Titreenp SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Beulah Bram A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

TxMike We are told this is a fictional story inspired by real people and real events. Asperger's autism is the diagnosis. Many with this affliction can get along just fine in the world, hold down jobs, even be an example to others, but certain characteristics make it hard for them to function "normally" around others and especially enter into positive love relationships.Josh Hartnett is Donald Morton and in the opening minutes we find out (1) he is perhaps on his last cab gig, having lost all the others and (2) he assembles and facilitates a group of others with social disorders and helps them cope. However, talking too much to his fares and not paying attention, he crashes his cab into a parked flower delivery truck, and just walks away from the accident. We can clearly see he has some issues.A new person shows up in the group, Radha Mitchell as Isabelle Sorenson. She works as a hair stylist and also paints. She is very pretty and articulate in an interesting way, and she and Donald start to fall for each other. They become friends then lovers, but it is filled with surprises, and nothing works out very smoothly.Donald is a savant of sorts with numbers, and Isabelle helps him get a job where he has to look over very complex computer print outs and check them for validity or inconsistency, something he is perfect for.I enjoyed the story and the acting seemed very real. The title comes from their choices of costume for an event, she as Mozart and he as a Whale.

jandtkelly First, I have to say that my wife and I have raised an autistic boy. He is now an adult and doing well. So, we have known autistic and Aspergers individuals for years. The movie purports to be a story about the romance of an autistic woman and a young man with Aspergers. (based on real events.) Modine does a decent job of "performing" like a person with Aspergers. But, the lead actress is a major joke. She is quirky, like Diane Keaton is quirky in "Annie Hall." This is NO autistic individual. She has this dumb laugh that is annoying-- but, oh, is that acting??? It was torture to see autism trivialized by her lame attempt to portray a heart breaking condition. The script is unrealistic. The situations and the things she says are ridiculous. Autistic individuals find it very hard to express emotion. She says things that sound like a Lifetime Channel production...Someone said Spielberg was going to make this? He would have started with a major re-write AND an actress with major skills willing to do some research.... Big disappointment.

kundan-nitrkl The story of the film is very strong and it could have been far better if the delicacy of the relationship and the hurdles it finds when both the companions are crazy were depicted more clearly. I was expecting more. Although I was disappointed that it didn't do proper justice but never regretted to watch the film. I think I'll like to watch it again some time. Kudos to the efforts of Josh and Radha although Josh impressed me more. While Donald's disability was more pronounced in the screen little was shown about the problem with Izzy. The subject is very daring and needs full justice. The movie does open our thoughts towards the Aspergers and thats the biggest accomplishment for it. Such social films are more encouraged. Initially I was wondering about the title selection but in the middle of the movie, I found it perfect. It couldn't have been better. Its Halloween that the real of oneself comes out and aptly, they are the whale and the Mozart.

rocknrot I consider myself a movie enthusiast and not a film snob by any means, but this movie was absolutely intolerable. I lasted through the first 10pages. Sad. I was truly disenchanted that the script lacked the actual language, the cast lacked character development and understanding... once again, josh hartnett read his lines as if he read them from a cue card!!!! I have to admit, the cinematography was well composed and lit, from what i saw and the technical aspect was quite interesting... but overall I believe the director, producers and cast missed the point completely. This was a great concept, but an atrocity to the autistic community. Next time, please do not use the movie Rain Man as your point of reference. Spend time with folks and get to know them during the development/rehearsal process... they may just surprise you.