Steve Brown

The most overblown tosh I’ve seen in years. An hysterical orgy of jump cuts almost designed to obscure the narrative. Endless shots of obsessive indecipherable scrawling on blackboards. Constant employment of that most irritating and hackneyed device, deep discussion on the move. Fabulously distracting use of flashes of fire, electricity, explosions and splitting of the atom throughout: random and unilluminating. Who are these characters? What are their relationships? Up pops the usually dependable Florence Pugh replaced as love interest moments later by Emily Blunt, also a habitually strong turn. By turns black and white and colour, the narrative felt wilfully confusing. Tom Conti’s hammy Einstein was a welcome relief from the endless parade of indistinguishable scientists in suits storming in and out of different, ill explained rooms. Mark Damon exploded occasionally over nothing more than the requirement to provide drama. Awful dramatic music, completely unconnected to the pace of events depicted, signalled an extraordinary event at any moment. These failed to materialise. Nuclear fission is a fairly complex concept for all but the experts I would suggest. This film did nothing to illuminate it for a wider audience. Tricksy, shallow and 3 frikkin hours of it. We ran out half way through to conduct a successful dry martini experiment at home.

It was 3 different films within the first 10 minutes: genre wise, all over the place. Don’t watch it expecting another Bridesmaids. It’s a children’s film for adults except most kids would find it absurd and inexplicable. Characters you couldn’t care less about doing things you can’t rationalise. 25 minutes was enough for me. Bang goes £12.99. Kristin Wig: never was a surname more appropriate- if only her middle name was “Bad”. I suffered so you don’t have to. Zero comedy content.