By BETSY PICKLE, Scripps Howard News Service
February 11, 2005

Forget anything you've seen by Raoul Ruiz. Forget the collected works of the Brothers Quay. "What the $! Do We Know!?" is quite possibly the most bizarre movie you'll ever watch.

Of course, forewarned is forearmed, so it might not seem so surreal with a little bit of advance knowledge. But if hippies had had "What the $! Do We Know!?" back in the '60s, they wouldn't have needed LSD.

"What the Bleep," as it has affectionately come to be known, is a film that simultaneously makes you feel both smarter and dumber than you are. For every moment of comprehension, there will be another of "huh?"

"What the Bleep" is a quirky mixture of science, supposition and storytelling, with the lion's share of screen time going to the science and supposition. It attempts to explain quantum physics and apply it to our world and belief systems. "Quantum Physics for Dummies," perhaps?

Basically, a bunch of intelligent, enthusiastic talking heads look at the camera and talk about what and where we are — and what and where our alternate selves are. They talk about perception and reality and spirituality and fate. It's a blast! Every now and then, the movie throws in a little bit of a narrative and/or laser-light-show-trippy special effects to illustrate or illuminate the interviews. In the narrative segments, Marlee Matlin plays Amanda, a photographer who has soured on life.

As much as Amanda would like to remove herself from interactions and function strictly as an observer, there are people like her temporary roommate, Jennifer (Elaine Hendrix), her boss, Frank ( '70s film antihero Barry Newman), a little boy named Reggie (Robert Bailey Jr.) and a wedding guest named Elliot (John Ross Bowie) who refuse to let her do so.

Directed by Mark Vicente, Betsy Chasse and William Arntz, "What the $! Do We Know!?" addresses the mysteries of the universe with as many questions as answers. Some viewers will balk when the film enters New Age territory, but there's plenty of universally spiritual meat here.

What's interesting is that the talking heads aren't identified till the end, so that you don't know if the speaker is a physicist, a neurologist or a 35,000-year-old spirit-warrior channeled by a psychic who looks like she could be an ABBA alum. Imagine trying that in real life; you might think your grocery clerk has a better grasp of life than the president.

'What the $! Do We Know!?' (not rated)

Starring: Marlee Matlin, Elaine Hendrix, Barry Newman, Robert Bailey Jr. and John Ross Bowie

Where: In Naples at Hollywood 20 and in Fort Myers at Bell Tower 20

Rating: * * *