It Made me Go Wahoo
When James Moreland's (Stephen Fry) classic British motorcar breaks down whilst driving his girlfriend Catherine Boyd (Meg Ryan) to the academy where she works they end up at the garage where mechanic Edward Walters (Tim Robbins) works. When Edward lays his eyes on Catherine he becomes utterly smitten and dizzy like a puppy and when later on he goes to the address she gave only to be greeted by Albert Einstein (Walter Matthau), her uncle and his scholarly friends, he finds himself being welcomed in to the group especially when he tells them how he feels about Catherine with the mischievous geniuses set about getting the two of them together.
I turned 22 back in 1994 and that was the year my passion for movies really took off as I found myself in a job which gave me some disposable income and a lot of that went on movies; from regular trips to the cinema, amassing a large video collection as well as library of movie reference books. One of my favourite movies from that year was "I.Q." just another romantic comedy with Meg Ryan and Tim Robbins except with Walter Matthau cast as Albert Einstein and played as a mischievous genius it ended up so much more fun than originally expected.
That is the key to "I.Q." it is played for fun from beginning to end with there being little in the way of lulls in the humour. And the humour ranges from Einstein being playful and cunning to Edward being smart and flirtatious when it comes to how he interacts with Catherine. But then there is Stephen Fry as James which if you are a fan of "The Big Bang Theory" might remind you of Sheldon with his ignorance when it comes to romance and what makes women tick.
Because the characters are so much fun the credit for this movie comes down to the writers who wrote such witty dialogue but also the cast. Whilst Meg Ryan delivers what is an enjoyable Meg Ryan romantic comedy performance and Tim Robbins delivers the playfulness of his character it is Walter Matthau who makes the movie. Matthau's comic interpretation of Einstein is a joy to behold full of quirky mannerisms but with such a twinkle in his eye that you want this Einstein in your own life. Add to the mix Lou Jacobi, Gene Saks and Joseph Maher as Einstein's equally mischievous friends and you never stop smiling when the movie focuses on these guys and their antics.
What this all boils down to is that "I.Q." might be just another romantic comedy but it is such a playful one that it is hard not to enjoy this movie with everyone involved seeming to be having fun with their characters and it is the characters who make this movie.
