Infinity (1996)
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1996 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ** 1/2
So what is the cube root of 1729.03, and what algorithmic short cuts can you employee to arrive at the answer? Do you think you could get the answer quicker than a high speed abacus driver? These are some of the conundrums that form the side show of INFINITY.
In Matthew Broderick's directorial debut, he tells the romantic and true story of Nobel prize winning physicist Richard Feynman (Matthew Broderick) and his wife Arline (Patricia Arquette from BEYOND RANGOON). Science does enter the picture as a subplot, but most of the show is devoted to the nine year romance between him and his dying wife.
Broderick knows exactly what he wants to do as a director and does it. He lovingly crafts an extremely slow moving film. His acting in the title role is dispassionate and unhurried with his emotions carefully kept in check. He is in no hurry to do anything nor get excited about any event. Even his wife's inevitable death brings barely a rise out of him. I have an image of Broderick in the director's chair coaching his cast to slow down and take each scene with carefully measured paces.
The entire show moves with strange rhythm that you will either find so languid you fall asleep or will cast a spell over you and draw you into the quiet world of a scientist's love affair. For some inexplicable reason, I found myself in the latter category, but if you see the film and find it feels like infinity watching it, I will understand. And yet, I found the film soothing as a warm bath and tranquil as a gentle breeze.
Early in his life, Richie's father Mel (Peter Riegert from CROSSING DELANCEY) demonstrates the value of science to him through simple experiments. I liked the little scene where his father corrects him with, "Richie, how old are you?" To which he replies, "six." "Well then, act your age," admonishes his dad. As a Daddy, I have found that fatherly advice sometimes seems to make little sense even when I am the one giving it so this scene hit home.
Richie falls in love with Arline and eventually marries her, but before the wedding date is even set, she develops a problem with her lymph glands. I'll spare you the medical science behind what might or might not have been the problem. The bottom line is that the show is about their time together before her almost inevitable death.
Richie loves to talk Math and Physics to her. He explains, "Mathematics is a language for the dead. I talk to Copernicus everyday." He loves doing household experiments like seeing if he can detect the last book she touched just by the smell.
Arline is a spunky and imaginative patient who lives in a hospital nearby for all of their married life. She sends him pencils with "I love you Popsie" on them. He scratches the words off so that his fellow graduate students at Princeton will not ridicule him. Another time, she sneaks a portable stove into her hospital room so they can go cook steaks out on the hospital lawn.
Their life does not change, but their locale does when, during World War II, they go to Los Alamos so he be part of the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bomb. My favorite scenes there are of the key punches, card sorters, plug board calculators they used in lieu of real computers. Since I saw these at my first programming job at Texas Instruments in the mid-60s, they brought back fond memories.
A typical scene in the show has Richie and a sick Arline making small talk together while he stacks milk bottle lids up top of each other, house of cards style. Other than convey serenity, the scene has no real purpose. Again, somehow, I found these little vignettes charming.
When the atomic bomb is finally denoted in the desert near Los Alamos, one scientist announces, "I'm giving odds we blow up the state of New Mexico. Any takers?" But, another muses, "How could we collect?"
Many technical aspects of the film are worth mentioning. Mary Jane Fort's costumes capture the look of a nerd in the 40s without overkill. The cinematography by Toyomichi Kurita is warm and almost hazy, and is nicely complemented by Bruce Broughton's dreamy music.
Finally, I must admit a little regret that the movie wasn't a stinker. I could have done a great two line review, "INFINITY is." Terse and to the point. Oh well, I guess I'd rather enjoy a good movie that write a funny review. Then again, ...
INFINITY runs a finite 1:59. It is rated PG, and there is no sex, nudity, violence, or bad language. The only reason it got a PG rather than a G is that the topic of realistic love and death by long term illness is not a theme for young children. On the other hand, any kid old enough to want to see it should be able to. I give the show a thumbs up and award it ** 1/2.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEW WRITTEN ON: October 2, 1996
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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