He waits for a call

regarding his life.

His home a burned church.

His mind full of strife.

His job is to prove,

mathematically so,

a theory about

the sum of zero.

Outside is a world

of colors -- not grace --

of billboards and ads.

Oh, what a disgrace!

Not much of a plot.

No one to care for.

The Zero Theorem

paints sad future lore.

Fearlessly directed by Terry Gilliam from a fantasy screenplay by Pat Rushkin, The Zero Theorem envisions a future where corporate tyranny reigns, advertising runs wild and technology offers such frights -- or delights -- as advanced virtual reality immersion, wild computer games designed to solve problems and even 24/7 online visits with a Scottish psychiatrist (Tilda Swinton). Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained) plays Qohen, a strange man who calls himself “We” and hates it when anyone pronounces his name as “Cohen.” He seems obsessed about being available for a mysterious phone call he’s been expecting for a long, long time.

Qohen, who “crunches entities” for ManCorp, persuades Management (Matt Damon) to let him work at home while he tries to solve the difficult mathematical problem given to him. But he’s not alone for long. Management assigns Joby (David Thewlis), an overly friendly supervisor, to check on Quhon. He also sends his own tech-savvy son Bob (Lucas Hedges) to "help" with the weird situation as well as Bainsley (Mélanie Thierry), a playfully sexy young lady, to distract his frustrated employee.  

Crazy, colorful costumes and art direction plus some exciting special effects make a few scenes notable, but too much of the movie seems repetitive and ultra-confusing. I realize important philosophical questions are being dealt with here. However, Gilliam and his amazing Monty Python cohorts did that way better with The Meaning of Life many years ago. And, unfortunately, performances come across as forced -- even Waltz’s, which shocked me because I thought that could never EVER happen!      

How can zero possibly equal 100 percent? You’ll have to see The Zero Theorem to find out. I triple dog dare you.  

(Released by Amplify and rated “R” for language and some sexuality/nudity.)

For more information about The Zero Theorem, go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes website.