Review of Simple Simon

Simple Simon (I) (2010)
7/10
Nice feel good movie!
2 November 2010
It is a warm feel good movie, but it is worth noted that is has divided the Swedish Asperger community in half. Since Simon is fairly exaggerated and has every possible Asperger's trait most of us do regard him at almost a pure autistic level. At least almost.

Many who don't recognize him at all in themselves have claimed to outright hate the movie, and fear that it will contribute even more to spread erratic views on what Asperger's is and what can be expected from an aspie, based on some of the more not so nice things Simon do in the movie to complete strangers.

Myself, I agree on that the picturing of Asperger's in the movie follows a trend these days that only the aspies with very obvious treats of the syndrome are the ones shown in media instances, while most of us aspies in real life do look fairly normal to the surrounding world and are very used to hear "Oh, do you have Asperger's syndrome? I would never have thought so!" every so often.

On the other hand, there is another character in the movie, who feels very much more like a fairly normal aspie of the kind I know and have met a couple of hundred of in real life... - someone who rambles on and on in a couple of scenes about his special interest without even being quite sure anyone is listening.

And I have met aspies with each and every one of Simon's AS traits, just not ever all of them at the same time, nor so many of them. I would not say that an Aspergers's diagnose on someone like Simon would be outright plain wrong. It is a wide spectrum! All this being said, the movie is a warm and nice story about the love between two brothers. An aspie or someone else with knowledge should be prepared for maybe not liking the portrayal of the syndrome.

And Cecilia Forss is outstanding in the role of Jennifer!
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