Adapted from David Auburn’s 2002 stage play of the same name “Proof” tells the story of an award winning maths boffin, Robert (Hopkins), who goes gaga and eventually kicks the bucket after crunching too many numbers.
Months after Bob’s death a groundbreaking mathematical proof is found in his desk which his daughter Catherine (Paltrow) then claims to have written.
But, unfortunately for her, there’s no proof that she came up with the formula and – what are the chances? - her handwriting looks exactly the same as her dotty Dad’s!
Who’s more likely to have written the proof - a certified genius or a grief stricken university drop out? You do the math.
They say:
Total Film: “Elegant, intelligent and Academy friendly, but a little too bleak and hollow to wholeheartedly embrace. A Beautiful Mind for girls.”
BBC: “Proof offers a carefully considered and ultimately inspiring examination of how the need for order and logic is less important than a willingness to embrace chaos.”
Empire: “A subtle, slow burning mystery that does justice to its themes of identity, sanity and sacrifice.”
We say:
Paltrow hasn’t exactly endeared herself to the British public recently after bitching about London and calling our women drunken buffoons, and not much is likely to change after this disappointing “Beautiful Mind” clone.
Whereas Ron Howard’s Oscar winner took us on a thrilling ride through John Nash’s crazed psyche, “Proof” is rooted firmly in reality with nearly all of the dull, dialogue driven action confined to the family home.
Paltrow gives a decent central performance (which was influenced by her own father’s death months earlier) but Gyllenhaal is suffering from “Jude Law syndrome” with three films out in as many months and Hopkins isn’t given much to do apart from grow a stereotypical “crazy man” beard.
Stage plays often fall flat on the big screen and for John Madden’s latest the proof’s in the pudding.
Extras:
As uninspiring as the rest - dierctor's audio commentary and a boring making of.
CAST
Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal,
Hope Davis, Gary Houston
DIRECTOR
John Madden
TIME
99 mins
POSTED...
Fri 7 Jul 2006 at 3:56pm
