Proof [2005]

See Larger Image	List Price: £17.99 Our Price: £4.98 Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours Manufacturer: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hope Davis, Gary Houston Directed By: John Madden, James D. Stern Average Customer Rating:


Audience Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Binding: DVD EAN: 8717418083458 Format: PAL Label: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Manufacturer: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Region Code: 2 Release Date: 2006-07-10 Running Time: 99 Studio: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm Theatrical Release Date: 2005
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Editorial Reviews: Elegantly adapted from David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Proof works on so many levels that it shines like a perfected equation. Gwyneth Paltrow previously played her role onstage, and returns here as Catherine, the troubled 27-year-old daughter of Robert, a once-brilliant mathematician (Anthony Hopkins, appearing in flashbacks and imagined visions) who has recently died. What Robert has left behind is an emotionally challenging legacy of genius, mental illness, and unfinished business in the Chicago home where Catherine had cared for him during his erratic final years. Catherine fears she may have inherited her father's unstable condition, and her sister Claire (Hope Davis) arrives from New York with smothering concern and a selfish but well-meaning agenda, while Robert's student and assistant Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal) hopes to find lasting proof of Robert's enduring genius in the piles of notebooks he left behind. Steeped in the authentic atmosphere of advanced academia, revelations of love, fear, regret, and potential recovery unfold with such graceful complexity that Proof plays like a thriller, with all the action taking place in the admirable hearts and minds of its characters. The film also has a lot to say about the potential tragedy of assuming mental illness where none exists, while leaving just enough doubt to keep you wondering -- a tribute to the exceptional performances of a first-rate cast, and particularly to Paltrow, whose reunion with Shakespeare in Love director John Madden proves equally rewarding for entirely different reasons. --Jeff Shannon
Spotlight customer reviews: Customer Rating: Summary: No More Insomnia Comment: It was meant to be an entertaining evening with family and friends. A good meal and a film. As it turned out, part of the group fell asleep and the rest wanted to bailout but were too polite to suggest it. It is slow, neurotic, and ultimately pointless. Customer Rating: Summary: Good, but not that good Comment: Though this film does not have all the beauty and charm of "Shakespeare in Love", it is nonetheless tender and precise. I can understand why some would term it dull, boring and drawn out, because it is based on a play, where scenes tend to be longer and in more depth. But the writing is strong enough to hold you, just. Not much actually happens in the film, but that does not necessarily make it unworthy to watch. The performances are generally believable, but overall the film tries too hard to be "Shakespeare in Love" and unfortunately falls quite a way short of Madden's previous masterpiece. Customer Rating: Summary: Not very good. Comment: Gwyneth Paltrow sulks about as a maths student after the death of her dad Anthony Hopkins, while Jake Gyllenhaal trys to shag her. Not very good. Customer Rating: Summary: adds up to sumthing good Comment: Let's just start with the obvious comparisons to perhaps the only other film based on the seemingly bizarre topic of a 'mad' mathematician i.e. 'A Beautiful Mind' (based on the true story of Nash, formerly only known by Economics graduates who did a game theory module) - this film is just not as good. That's that out of the way. However, if you liked A.B.M. then you will like this film. It is well acted throughout, has some great lines that leave you wishing you were that witty and has a convincing story around the fine line that stands between genius and madness. For me it was Anthony Hopkins rather than Gwyneth Paltrow that stole the show in portraying the mood swings associated with a mental illness, and it was nice to see him in a meaty role for a change which seemed really three dimensional instead of the 2-D stuff of the Hannibal series which to me came across as comic book madness than the real deal. Customer Rating: Summary: A film with substance Comment: Based on a stage play which Madden had previously directed Paltrow in, Proof is a compelling story of the daughter of a mathematician, whom she nursed at home as insanity crept in, and her struggle to keep sane herself while those around would madden her (no pun intended). A beautifully crafted screenplay that is thought-provoking and challenging, Paltrow delivers a remarkable performance, which is unsurprisingly theatrical at times, reaching a depth in her characterisation that is often so sorely lacking in film. She was nominated for a Golden Globe, but didn't clinch it this time (she won this award, and an Oscar, for Shakespeare in Love in 1999 - also directed by Madden). With very good supporting roles expertly played by Anthony Hopkins and Hope Davis, I felt the only weak link in the movie was Jake Gyllenhaal, who did not stand out for me. Proof will make you laugh, it will make you cry out in frustration, and it will tug at your heart strings. Its clever and original storyline has a lot of substance, that definitely makes this movie worth watching more than once. More Reviews