Not as dull or clinical for a film about quantum physics, but still rather verbose and long-winded.
Every once in a while there comes a film so unique that it eludes classification, subverts the last iota of accepted belief and sprays a sparkly new sheen over our clouded vision. What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? isn’t one of them.
Amanda, (Marlee Matlin) a jaded young photographer prone to panic-attacks and riddled with self-doubt, finds herself submerged in an Amanda in Wonderland adventure which alleviates the monotony of her loathsome life and opens up a new dimension beyond the looking glass.
The film relies on the use of clever graphics to explain how quantum physics takes over when we feel anger, hurt and shock. But beneath the supposedly awe-inspiring images, reminiscent of '80s cult classic Weird Science, lies little groundbreaking information.
This mess lies somewhere between a documentary on the effects of quantum physics on day-to-day human emotions and a simple cartoon; best likened to GCSE bitesize revision for physics. But more patronising. By dumbing-down the scientific explanations of quantum physics, a series of experts offer the simplest of examples to illustrate the application of quantum physics throughout our lives, ranging from bouncing a basketball to flirting at weddings.
The performances differ only marginally from amateur dramatics and draw the film more towards a mockumentary, damaging its only remnants of credibility. A unique piece of cinema? Certainly, but the stereotypes of husbands cheating with blonde models, young virile males homing in on rosy-cheeked bridesmaids and mini Cuba Gooding Jr lookalikes bouncing basketballs, make the film wholly undigestible.
No surprise that Americans have embraced the film like fat kids in a sweet shop, with What the #$*! workshops and conferences springing up all over the US as though an incredible phenomenon has just been uncovered.
What the #$*! Do We (K)now!? A BLEEP-load more than they do.
