CineVegas 2009

In movies, when two twenty somethings serendipitously wind up under the same Manhattan roof, witty repartee follows before a trip into bed. But that’s not the case in ADAM, where such a romance is anything but familiar.

Soon after moving in, brainy Beth encounters an odd Adam, and while chemistry flows, Adam’s awkwardness and oblivious is perplexing. Then one night, Adam regales Beth with an elaborate outer-space light show, a magical moment, tainted slightly by his obsessively thorough astronomical explanation. Their connection is palpable.

What makes this story about human intimacy credible is its psychological wisdom; what makes it transcendent is the intelligence radiating from actors Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. Though the couple’s challenges are extraordinary, their dynamic elucidates something universal: trul connection means bravely stretching into discomfiting territory and the shake-up can be liberating.

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