Review says new film has most realistic autistic character ever

WrongPlanet.net, the online community for people with autism or Asperger's, has a review of the new film, "If You Could Say it in Words," which focuses on autistic protagonist Nelson (played by Alvin Keith and pictured right with co-star Marin Ireland) and his experience with love. The film premieres at the Derby City Film Festival in Louisville, Ky., on October 8 at 9 p.m.

Here's the review:

The film explores Nelson's Asperger's Syndrome without mentioning the diagnosis. The choice is intentional because many individuals with Asperger's remain undiagnosed.

A recent documentary, Billy the Kid, similarly did not mention the protagonist's Asperger diagnosis, but If You Could Say it in Words is the first narrative feature film I've come across that explores Autism in such depth without hitting the audience over the head over and over again with the fact that it's about autism.

Additionally, the film appeals to an audience greater than the autistic community because the questions it raises about love apply to autistics and neurotpyicals alike.

Alvin's performance as Nelson is quite possibly the most authentic portrayal of an autistic person that I've ever seen in the movies. Unlike the usual stereotypically overblown representation of autism so common in the media, Nelson's character more closely resembles someone you could know in real life. Nelson doesn't count cards at the casino and faces the same relationship problems that many of us have had.

And it's quite likely that at least a couple people you know do have an undiagnosed case of autism. Autism occurs in 1 in 150 people and many more go undiagnosed. Despite what you may gather from the media, the stereotypical image of a child who cannot talk is an extreme and, like Nelson, many autistic individuals go through life without ever discovering that they are autistic.

It's refreshing to finally see a film that explores an autistic individual who isn't two dimensional. You'll find you have more similarities with Nelson than differences. And that's the way you should feel about a movie's protagonist because the best movies are the ones with which we can all relate.

Deliberate audio and visual choices emphasize the disconnect between Nelson and everyone else. The disorientating atmosphere created at times by the film in reference to Nelson reminds me of what it's like to get a sensory overload.

Thus, If You Could Say it in Words proves that it is possible to make a movie about an autistic person without stereotypically relying on the character melting down every other scene.