"I.Q." is a simple comedy and light romance with a fine cast of old actors and younger stars of the day. Walter Matthau gives a humorous and warm portrayal of Albert Einstein. Einstein was known to have a sense of humor and wit that complimented his scientific genius. Here are some of his clever and funny quotes. "Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love." "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." "Reality is merely an illusion, but a very persistent one." "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."
It's too bad the screenwriters couldn't write in some of Einstein's quips in the script. At least, I didn't see or hear anything that might have been his. But, the situational humor and fun lines they put in work fine. And, Matthau is perfect as the physics genius in his last years. The time of the film would have been the early 1950s since Einstein died in 1955. But the coterie of cronies around him aren't historically placed by age. The script conveniently plucks them from their locations around the U.S. to be residing with Einstein in his New England home. These characters all add to the humor and fun of the film.
Lou Jacobi plays Kurt Gödel (1906-1978), Austrian born and later American mathematician and logician. Gene Saks plays Boris Podolsky (1896-1966), Russian-born physicist who taught at the University of Cincinnati and then Xavier University in Ohio. Joseph Maher plays Nathan Liebknecht, a fictitious character possibly based on Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919), a German Socialist.
Meg Ryan is Catherine Boyd, Einstein's niece, who seems to have inherited his genes for genius. Her nose is buried in mathematical theories, and she plays a sometimes flighty character very well. Catherine is engaged to an English psychologist researcher, James Moreland. Stephen Fry plays the stuffy, snobby Moreland very well.
Tim Robbins has a blue-collar job. He works in a service garage, but besides his brawn, he's something of an automotive engineering whiz without a diploma. His Ed Walters falls for Catherine the first time he sees her. The rest of the story is how Uncle Albert and his cohorts can manipulate things so that Ed can replace James as a match for Catherine. It's not a complex plot or very deep story. But it's fun and innocent. And, worth the time just to watch Matthau bring his wry manner to Albert Einstein's witty and personable character.
Einstein wasn't just a physics genius and witty professor. He also was a provocative thinker who challenged modernist trends. Here are a few of his pearls of profound wisdom. "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind." "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."
It's too bad the screenwriters couldn't write in some of Einstein's quips in the script. At least, I didn't see or hear anything that might have been his. But, the situational humor and fun lines they put in work fine. And, Matthau is perfect as the physics genius in his last years. The time of the film would have been the early 1950s since Einstein died in 1955. But the coterie of cronies around him aren't historically placed by age. The script conveniently plucks them from their locations around the U.S. to be residing with Einstein in his New England home. These characters all add to the humor and fun of the film.
Lou Jacobi plays Kurt Gödel (1906-1978), Austrian born and later American mathematician and logician. Gene Saks plays Boris Podolsky (1896-1966), Russian-born physicist who taught at the University of Cincinnati and then Xavier University in Ohio. Joseph Maher plays Nathan Liebknecht, a fictitious character possibly based on Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919), a German Socialist.
Meg Ryan is Catherine Boyd, Einstein's niece, who seems to have inherited his genes for genius. Her nose is buried in mathematical theories, and she plays a sometimes flighty character very well. Catherine is engaged to an English psychologist researcher, James Moreland. Stephen Fry plays the stuffy, snobby Moreland very well.
Tim Robbins has a blue-collar job. He works in a service garage, but besides his brawn, he's something of an automotive engineering whiz without a diploma. His Ed Walters falls for Catherine the first time he sees her. The rest of the story is how Uncle Albert and his cohorts can manipulate things so that Ed can replace James as a match for Catherine. It's not a complex plot or very deep story. But it's fun and innocent. And, worth the time just to watch Matthau bring his wry manner to Albert Einstein's witty and personable character.
Einstein wasn't just a physics genius and witty professor. He also was a provocative thinker who challenged modernist trends. Here are a few of his pearls of profound wisdom. "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind." "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." "Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding."