"A Hard Problem" is an easy film to watch (tongue pressed firmly in cheek). Seriously, this retelling of Pinocchio - albeit from the end forward - is worth watching but be warned: you will need to pay attention (gasp)!

This is a story about a boy who is not a boy who wants to be a boy but can never be accepted as a boy by the society that created him. Sure, it's a mouthful, and you're probably thinking "I know how this ends". And you probably do.

Still, that's not the point of this picture. Getting to that end, this is the point. The first half-dozen scenes will seize you, I bet. Then, if you're like me, you'll expect a sizeable body count not to be. So, this isn't really a guy-flick so much as it is a human-flick.

Watch and ponder a hard problem of the future that awaits your children. It's coming faster than you think.

This movie pulls you in from the first scene. A grieving teenager with an older-than-expected mom who passed. Why is the hospital nurse, his sister and family friends treating him with fear, anger and contempt?

If you want to become a storyteller, I recommend watching this movie. All the elements of great storytelling are in this film.

What it does best is to show and not tell. You will not find contrived exposition explaining what is happening. Instead, the story unfolds organically and naturally. When they do choose to reveal backstory it is done very well as they blend past memories with present day. The hospital and raining scene is well done.

There is clever foreshadowing and symbolism such as the Roomba.

The story has numerous set-ups and pay-offs along the way. It creates questions which it eventually answers which makes the unfolding story so interesting. Questions such as who or what is Ian? What is in the box that is left behind? Why do people treat him so rudely? What is the scar on the woman's leg? Why did the woman tell the owners to remove the electronics from the household?

The storyteller also thought carefully about the motivation of each person from the sister to the Qualia psychologist. It helps you see contrasting viewpoints from their point of view even if you don't agree with them...you understand them.

Late in the movie you realize that the story really isn't about Ian and his growth. It is about Olivia and her journey of realization and growth. You see her viewpoint slowly transform from the point where she curiously cannot get a diagnostic on a machine to the point where she corrects the sister from calling Ian an "it" to a "he". And telling her daughter that he was a friend.

I am curious about when Ian wrote an "I" on the window. I assume it was for his initial and a spin on machines being 1's and 0's which is part of Qualia's symbol. Ian ultimately became a person much like in the Bicentennial Man.

This film is a piece of art. As such, this particular style may not be everyone's cup of tea (which is another cool scene where the tea falls and you get to see just how Ian functions and thinks). It is slow and thought-provoking by design. It is evocative. It does perfectly what it is meant to do. On a personal level, I would have preferred a happier ending but that would have defeated the purpose of the film and made it less powerful. For me, I would have wanted Olivia to save his memory chip (which it looks like she did) and perhaps find a way to bring Ian back to life.

I could have done without the male genitalia and multiple F words. They were unnecessary and will limit the reach of this film to a certain audience. But perhaps the storyteller thought that this was for mature-thinking audiences and that a PG rating might send the wrong message. I think it would have been even more powerful without the language and nudity.

If you read the book Story by Robert McKee and are wondering how to implement it, this is your movie.

I never bother about these types of science fiction movies. I like science fiction, but it should be enjoyable to watch. This film is very different. It plays with your concience. The storyline has been done before, but this movie tells the story from the paralell being's side. Is he human or artificial? That is the question. The story evolves slowly but retains your attention. It is a worthwhile movie for those viewers that like these types of films. I still found it okay and well played and produced, hence my star rating of four stars is below what other viewers of this genre will give. They will enjoy it more than I did..