Review of Flash of Genius (2008) by Alex R — 20 Aug 2011

Considering how predictable the story was, Flash of Genius was a fairly good film to watch. I had some minor issues with the film, and I thought that the film though good, wasn't as good as I'd thought it is.

Robert Kearns seeks to be compensated and brings a lawsuit against the Ford Motor Company for patent infringement. Flash of Genius is the true story about Robert Kearns who is credited as one of the first to bring a lawsuit against a big corporation that infringed on a patent.

Robert Kearns invented the intermittent windshield wiper and Flash of Genius tells the story of how he invented the wiper and how he fought in court to protect what was rightfully his. Greg Kinnear gives a good performance, but he also kind of makes Robert Kearns look a bit unsympathetic as well.

Flash of Genius was a good film, but that was where the trouble lied with the film. Though Kinnear's performance was good, he made Kearns look almost like the bad guy, and looking at what he was doing to his family in the process while fighting his case.

You sympathize with Robert Kearns, but almost don't care for him, almost. Flash of Genius could have been a truly great film, but its predictability kind of brought it down a notch. Still, this is a worthy film to watch with good performances, just don't expect anything excellent.