An impressive documentary about the personal motivations behind the abstract and often impersonal face of science. It shows that scientists are not unlike anyone else, but are driven to do what they do from a passion and love for curiosity and a desire to unravel mystery and to understand the world. It's also about the idea that scientists need to take personal responsibility for what they do, in order to leave the world a better place for the things they create or discover.
It's a quiet, contemplative documentary, not filled with bombastic edits, computer animations, etc., and it's not even meant to teach you science, but to show you the mind of a scientist, what makes him or her tick, so if you are expecting to learn about theoretical physics or gene therapy or the development of language, you won't be happy with the film. It's unfortunate the film is titled "Me & Isaac Newton" because it implies that Newton's life and work will be discussed (it's not). If anything, it should have been called "Me & Albert Einstein", since Einstein is mentioned several times as an inspiration, and his words are quoted at the end of the film. (The title is a quote from one of the scientists, who is seen skating alone -- just "me & Isaac Newton" -- at an ice rink for relaxation & meditation, and he's referring to the classical laws of motion evident at the skating rink, as opposed to the theoretical work he does which is beyond Newton's classical physics.)
The 7 scientists are engaging and personable; you'd want to spend time talking to each of them about their work. Frankly, that's a tribute to the filmmaker, who made cinematic sense of a complex subject matter and interwove the stories of 7 lives into a very compelling and inspiring documentary. This film should be shown to any child who demonstrates an interest in science or art, or a curiosity about the world.
It's a quiet, contemplative documentary, not filled with bombastic edits, computer animations, etc., and it's not even meant to teach you science, but to show you the mind of a scientist, what makes him or her tick, so if you are expecting to learn about theoretical physics or gene therapy or the development of language, you won't be happy with the film. It's unfortunate the film is titled "Me & Isaac Newton" because it implies that Newton's life and work will be discussed (it's not). If anything, it should have been called "Me & Albert Einstein", since Einstein is mentioned several times as an inspiration, and his words are quoted at the end of the film. (The title is a quote from one of the scientists, who is seen skating alone -- just "me & Isaac Newton" -- at an ice rink for relaxation & meditation, and he's referring to the classical laws of motion evident at the skating rink, as opposed to the theoretical work he does which is beyond Newton's classical physics.)
The 7 scientists are engaging and personable; you'd want to spend time talking to each of them about their work. Frankly, that's a tribute to the filmmaker, who made cinematic sense of a complex subject matter and interwove the stories of 7 lives into a very compelling and inspiring documentary. This film should be shown to any child who demonstrates an interest in science or art, or a curiosity about the world.