TIFF Review: ‘X + Y’ Starring Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall & Sally Hawkins

There’s something impossibly charming about Morgan Matthews’ “ X+Y,” his debut as a fictional feature-length narrative director. Much like the film’s core message and encompassing theme, this charm doesn’t come with an equation that leads to an easy solution, which only amplifies our satisfaction that much more. We do know, however, where the charm doesn’t come from; James Graham’s screenplay, full of simplistic formulas designed to turn on the waterworks and dip the picture in sweet, sentimental, syrup until it begins to slightly shrivel up from all the glop. With the scales of sappiness too unbalanced, “X+Y” is prevented from entering the higher echelons of family dramas explored from a child’s perspective. It’s no “About A Boy” or “Hugo,” but it still manages to rise well above the likes of “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”and defy expectations.

Math prodigy Nathan (Edward Baker-Close) is a special boy. He finds more enjoyment with discerning patterns and exploring the...