What if Einstein's niece were to fall for a garage mechanic and Einstein colluded with the young man to make him appear a genius?

Even if you cast Walter Matthau as Einstein, Meg Ryan as the niece and Tim Robbins as the mechanic, you get a tedious movie, that's what!

Robbins' Honest Joe charm is pretty resistible in this one, Ryan wears harsh makeup that makes her look like Doris Day, and Matthau looks as though he's done it all before.

But Fred Schepisi's clodhopping direction is the chief culprit in turning this romantic comedy into an indigestible lump that feels heavier than an overcooked pud, giving Stephen Fry, as the unwanted suitor, a Hollywood debut we're sure he hastily forgot.