gallagher) and Rebecca Buchwald (Amy Irving).

The lifeblood of any film, no matter its special effects, costumes or big names on the marquee, is its story. Because of this, much credit is due to Adam's writer and director Max Mayer. While Mayer's previous work has predominately involved helming TV episodes (The West Wing, Alias and Family Law), Adam proves he deserves more cinematic opportunities as was justified at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival when it received the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.

Mayer's story, which is set against some terrific shots of the New York City skyline, is emotionally moving with smart doses of humor placed in perfect moments throughout its running time. While his two primary leads are relatively unknown in America, they should turn heads as they breathe life into two lonely people whose love is unconventional.

On a letter grade scale from A being excellent to F for failing, Adam receives an A-.
    
Adam is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 109 minutes. 

Held over through September 24 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square, 4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO.
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for showtimes.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.