X + Y ***½ (2104, Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Jo Yang) – Movie Review

X + Y = a really rather good spirit-lifting British movie. It is spurred on to win by a lovely performance by Asa Butterfield as Nathan, a socially awkward English teenage maths prodigy who lands a spot on the UK team at the International Mathematics Olympiad and finds new confidence and finally some friends.

Rafe Spall is also ideal as Nathan’s offbeat tutor, Mr Martin Humphreys, who forms a bond with the kid, Sally Hawkins is excellent as his loving mother he struggles to connect with, and Eddie Marsan is just right as the gung-ho manager of the Brit squad, raising a lot of sitcom-style laughs that fit in well with the film’s heart-warming tone.

The movie is in three acts, starting and ending in suburban England, with bustling Taipei the setting for the middle section, where Nathan finally meets the challenge of connecting with other similar brainiac boys – and a local girl called Zhang Mei (Jo Yang).

X + Y = a likeable movie. It’s not perfect, with its inevitable share of clichés and a tendency to drift slightly towards the end. But, even if there are no big surprises, it comes up pretty fresh, funny and appealing, thanks to the warm story, the characters, the relationships and the actors, as well as the sweet mix of comedy and tender sincerity. Full of good people and no villains, this is a film that will also win some friends.

The director is Morgan Matthews and the writer is James Graham.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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