Vastly over-rated on its release, this sappy, sentimental story of
everyday genius is less a Van Sant film - lacking the edge that makes his
work distinctive - than a Matt Damon movie. Co-written by Damon, along
with Affleck, it offers a distinctly Hollywood take on both academia
and psychotherapy. Damon is the working class janitor who turns out to
be a mathematical whizz, Affleck his good ole best buddy, Driver the
girl he shits on but who inexplicably loves him, and Robin Williams -
well, he's just Robin Williams, the cuddly therapist. It's okay to cry.
