good God, good Will....

Rating: 3/10 (15 December 2006)

Over-praised melodrama of a gifted math-whiz who loves to flaunt his gift, but when approached about it, plays it off with an annoying "Don't bother me" attitude. After a street fight, the whiz (grumpy Damon) is actually given exemption from sentencing, provided that he dazzle a teacher as to why he's so good with numbers. The kid is so closed off that he's actually remanded to counseling with a hot-shot shrink to help open him up. The rest is a dull exchange of dialogue over several sessions until (lo and behold) the kid opens up and becomes a better person. Yay. Another one of those "realism" scripts, where they think the F-bomb dropped every other word is effective character building. Please. Plus some painfully forced macho moments, such as Damon spouting an endless deluge of analysis on the art of the pick-up, and his lackluster taunting of a rival. "Do you like apples? I got her phone number. How do you like those apples?" Congrats, gasbag, you got some flat-chested Englishwoman's phone number. Someone call the Smithsonian. Rent "Good Will Humping" instead.