Review of Flash of Genius (2008) by Justin S — 09 Oct 2008

Surprisingly good. I never had any intention of seeing this film, but I'm glad that I did. It's surprisingly compelling, because it throws the audience into this man's life, but it doesn't try to manipulate us into liking him.

It shows us his highest highs and his lowest lows, with full confidence that we will side with him in the end. Not because we like him (which, we inevitably do), but because what he is doing is right and good and he truly deserves to win his legal case.

This has been a solid year for Greg Kinnear so far, and I really enjoyed watching him in this film. His desperation and will to fight is admirable. We cheer for him when he succeeds. And we feel his heartache when he loses what he loves most.

And the whole thing makes us think about what we would do, and how we would act, if we were ever thrust into this battle of insurmountable odds. Would we fight? Or would we accept the $30 million, and just go away? I know the story of the intermittent windshield wiper, and its creator, might not seem to be all that compelling to you (Lord knows it didn't compel me at all, before yesterday).

But, this is a great film, and a definite must-see. I have a feeling that this will be around come awards season.