CadillacSee TIFF on JAM!


October 3, 2008
Jam
Music
Movies
      Actors A-Z
      Movie Reviews
      US Box Office
      Movie Listings
      Watch Classic Films
      Oscars
      TIFF 2011

Television
Video
Theatre
Books
Country




ENT Blog
RSS Feed

MACCA


Movie Review: Flash Of Genius

'Flash Of Genius' wipes away interest
By JIM SLOTEK - Sun Media


Here's a movie about the real-life guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper and his 16-year court battle against Ford to prove he invented it. Sounds nice but a little dull, doesn't it?

Well, that about nails it -- that and the fact that it takes as much screen time as Clint Eastwood took to invade Iwo Jima.

Nice-guy Greg Kinnear actually succeeds in painting dark strokes on his portrayal of Bob Kearns, a college engineer professor who gets the bright idea of using a combination of resistors and capacitors to make car wipers work more slowly in light rain.

We don't get that picture at first. In the full glow of "eureka!" and amid the promise of riches when he and his partner Gil (Dermot Mulroney) get the soft-soap welcome from the president of Ford (Mitch Pileggi), Kearns seems more like the indefatigable wide-eyed salesman he played in Little Miss Sunshine.

But when Ford pulls a dirty trick and announces it has its own wiper system (a clear ripoff of Bob's), a

trigger goes off in his brain. Standing against a giant automaker with canyon-deep pockets, he loses the confidence of Gil, then of his lawyer (Alan Alda, who gives a great speech about settlement -- "This is what justice looks like, they cut you a cheque"), then his wife (lustily played by Lauren Graham).

Thus does a milquetoast college professor turn into Capt. Ahab, defending himself in a years-long court battle, aided by his kids, a kind of Brady Bunch legal team.

I don't know if Kearns' monomania needed two hours to do it justice, but director Marc Abraham thinks it does. The acting is fine. What's missing is drama.

Ford doesn't hire killers or goons, they just keep upping the settlement offers into the stratosphere for Kearns to turn down. Repeat and stir.

(This film is rated PG)


More Movie Reviews


HOT MUSIC HEADLINES
Cyrus not college bound
'The Vow' a V-Day gift for her
'Journey 2' just plain silly
'Safe House' a safe bet for action
Wilson, Vaughn reunite for comedy
Swinton 'Kevin' role Oscar-worthy
Berry fearing escaped patient?
Watts cast as Princess Diana
'Paradise Lost' film shut down
Berry seeks move out of U.S.
More Headlines
Bullock laughs at dating rumours
Ramsay on her 'domestic thriller'
Speedman a big fan of McAdams
Banderas 'hated' Hayek during tour
'Karate Kid' to fight again
Aniston: Pitt-Jolie 'feud' made up
Radcliffe miffed at Oscar snub
Downey, Jr., wife welcome son
Actors swap stories at Oscar lunch
Sony teases Spidey fans with preview


Who's coming and when
Want to know when your favourite band is coming to town? Check out Clive, JAM Music's extensive Canadian concert listings.

TV Listings
Wondering what's on tonight? Check out our TV listings for the complete schedule in your area.
Movie Listings
Find out what's playing at a theatre near you.






What did you think of Madonna’s halftime show?
She’s still got it
I wasn’t impressed


Results