What The Bleep Do We Know? aka WHAT THE #$*! DO WE KNOW?!

Rarified air is what one feels like one is breathing just a few minutes into this film—rarely does one wander into a theatre to see a ‘movie’ and come out feeling they have seen one of the most important films of filmmaking history. The three (yes, 3) directors of What The Bleep not only demonstrate their considerable talents in their various areas of expertise, they also bring new meaning to the somewhat overused concept of synergy. Together they did accomplish more than any of them had created previously, and that is saying something. 

The story starts up in a deliberately confusing rush of information about the main character, Amanda, portrayed masterfully by Marlee Matlin (Children Of A Lesser God, West Wing, etc) who is joined by several other veteran actors: Barry Newman, Elaine Hendrix, Armin Shimerman, Robert Bailey, Jr., and John Ross Bowie. To elaborate on the more difficult or challenging metaphysical concepts, graphical vignettes dazzle with color and action, while the idea plays out in each one so much more thoroughly than even the cleverest dialogue could ever portray in the same amount of time. 

With a clear story of a hero playing over the ‘graphical explanations,’ most viewers would consider themselves fortunate if the whole thing didn’t muddle into a massive wrong turn—therefore, when the interviews, documentary style, are added into the stream of thought, one is sure the film is headed for a head-on collision with too many genres and too ambitious of a presentation. Right about then, is when you know the filmmakers gave considerable thought to exactly what they are attempting to convey, that the story, the documentary, the graphics—and the overall theme of choice, wonder and the grandeur of life are playing out very tightly, elucidating a nearly overwhelming cascade of metaphysics, science, philosophy and joie de vivre. Then would also be when you know you must see the whole movie again, just to pull it all into context, let alone enjoy it with the level of pleasure intended by these three tricksters…kudos of tremendous gratitude to all of them. We can only ask they stay together and do a sequel, maybe What The Bleep Do We Do Next, now that they have itemized what we may and may not know after absorbing every aspect of this first film’s suggestions.

Metaphysical Overview: What ‘we know’ often is questionably sufficient, certainly not all that clear, nor compelling even if one feels one does know, until inspired to clarity and possibly even action, by events, ideas or like-minded people.

GARDEN STATE

Truly an original film, Garden State is a real sleeper in the 2004 summer line-up (by the lack of advertising it’s not getting)…so don’t miss it, as the young and quite talented Zach Graff (TV’s Scrubs) not only wrote and directed himself in this movie, as his breakout effort, he did a smashingly entertaining job of it. Natalie Portman plays opposite, in her best ever role, as the winsome, happy child—woman he encounters on his way to discovering there’s nothing wrong with himself. Garden State is a quietly elegant view of death and dying, as well as an insightful look at the problem we have in this day and age of medicating the young for seemingly important reasons for the adults, and not necessarily indicated for the youngster.

Metaphysical Overview: When the obvious choices in life are there in front of a person, they may be hard pressed to see any of it when they are trying to do the clinically correct thing. The heart gives the best diagnosis.myth the storytellers invent.