What better reason to visit the cinema than to watch Flash of Genius. A feel-good movie about an underdog taking on the might of the American car makers, based on a true story. And yes, I do love a true story!

In the 1960s, Professor Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear) was a lecturer and a part time inventor in Michigan. The film depicts the events that ensued after Kearns has a ‘flash of genius’ whilst driving through the rain with standard wipers on his car. His idea was based on the functionality of the human eye. Why can't windscreen wipers wipe at varying speeds according to the variant speed of rain? Yes, if you’re young as me you will be equally surprised to learn wipers before the mid-60s had one slow constant speed, meaning that in fast rain you had to slow right down.

Anyway enough of the science. The good stuff of the film happens once he creates the product and tentatively and cautiously hands it over to Ford with patents in place. Yet Ford still manage to screw Kearns by installing the device on all their cars and claiming it as their own. Every good man will fight for his corner; however, the career, financial and family sacrifices Kearns makes for the sake of being written in history as the ‘Inventor of the Intermittent Wiper’ begs the question: was it worth it?

I like legal battles, and this is a good one. It's not technical but that’s the point - this is a film whcih shows off the great human spirit to fight the impossible fight. When everyone tells you to step down, having the courage to step up. In the end you have to wonder if you would have gone as far as Kearns to own what you thought was rightfully yours. Or would you have settled out of court and been ushered out of the history books?

Watch and let me know!

Here Is The Writer : Omer Bhatti

Omer Bhatti, Head Sales Trader of WorldSpreads and markets commentator during the week, is always happy to go to a cushy cinema and devour films on the weekend. No film is ruled out, be it French film noir, Hollywood CGI action, or Japanese Manga. Look to Omer for input on where to go and what to see, whether it’s for a first date, family outing, Sunday recovery session, or guy's - or girl's - night out. (Just don't make him watch Sex & the City again.)

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