Oz' scarecrow becomes the tin man. A touching personal drama with excellent acting by the main character. concerns a retarded young man (60 IQ) who works as a school janitor. He is used in an experiment which increases his intelligence gradually, ending at 190 IQ. He learns five languages incl Chinese, gets to a PHD level in chemistry and math, and quickly learns to play complex musical pieces. A relationship starts with his piano teacher, the first time he has had a relationship with a woman. When she tells him he needs to play with feeling, all starts to crumble. He not only has the emotional development of a 9 year-old, but his intelligence has started to wane. He realizes the Dr's are using him as a guinea pig and spectacle to show off their brilliance and stops the treatments, loses the woman who had come to loved him deeply and returns to his former life where he is at home and has his limited but warm relationships with the neighbors and workers. But all he has lost!

The book "Algernon" by Daniel Keyes is one of the best and surprising science-fiction book I have ever read. The only one in any case that ever shed my tears. It's more about "anticipation", as we say in french, than sci-fi. Nothing to do with X-Files; even the antithesis of 4400 and other new age stuff far from reality. Much more basic, but much more realistic, nothing gore or chilling, no action. Pure emotion and reflexion. It's all about human intelligence, the suffering, the distress of being intelligent or not. This movie can not bring totally into life the Keyes' style, but it's a brilliant interpretation. The main actor (J. Boisselier) is impressive. I won't say much more.Read the book, watch the movie (if there is an US translation) !