Inside own world, Ben

Inside own world, Ben X

Ben X, a movie directed by Nic Balthazar, was the most peculiar movie that I have ever seen. The movie is mainly about a computer gamer who has lack in social managements(Asperger Syndrome); specifically, the daily lives that he goes through. The film handles with an issue related to bullying by friends and the empathy towards the character who is bullied. In big picture, social issues related to teens such as bullying, committing suicide, and living a life inside the game world are the focuses that the director has. Significantly, the movie has its own way of presenting the life of Ben(Grig Timmermans), which is a unique structure of “film in a film.”

In the movie, Ben depicts his own world and the explanation is done by the technique, “film in a film,” where Ben’s mother(Marjike Pinoy) and his teachers appears an discuss the symptoms with solutions to Ben’s problems. Great part is that, the way that the director structured the movie, allows people feel the realness and the direct sympathy towards Ben. Not only the documentary like structure leads viewers to feel as if the case of Ben is real but also the game like structure allows viewers to imagine the world inside the protagonist, Ben.

Due to Ben’s unusual characteristics, his school life follows with bullying and teasing from other students. The tolerance that he has to overcome is also the main part of this film, and the way the Ben tries to overcome the difficulty is helped by an imaginary girl, Scarlite(Laura Verlinden). Ben thinks of imaginary girl whenever he experiences hardship; for example, bullied by school friends and attacks from two bullying teenagers. Depiction of bullying is emphasized by the self-demolition of Ben, and the aid from the imaginary girl. It is also the game like structure that arouses people animation in watching the film.

Brilliance in animation and the documentary like structure are the main strength in this film: the great technique puts viewers actually into the life of Ben, and the different perspectives of film leads the viewers with full of animations. Ben, who fights to be ordinary, is focused on diverse ways and effects such as sudden zoom in and auditory usage also take parts in the overall make up of animated film of Ben X.

Through Ben’s life, the movie director is trying to send the message to the viewers that individuals with different characteristics exist and people have to appreciate their own way of thinking and acting. Plus, documentary like structure is a way that Nic Balthazar have chosen to make viewers to feel sympathy toward the main character, and this is a great choice taken by Nic Balthazar. Ben, who fights to become ordinary, is well formed by Nic Balthazar.