Overall Rating: *****
{Proof} @ IMDB
Synopsis:
Katherine (Gwyneth Paltrow) , a brilliant young woman, is forced to put her life second to that of her father (Anthony Hopkins), a once brilliant mathematician who has lost his mind. Taking care of him consumes her life and she is never able to truly persue her own ambitions in mathematics. When her father dies unexpectedly, her life changes drasticly. Her sister, Claire (Hope Davis), returns to settle her father’s affairs and one of his former students, Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal), starts to dig through his old notebooks. As Katherine struggles to deal with her grief, Claire begins to doubt her sanity. Did Katherine inherit her fathers brilliance and his insanity?
Review:
When I picked this up at Blockbuster, I thought that it would be either and uber-geek movie or a sappy drama/romance masquerading as an intelligent film. I have to say I was wrong. It was neither of those things. It turned out to be quite a moving story about someone who isn’t sure about who she is. Its about someone who’s lived her life for someone else for so long that she’s not quite sure how to live her own life now that he’s gone. This movie is apparently based on a play and I am tempted to seek out this show.
Plot is solid and well written. The 99 minutes seemed to pass easily and I was never bored (a frequent occurance with me and dramas). Though the romance between Katherine and Hal is a subplot, it didn’t overshadow the central story, Katherine’s struggle to find herself. As I’m reading this, it sounds a bit melodramatic compared to my usual reviews, but I really bought in to this movie. I really enjoyed the story and I did find it moving.
The acting is solid. Gwyneth Paltrow did an amazing job. I have not seen Shakespear in Love, and I don’t plan too, but it’s clear why she won an Oscar. She’s definitely a strong point for this movie. Sir Anthony Hopkins (another Oscar winner) was also really good. I’ve never seen Jake Gyllenhaal in a serious movie except Donnie Darko and that was too different to draw any serious comparisons. He did a pretty good job here, but his role was not the most detailed or deep. Hope Davis, however, didn’t do much for me. I guess she played Claire well, but there was something about her performance that was off. Not a very informative comment I know, but I can’t quite put my finger on what I didn’t like about her, only that something wasn’t right.
In the end, I’m happy I watched this movie. I highly recommend you go out and rent it. I don’t think you’ll be dissappointed. For all you math whizes, there is even a great joke about imaginary numbers in there. I’ll leave you to find that gem for yourself though. As for purchasing this movie, I rarely recommend dishing out the bucks for a drama. This is a great movie, but the replay value is questionable. If you’re a true film buff, I’d go out and buy a copy. If you’re just a movie nut like me, I wouldn’t drop the cash, but I’d definitely rent it.