Although its writing is rather uneven for an Oscar winner, this is a well-acted and mostly absorbing account of Will (Matt Damon), a rebellious 20-year-old genius-IQ boy from South Brooklyn's Irish quarter who, after a childhood of paternal abuse, goes around hitting people and looks headed for a life of prison. It doesn't take a maths prof (Stellan Skarsgård) long to identify his talent, but longer for an offbeat shrink (Robin Williams) to corner the anger that drives Will to push people away before they reject him and to refuse to commit to anything - especially the bright and funny Harvard girl (Minnie Driver) to whom he's attracted. In the end, psychiatrist and patient help each other. It all goes on a bit too long though, but finds its reward in scenes that really do dig into what makes disparate people tick. Williams (another Oscar winner), Skarsgård, Damon and Ben Affleck all create well-rounded characters; Driver is excellent in her big scenes.

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