WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE
KNOW!? aka WHAT THE #$*! DO WE KNOW!?
Year: 2004
USA: Samuel Goldwyn Films / Roadside Attractions
UK: Revolver Entertainment
Cast: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hindrix, Barry Newman, Robert Bailey Jr, John Ross Bowie, Armin Shimerman, Robert Blanche, David Albert, Marsha Clark, James Langston Drake, Amit Goswami, John Hagelin, Sherilyn Lawson, Eric Newsome, Dawnn Pavlonnis, Candace Perth, Ramtha, Mercedes Rose, Jeffrey Satinover, Jeff S Dodge, Carol Stanzione, Leslie Taylor, William Tiller, Tin D Tran, Tara Walker, Fred Alan Wolf
Directors: William Arntz, Betsy Chase, Mark Vicente
Country: USA
USA & UK: 108 mins
UK Certificate: 12A contains infrequent strong language and moderate sex references
USA Release Date: 10 September 2004 (Limited Release - New York)
USA Release Date: 18 June 2004 (Limited Release - Los Angeles)
UK Release Date: 3 June 2005 (Limited Release - wider)
UK Release Date: 20 May 2005 (Limited Release - London)
Synopsis
"To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." - Stephen W Hawkings
Composed of an engrossing blend of popular science and spirituality with animation and a dramatic heroine played by Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, the film subverts established ideals of self, religion and the 'reality' in which we all believe ourselves to exist. So utterly mind-blowing are the concepts covered, most people who see the film in the cinema go back for a second or third viewing. Just last week WHAT THE BLEEP!? proved its rare and anomalous status by having played in cinemas continuously for over one year since its release.
WHAT THE BLEEP!? is part of the growing genre that is seeing filmmakers moving on from Hollywood, investing their own cash in less traditional, non-conventional themed projects. The filmmakers targeted what they call the "Cultural Creatives", a group who tend to be interested in yoga, meditation, self-help, health food and the environment. This audience is a very communicative one and loves to discuss ideas.
Combining interviews with quantum physicists, academics and alternative spiritualists, WHAT THE BLEEP!? offers the suggestion that as individuals we can all control our physical and emotional environment through positive thinking. However, far from being an unsupported New Age theory based on blind faith, WHAT THE BLEEP!? offers proven examples of actual life changing experiences and the scientific theory to support them.
WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?! is a new type of film. It is part documentary, part story, and part elaborate and inspiring visual effects and animations. The protagonist, Amanda, played by Marlee Matlin, finds herself in a fantastic Alice in Wonderland experience when her daily, uninspired life literally begins to unravel, revealing the uncertain world of the quantum field hidden behind what we consider to be our normal, waking reality.
She is literally plunged into a swirl of chaotic occurrences, while the characters she encounters on this odyssey reveal the deeper, hidden knowledge she doesn't even realize she has asked for. Like every hero, Amanda is thrown into crisis, questioning the fundamental premises of her life - that the reality she has believed in about how men are, how relationships with others should be, and how her emotions are affecting her work isn't reality at all!
As Amanda learns to relax into the experience, she conquers her fears, gains wisdom, and wins the keys to the great secrets of the ages, all in the most entertaining way. She is then no longer the victim of circumstances, but she is on the way to being the creative force in her life. Her life will never be the same.
The fourteen top scientists and mystics interviewed in documentary style serve as a modern day Greek Chorus. In an artful filmic dance, their ideas are woven together as a tapestry of truth. The thoughts and words of one member of the chorus blend into those of the next, adding further emphasis to the film's underlying concept of the interconnectedness of all things.
The chorus members act as hosts who live outside of the story, and from this Olympian view, comment on the actions of the characters below. They are also there to introduce the Great Questions framed by both science and religion, which divides the film into a series of acts. Through the course of the film, the distinction between science and religion becomes increasingly blurred, since we realize that, in essence, both science and religion describe the same phenomena.
The film employs animation to realize the radical knowledge that modern science has unearthed in recent years. Powerful cinematic sequences explore the inner-workings of the human brain. Quirky animation introduces us to the smallest form of consciousness in the body - the cell. Dazzling visuals reinforce the film's message in an exciting, powerful way. Done with humor, precision, and irreverence, these scenes are only part of what makes this film unique in the history of cinema, and a true box-office winner.
