When Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstein meet one sweltering night in New York City in 1953, the result is an evening of mistaken identities and marital misgivings. Gary Busey, Theresa Russell and Tony Curtis star in this ... more »turbulent comedy of secrets and lies from which no one emerges unscathed.« less
"One of my all time favorite films. Thought provoking. Insignificance reminds us that we are part of a much larger picture. How something that may seem like a minor incident to one person is a major occurrence to another. Guess it goes back to that Native American saying about not judging (or assuming about) another person until you walk a mile in there moccassins."
A Feast for the Mind and Eyes
Duncan Reid | San Francisco, California | 03/13/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Those who say that "The Man Who Fell To Earth" (1976) was Nicolas Roeg's last great movie either have not seen "Insignificance"(1985) or have vastly underestimated it. All the trademarks of a Roeg film are here; surrealism, spectacular visuals and a uniquely intelligent story.The idea that Marilyn Monroe and Albert Einstien had an intimate relationship is explored here with great gusto. Misconceptions about Monroe's intelligence and Einstien's intellectual elitism are shattered here although her baseball player husband(DiMaggio)is what the viewer would expect.The climax is both unpredictable and mind blowing. All in all, Russell and veteran cast are great and Roeg's craftsmanship is uniformly excellent."
"What if Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth and Senator McCarthy were all in the same hotel during the same night, and their lives crossed ? You have to admit you can't go wrong with a premise like that. Unfortunately as much against science as it for science, and a rather anti-progressist ending. It's too bad, because it's a lot of fun. Worth watching once if only for scenes like Marilyn Monroe demonstrating relativity to Einstein with miniature trains and flashlights, Babe Ruth telling Einstein how many packs of gum he's been featured on, and Monroe dancing with her skirt on fire in the middle of a nuclear explosion (don't ask)."
A Babe, A Brain, A Baseball Legend And A Blackballing Senato
Brian E. Erland | Brea, CA - USA | 12/01/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"In this quirky highly original film director Nicolas Roeg posits the theoretical question, what would happen if Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio and Senator Joe McCarthy were all gathered together in the same hotel room for one evening in 1953?
An eclectic gathering indeed. If it helps you to conceptualize where this film is headed, think of this as an evening of psychotherapy for the rich and famous. Marilyn wants to be loved for her brain, yet continually relies on her sex appeal for attention. Her husband and sports legend Joe DiMaggio wants to express his deep feelings of love for his wife but can't seem to express himself without a pack of baseball cards in his hand. Meanwhile Senator Joe McCarthy is busy scowling and perfusely sweating as he continues a campaign of threats and intimidation against everyone in the room.
Einstein's quiet evening alone has definitely taken an unexpected turn. Between the emotional angst displayed by the vulnerable sex kitten, the inept attempt at reconcillation by her superstar husband and the politics of fear levied by the Senator, the usually aloof, unattached scientist finds himself in an environment beyond his control, even for one of his mental capabilities. It turns out to be an evening of personal discovery for all involved.
'Insignificance' is really a mixed bag, one of those films you either get it or you don't. Not by any means a great movie, but it has its moments, the best moment being Marilyn's attempt to impress Dr. Einstein by explaining his theory of relativity using toy trains and flashlights as props. Very cute, thank you Theresa Russell!
This may not be a film that would stand up well to alot of repeat viewings but worth a viewing nonetheless. Starring; Michael Emil as Albert Einstein, Theresa Russell as Marilyn Monroe, Gary Busey as Joe DiMaggio and Tony Curtis as Joe McCarthy."
Roeg begins to stumble
Michael Webb | planet earth | 08/18/2002
(3 out of 5 stars)
""Insignificance" is a wonderful film. It has strong visual flair and Theresa Russell(the actress) and Michel Emil(the professor) are very good.....HOWEVER....
This is NOT the best film Nicolas Roeg has done. In fact I have to say that when compared to his earlier work, it's very weak. Roeg can be a very demanding director and anyone watching his films must be prepared to participate and not expect to be spoonfed everything you need to know about what you are seeing. This is what I love about his films but "Insignificance" seems confusing just for the sake of it. To me this film represents what has gone wrong with Roegs later work. The material just doesn't fit well with his idiosyncratic style. There isn't really any need for this film to be so strange. I sometimes think that Roegs' ultimate artistic drop came with his working so much with his wife Theresa Russell. They met while Roeg was filming "Bad Timing"(Roegs most brutal and accomplished film..DVD please!!) and since then Roegs films gradually declined in quality. A shame really because at one time Roeg was one of the strongest directors in the 70's. If you want to see this true artist at his best then see "Performance", "Walkabout", "Don't Look Now", "The Man Who Fell To Earth", "Bad Timing" and "Eureka". From "Insignificance" and onward Nicolas Roeg has found promblems with his choice of material to film."