(1994)
3
Karl Williams
The syrup flows freely in this too cute but somewhat amusing romantic comedy from director Fred Schepisi, who strives for but fails to attain the charm and energy of his previous winner Roxanne (1987). The lovebird leads are instantly forgettable: Meg Ryan gives one of her trademark "smart but clueless" performances, while Tim Robbins re-creates his low-wattage character from Bull Durham (1988) sans the cocky swagger. It may not be entirely on the actors' shoulders, as their characters (and thus their performances) lack any edge, brittleness, or originality that might have rendered them believable and worthy of sympathy and identification. What works quite well here, however, is the screenplay's quirky and lovable concept that casts Albert Einstein (ably portrayed by Walter Matthau) as a mensch accompanied by a gaggle of kvetching yes-men straight out of Neil Simon or Woody Allen, for whom physics is a distant second to playing Cupid. The genuinely cute idea here is that Einstein is so smart, his true genius is to realize that love and chemistry are more important than compatibility or brains. For those able to suspend disbelief long enough to buy that a high intelligence quotient equals wisdom and good-heartedness, I.Q. will prove diverting.
I.Q. on AllMovie
I.Q. (1994)
