Written and directed by Thorsten Klein
Starring Philippe Tlokinski, Esther Garrel, Sam Keeley
Runtime: 1 hour 44 minutes
In theaters, digital/on demand October 1

by Miguel Alejandro Marquez, Staff Writer

Adventures of a Mathematician tells the story of Stanistaw Ulam, a professor at Harvard who becomes a member of the Manhattan Project, the group who led the creation of the atomic bomb. The destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki makes the young man question his role in the war, and his role in the further progress of human civilization.

The film is cinematically fabulous. Its subject is fascinating and philosophically compelling. The story of Stanistaw is a tale that is a true moral quandary. He raised a child while simultaneously making a device that took the lives of many men, women and children. The juxtaposition of raising a life, while helping destroy life, is perplexing, to say the least. 

The protagonist is grappling with the moral quandary that is atomic warfare. He is devastated over the fact that he has created a device that can both aid and destroy humanity. The film’s tone shifts from the portrayal of a scientist developing his theories, to a man coming to terms with where he stands philosophically. There is a significant weight to the film once the war ends. The film’s tone aids in its presentation of how devastating the atomic bomb was. The lack of score and cinematic camera movements makes Adventures of a Mathematician a more mature film than what big Hollywood would have cooked up. Its simplicity aids the viewer’s engagement with the story. 

However, past the film’s midpoint and especially near the finale, the pacing slows down significantly. The lack of anything dynamic and the lack of any true drama leads one to wonder why we didn’t end the story earlier. The problem comes from the lack of action from the protagonist. There is no “fun and games” for him to participate in. He has the goal of having Project Orion, but does not properly interact with his environment to show that he went on any true journey. He did not take action. He did not grow as a character. Things happened to him, and then the film is over.  Philosophy was presented and then the character lived by what he stood for. Moping silently on the beach is the most we see him wrestling with the fact he helped create atomic warfare.

Even before this, the introduction of the Manhattan Project was somewhat underwhelming. We are placed right into the middle of Ulam’s research and given little to no introduction when it comes to the weight of Ulam’s purpose to the project. But the editing is dynamic, and at certain points, the cinematography is marvelous. Simple scenes are fleshed out due to their use of sight and sound. An example is when one of the characters has a breakdown and the sound of a Geiger counter plays. This simple moment is elevated by a simple decision. This isn’t the only time such a decision is made, and it makes Adventures of a Mathematician stand out from the rest of the independent movies coming out.

Even though this is a low budget, independent piece, it never felt like it. It always had a feeling of panache that other films are unable to have. Past the film’s midpoint, however, its cinematic qualities were unable to save it from a sluggish third act and a dreadful ending. Adventures of a Mathematician will be recognized as a slow-paced yet enigmatic journey through the mind of a genius. This film should be recognized for the presentation of such weighty subject matter, but it should be noted that it’s a story with a lack of characterization and plot.