EZRA

'Erza' has a lot of charm to it, but its plot takes too many wild turns for it to feel profound. They jump through so many hoops to get to where they want the story to be - it's not just that Max doesn't agree with the new drugs for his kid but also the restraining order so he has to "kidnap" his own son to have a bonding trip. If it just held back on the dramatics, a very quick touch-up could have been a simple story about a divorced dad having to bond with his autistic son because the mum is away and would have allowed for a more touching story. Also treatment for autism is extremely varied and what works for one child won't for another, so to just go "drugs bad, he needs to learn about life" isn't quite the right take.

The interesting steps the plot takes don't stop there. The strangest for me is a scene with Max on the phone with his dad because he is frustrated and wants to hit his son, but doesn't. I can see what they are attempting but with all the other drama going on it only comes across to make the dad unlikeable and not struggling with being a parent.

The acting is what shines here. Fitzgerald oozes charisma and is a great child actor. There are a lot of different emotions Erza goes through, and you really understand the character. The depicition of autism is also done quite respectfully, and while of course not accurate to every single person living with autism it's depicted with much reverence and also doesn't try to be definitive.

The film also has a very star-studded cast alongside leads Cannavale, De Niro and Byrne. The film also features Vera Farmiga ('The Conjuring' franchise), Whoopi Goldberg ('Sister Act') and Rainn Wilson ('The Meg'). All of the cast truly do a great job and having this many A-listers does help to elevate this film.

'Erza' has a lot of heart to it and is sure to captivate a lot of people, but it leans too hard into the drama of the plot that the emotional beats get lost along the journey.