Proof - Review
Review by Jack Foley
HAVING enjoyed considerable success with Proof on the West End stage Gwyneth Paltrow now takes on the role in film form – with mixed results.
The biggest problem with John Madden’s movie is the subject matter which, from the outset, proves very heavy going.
So while it offers a compelling human drama and succeeds in delivering some thought-provoking questions, it is also a very melancholy experience that could leave audiences feeling as depressed as its protagonists afterwards.
The film focuses on 27-year-old student, Catherine, a possible maths genius still coming to terms with the death of her professor father, Robert (Anthony Hopkins), who was also a highly-regarded maths wizard.
But while Robert was responsible for some significant breakthroughs during his early career, he suffered from a degenerative mental disintegration during his latter years that began to tarnish his reputation.
Having been forced to care for him through this time, Catherine starts to believe that the condition may be hereditary, especially since her own flair for the subject has led to an important discovery of her own.
Supporting her through this personal crisis is fellow student, Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal), who falls for Catherine while searching through her father’’s proofs in the hope of finding some more evidence of his genius.
The ensuing drama offers no easy answers and tackles its difficult subject matter in a mature, intelligent way.
Yet as intriguing as the film becomes, there’s no escaping the fact that maths and mental illness do not make good bedfellows (even though Good Will Hunting and A Beautiful Mind managed to find a formula for success).
Proof therefore falls prone to becoming too angst-ridden and melancholy for its own good and can feel pretty tedious.
It also refuses to betray its theatrical roots, essentially serving as a four-hander between Robert, Hal, Catherine and her over-bearing sister, Claire (Hope Davis).
Of the performers, Paltrow portrays melancholy very well but sometimes feels heavy-handed in her depiction of Catherine’s chaotic mental state, while Hopkins is good without ever feeling as though he is really stretching himself.
Gyllenhaal, on the other hand, injects proceedings with some much-needed charisma, building on the good work he has recently done in both Brokeback Mountain and Jarhead, without ever being allowed the screen-time he merits.
The film’s director, Madden, does deserve praise for remaining true to the story’s origins and avoiding the temptation to succumb to a Hollywood ending, deliberately keeping things ambiguous so that audiences may keep thinking about it.
But while his film just about works on a human level, it tends to leave you feeling as emotionally drained as its performers – which adds up to an uneasy experience.
Certificate: 12A
Running time: 1hr 40mins