Simple Simon

Simple Simon (, literally: In space there are no feelings) is a 2010 Swedish comedy film directed by Andreas Öhman. The film was selected as the official Swedish entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards. It made it to the penultimate round of nominations and competed with eight other films. Plot Simon is an 17-year-old man with Asperger Syndrome. Incapable of living independently, he is cared for by his endlessly loving and patient brother, Sam, and Sam's girlfriend, Frida. He lives by an unchanging daily routine and finds any change in his life very stressful. He spends his day working as a groundskeeper in a special program for mentally disabled people, tending athletic fields and roadsides. He imposes routine on his two housemates with a wall chart that allocates chores and schedules leisure. When the world becomes too stressful, Simon seals himself in a large pot and imagines himself floating in space, where everything is perfectly quiet and predictable. These habits cause a lot of tension with his two housemates. One night, Simon interrupts Sam and Frida while they are having sex in order to ask for toilet paper. For Frida, this is the last straw, and the next day she dumps Sam and moves out. Simon returns home from work to find the house empty and dinner unprepared. When Sam returns home, he decides to order pizza for dinner, but this further distresses Simon as they usually eat tacos on Friday evenings. When Sam announces that Frida is definitely gone for good and that they must adapt, Simon suffers a meltdown. Sam, upset at Frida's departure, tries to rationalize away his pain by criticizing Frida's habits, such as being bad at sex and eating caviar sandwiches. Simon interprets these remarks literally and visits Frida's house, asking her to return and change her habits, since Simon is incapable of changing his. Frida angrily drives him off, telling him he ought to find another girl to take her place. Simon, as is his nature, takes Frida's remark seriously, and sets off to find Sam a new girlfriend who will better fit in with their lifestyle. Unaware of how love and courtship work, he compiles a list of Sam's tastes and habits and proceeds to look for women who match the profile.