We all know at least one. One of those children who melt hearts… before suddenly transforming into a tornado. Because of fatigue. Fear. Frustration. Of a night terror. From a lost toy. Lark. To this list which, as any adult in contact with children knows, is endless, for some young people we add the fact of having an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
This is the case of the eponymous character ofEzra, by actor and director Tony Goldwyn (who has mainly worked for television). Played by the young William A. Fitzgerald, a revelation, himself neuroatypical, Ezra is an adorable 11-year-old kid, but destabilized by the divorce of his parents – played by Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, a couple on screen as well as in the city. Jenna, who has started a new life with another man, and Max, who is a comedian and has returned to live… with his father (Robert De Niro), have very different ideas about how to take care of their son.
The situation escalates when the boy “voluntarily” puts his life in danger (the authorities believe). For his mother, he must be enrolled in a school where he will be in the company of children requiring special supervision. The idea horrifies Max. “I don’t want him in his world, I want him in this one,” he said. A sentence which perfectly embodies the extent to which the positions of the parents, who both want the best for Ezra, are irreconcilable. To fuel the chaos, Max, who has been waiting to break through for years, is invited to Jimmy Kimmel’s show in Los Angeles. Then begins a classic road trip. For him. And for Ezra, who accompanies him. Without having Jenna’s agreement.
Written by Tony Spiridakis (The Last Word), who was inspired by what his own family went through, Ezra don’t demonize anyone. Don’t glorify anyone. There are no good guys or bad guys here. Only people wanting to do the best. An absence of Manichaeism that is too rare in Hollywood. Ezra possesses this quality, despite its imperfections. When, for example, the story loses its way by losing sight of the characters or by forcing the note to allow others to join in the dance. Still, it is easy to understand what Whoopi Goldberg, Vera Farmiga and Rainn Wilson saw and felt to agree to give it their all, even in peripheral roles.
It must be said that Tony Goldwyn delivers a production which, if it is quite conventional, is also extremely sensitive. Whether under his aegis or because they were very invested in the project, the actors are all excellent. Besides William A. Fitzgerald’s performance, Bobby Cannavale’s is terrific. His chemistry with his “son” is unmistakable and his chemistry with Robert De Niro is immense — much like the one he had with Al Pacino in Danny Collins by Dan Fogelman. Who, like Ezra, is not a great film, but a beautiful film about the relationships between fathers and their sons. It doesn’t matter how old they are.