A Boy Called Po

John Asher and Julian Feder along with the original music from Burt Bacharach have created a film that is like no other. The cinematography, script, and brilliant acting all come together to show the world what autism is really like. The result is a truly honest film that shows the joys as well as the struggles of having an autistic child. John Asher was able to accurately show us how an autistic person lives and the beautiful world only they can see. One that is often so hard for them to share with the world. Using correct terminology to explain what autism is and how it affects someone, the film can help a viewer understand autism more fully. The relationships created through out the film are honest with reality and move the story along at the perfect rate. Centered around such an important topic, the film is both bold and gentle. It has times of comic relief, but be sure to bring some tissues. I highly, highly recommend seeing this movie. It is one that will change the way this world sees autism.

To say that it is poorly written is an euphemism. This is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It is unrealistic in so many ways that ir almost hurts. Even if it truly represents the challenges of parenting a child with autism, it is impossible to take it seriously since the depiction of the world/society/environment is so far from real. Even the soundtrack can upset anyone: there is a main song which goes with everything that's played every 5 minutes, loosing it's meaning and making the experience of watching this movie even worse. If it wasn't for the two main actors, who were surprisingly good, given that their línes were usually terrible, I would rate it even lower.

An autistic son makes life difficult and also a joy for a father who lost his wife and found himself struggling to cope with work, his son's education, and the lack of understanding the "normal" world has for this condition.

As someone who has worked in the autism field for nearly a decade, I can vouch for "Po" as a film that captures the everyday challenges of thousands of families across the globe. Director John Asher's emphasis on the rawness of autism is met with magical cinematography that transports the audience to places beyond fantasy. Asher is the father of a son, Evan, who is on the autism spectrum, and insights from his personal experience are evident in the film. Expertly written, the storyline grabs the viewer and takes them on a ride across the fine line of imagination and reality. Christopher Gorham and Julian Feder are an on-screen "dream team" - connected, convincing, and compelling. "Po" is a brilliant film worth seeing again and again.

To say that it is poorly written is an euphemism. This is one of the worst movies that I have ever seen. It is unrealistic in so many ways that ir almost hurts. Even if it truly represents the challenges of parenting a child with autism, it is impossible to take it seriously since the depiction of the world/society/environment is so far from real. Even the soundtrack can upset anyone: there is a main song which goes with everything that's played every 5 minutes, loosing it's meaning and making the experience of watching this movie even worse. If it wasn't for the two main actors, who were surprisingly good, given that their línes were usually terrible, I would rate it even lower.

The subject 11-yr-old boy's name is Patrick, but he is called Po. His mother just died and his engineer dad is having difficulty juggling single parenthood and his job, and a big design project for a new type of airplane. Po has autism but is very bright, and has a vivid imagination. When he puts his mother's old scarf over his head he can escape to any number of far away exotic worlds. It is a good story and the movie is very well made. There are some interesting developments, one of which is dad's discovery that Po had been making stock moves in dad's financial portfolio and it was worth many times more than he thought it would be. My wife and I watched it on Amazon streaming movies. It is the type of movie I'd watch again after 6 to 12 months.

As a former special ed teacher, I was very excited about this movie. I am currently watching it and I'm at 58 minutes. This could be a perfect movie, except for the bullies. I'm not saying that they are not relevant to the story, but every time there is an incident I am fuming inside! Bullying is not tolerated in our schools today, especially with special kids. They are usually celebrated or at the least, protected. The school staff in this movie were just as guilty as the young bullies. Tolerating and refusing to address those behaviors is hurting the bullied child. If I were the parent, I would have brought it to the attention of the Board of Education and, if need be, gotten an attorney. Every child deserves a great education without fear of abuse. I give this move an 8 because other than the bully issue, it's great.

I really did not expect to enjoy this movie, but indeed I did. Never before have I seen such an authentic portrayal of autism . Julian Feder was truly brilliant . (Freddie Highmore could/should take lessons.) Only one other movie captured my heart by its authenticity and that was "Whale Watcher" and the stellar performance by Keisha Castle-Hughes. These two actors were and are talented beyond their age.

Making a movie about a medical condition is always difficult. Asher has done a great job balancing entertainment, cinematography, and realism in dealing with Autism. Dustin Hoffman may have brought the awareness of Autism to many in Rainman, Feder as Po here has done a great job giving many of us a much deeper appreciation for what this condition may mean for the patient and his family. Well done.