Ezra is a new comedy drama directed by Tony Goldwyn. This is his return as a film director since the 2010 film Conviction, because since 2010 he has directed more TV episodes and has also been more active as an actor. He also plays a role in this film. Furthermore, this film is based on a true story.

Max (Bobby Cannavale) tries to make ends meet as a stand-up comedian, but only performs in the local bar. This is why he still lives with his father Stan (Robert De Niro). He is also in contact with his ex-wife Jenna (Rose Byrne), with whom he has an autistic son Ezra (William A. Fitzgerald). Max incorporates all these things from his life into his comedy act.

When doctors prescribe special medication to help Ezra with his autism, Max thinks this is nonsense, which causes him to end up in a disagreement with the doctor. For example, Max is not allowed to see Ezra for a while, but when he hears that he can perform on TV, he needs his son as a support and a symbol of good luck. So he takes Ezra with him, but without further consultation with Jenna. In this way he actually only gets himself into more trouble.

The film crew seems to be trying to make autism more important with this film. In this way they try to show how a child with autism can go through life. They also show how people, such as family and friends, try to deal with someone with autism. In this film they also explore the different forms of autism and other similar disorders such as OCD, anger problems and control freak symptoms. By treating all these different disorders in about 100 minutes, focus is somewhat lost. It can therefore remain somewhat unclear about which symptoms and disorders the film is really trying to focus on.

These unclear aspects might have been more prevalent if they had looked back at the final story more precisely. Furthermore, the balance between the comedy and drama sides is also somewhat chaotic, so it is not always clear whether this film is trying to be more of a comedy or drama. Ultimately, no one is perfect and everyone has their own burdens and worries, which means mistakes can be made.

Despite these unclear, chaotic aspects, the actors manage to perform well in the film. For William A. Fitzgerald, this is only his first acting work in a film and yet he manages to perform well as a child with autism. Bobby Cannavale also gives a good performance as a caring father, but who sometimes seems more concerned with his own budding comedy career and therefore forgets his autistic son. Furthermore, his character also seems to have some autistic traits and also has a short fuse. Rose Byrne also plays a caring mother well, who can be a bit too protective around her autistic son. Other cast members such as Robert De Niro, Vera Farmiga and Whoopi Goldberg also play well-supported supporting roles.