The Genius Club

Usually when a film gets made about world issues, the resulting movie tends to be overtly sensational and at best remotely connected to what really happened.

Instead what we have is a well argued thesis on the possibly solving the world's problems. Amazing concept. Brilliant and courageous all the way. While there are some very intense scenes, the director takes a somewhat unexpected approach on the subject. All of the world's problems take place pretty early on in the movie, with the bulk of the story centering on the geniuses and their characters - wonderful storytelling.

Some people may find themselves disappointed by this epic if they go in expecting the normal Hollywood fare. In a perfect society, this would have won the Oscar, not another Eastwood or Spielberg picture

there are certain movies over the past decades that achieve a sort of raw emotion inside of us that can't be captured on purpose. this is a movie that is so simple, yet so unbelievably poetic that it is hard to to believe any Hollywood studio made it. i saw this movie the first time at the theater last year, and I never forgot how moved it made me feel.

the end of the movie is so unbelievably powerful that when stephen baldwin finally reveals his past, it feels like you have discovered the answers to the world's problems, our soulless humanity in search of God and ultimate meaning. i don't know of too many movies that can claim that. i read some cynical film critic's review and you know he's the type who would complain that mona lisa's nose is too small or picasso really wasn't all that. this is a movie that will never loses its power, even 20 years from now.

After watching this film one thing I was left with was a feeling of tremendous euphoria, a glowing feeling which lasted well into the next morning. I could not help but think that this collage of events in the lives of 7 genius people in winter DC was realism. Not the harsh gritty realism of 'Taxi Driver', but a different realism. This movie is who we are, as people. This movie chronicles the emotions we may have when confronted with a persistent terrorist who actually understands the world's problems. And the acerbic intelligence of the script is tempered with director Altman's stunning technical virtuosity.

The style is very pastiche, and one scene cuts to another, as the title suggests, with reckless abandon. This lends a very fresh and watchable quality to what is by any standards a long film.

First I'll throw in my two cents on an issue I wish I didn't have to comment on. This is a remarkable film for no other reason that it evokes passion. The critics who dislike the film continue to bash only the religious implications. But this is disingenuous. Surely, a film can stand on its merits regardless of whether one believes in God or not.

Movies that toyed with similar themes, like "12 Angry Men" or "Beautiful Mind," though great films, do not come close to packing the emotional wallop this film delivers. I dare anyone to tell me they didn't get teared up as the movie progressed and the characters reveal their own tragedies.

Of course as a realist drama, the performances in the film are crucial. Scalia is outstanding, as one would expect, but so is Tom Sizemore and the rest of the cast. Part of this must be due to the filmmakers, as Scalia, for example, doesn't come across nearly as well to me in some of his other films.

If The Genius Club has a flaw, it's that its relatively short (compared to the material available) running time makes for some unexplained or shallow turnabouts of character in the complex of good/evil interplay. The casino owner seems particularly distant to the viewer, for example, which is appropriate to the final state of her character, but which could have been explained better in transformation. But how wonderful is it to have a casino owner - the ingenuity of bringing the most shallow world and mixing it in with real religion is nothing short of imaginative audacity.

Finally note the contrast between the restrained closing scene (which is also the climax) and the melodramatic style of the almost everything that has preceded it in the film.

This is a fabulous, heartrending film, with grand, biblical and universal subtexts and an unusually developed but extremely charming romance. Unless you're completely averse to realist drama, you must see 'Genius Club' at least once.

The cast in this movie is sensational!! With memorable characters and excellent music, this is a great piece of work.

It's about these 7 geniuses who are forced to solve the world's problems in one night.

Disregarding that each character is a stereotype, the movie is entirely realistic and is an eye-opening look at the emotions and impact that a social life or a cruel mistreated life takes on these geniuses.

They reveal their deepest secrets, and learn about themselves in the process Original and insightful, with a large cult following that it deserves

100000000000000000000000000000 kudos!