it be a doubly interesting experience . for some reason the great scientific mind of the 20th century have never be the central figure in a movie . the close i can think of a film with einstein in them be champaign for caesar and where ( like a deus ex ma china ) the great man be hear clarify a point on a radio quiz show and so that ronald colman be prove to have give the correct answer after all and and in bullshot where the great albert be one of a dozen lead physicist and scientist who be drug with cannabis by the villain and intent on steal some machine of theirs . it be notable that in those two case and and in iq and we be deal with comedy . so far nobody have try to do a serious film about the life of einstein and like john huston attempt to do one on freud with montgomery cliff . i guess it be just too hard to get the world of mathematical equation or the secret of electro magnetic field theory into excite dialog . but then and only three year ago russell crowe and christopher plummer do a beautiful mind . maybe nobody really have try . ( subsequently and after write this and i remember the successful comedy young einstein with yahoo serious about ten year ago . but that be an exception and it be a spoof . ) the other surprise be the actor play the great albert . it be walter matthau and here take time away from the series of film he do with jack lemmon in that last decade of their career . matthau be a highly capable and gifted character actor and in both comedy and drama and but normally his comic persona be variant of his whiplash willie gingrich from the fortune cookie . they be connivers and gonif . later they would shed their criminal propensity because we have grow to like them and but they remain grumpy type . but his albert einstein happen to be genuinely sweet . more like his kotch than like willie clarke . he play albert as good old uncle albert . it seem that matthau einstein be live in princeton with his niece catherine boyd ( meg ryan ) and and she be see a stuffy professor name james morland ( stephen fry ) . but fry car need repair and and they take it to the auto shop where ed walter ( tim robbins ) work . robbins fall for ryan and who be attract to him but find that he lack the mental equipment that she admire . good old uncle albert and aid by his three friend ( lou jacobi and joseph maher and and gene saks ) decide to give their assistance to robbins and make him an apparently unrecognized physic genius . this will open the door of romance between him and ryan and provide ryan be impressed and fry do not spoil thing ( a he hop to do ) . the atmosphere be sweet and a when matthau and his chum rig up a super physic quiz that they help robbins cheat on ( by switch the position of their body ) . the plot eventually lead to the outright lie that the brilliant robbins have construct an atomic powered rocket ship which bring in the interest of the nation in the figure of president eisenhower ( keene curtis ) . it be a charming comedy and and an interesting stretch for matthau in that he be not as hyper a normal and but far more subdued .