I.Q.

Directed by Fred Schepisi, I.Q. follows Walter Matthau’s Albert Einstein as he agrees to help a mechanic (Tim Robbins’ Ed) woo his engaged niece (Meg Ryan’s Catherine). It’s a cute premise that is, for the most part, employed to charming, watchable effect by Schepisi, as the filmmaker, armed with a screenplay by Andy Breckman and Michael Leeson, delivers an agreeable romantic comedy that benefits rather significantly by the first-class efforts of its cast – with the palpable chemistry between Robbins and Ryan’s respective figures certainly perpetuating the affable atmosphere. (Matthau’s magnetic, goofy turn as Einstein does remain an ongoing highlight, as well.) It’s clear, too, that the inclusion of several standout (and genuinely hilarious) sequences, including (and especially) a terrific scene wherein Einstein and his buddies help Ed cheat on an IQ test, compensates for a somewhat erratic second half (ie the picture begins to fizzle out slightly in its draggy final third), while the thoroughly satisfying climactic stretch ensures that the whole thing concludes on an appreciatively satisfying note – which ultimately cements I.Q.‘s place as a pervasively pleasant endeavor that holds one’s interest and attention from start to finish.

*** out of ****