The endgame: Ben X review

     I believe all of us thought about killing ourselves at least once in our lives. Not as a serious consideration, but as one of the countless notions that pass through our brains some time. Just to send a message to all the people who offended me, who neglected my pain, and who laughed at my tears. Just to make them feel guilty. But I know that is no good enough reason to give up my life, especially when my experience is not quite severe enough to be truly depressing. Ben succeeds in sending this message without actually taking his life, by faking his suicide. When the people realize how horrible the things Ben has gone through, Ben rises, showing himself. Now that was cool.

     I really liked the film <Ben X> because it is quite different from other films that it is more unpredictable and that it focuses on the individual. It is more like a drama rather than a documentary. It shows how an individual suffering from autism and bullying overcome those difficulties. One of the criticisms I have heard about the movie was that it focuses on too many issues that it loses its focus. I don't think this is true. Just that the independent issues can be discussed in a whole film does not mean every film has to do so. I believe the film does a very good job in describing how many social problems are actually connected. Not all bullied kids are autistic, nor do they all are addicted to computer games. But it shows why kids are addicted to computer games, like how kids who do not have a satisfying, socially respected status, such as being a bullied student, hope to find high levels in the cyber world. But the real focus is experiencing the world in Ben's perspective, trying to understand bullied and diffident people. 

     The narrating of Ben really helped in understanding Ben. When you just hear his narration, you think he is just a normal person, with no apparent flaw. I think this really helps to understand autism; Ben laughs at doctors who say "Ben is not retarded. He is special." as he knows the word "special" actually just means "retarded." But Ben is not retarded. He just developed a complex that anyone would develop if he was bullied that badly. I like this film because unlike other films that usually depict bullied kids as unchanging and helpless, <Ben X> describes how the mind of Ben is actually quite normal. Moreover, it depicts a story about how he overcomes his problems.

     And I think the movie was able to give a rather unexpected conclusion with no unnatural stories. I think it was pretty obvious that the girl Scarlet was going to be important to Ben. It turned out later that she is imaginary after some point, but that was even better. It means Ben was able to overcome all his problems by himself in reality. He overcame his complex and he also made others feel sorry for him, in a believable way. As he saw people now understood him, he rose and showed his proud self. His endgame. (I think these game metaphors were nice. They were humorous in a way that Ben was extremely skilled in games but not in real life. We all laughed when Scarlet said, "Ben, you're level 80!")

     <Ben X> has a great effect on us not just thinking, but understanding what problems are society has. Through a fairy tale-like story of a hero rising from diffidence, <Ben X> gives us a happy ending story about dealing with autism. And you have to admit that the scene Ben rises is awesome.