Film Reviews

Proof

• Rating:
• Director: John Madden
• Starring: Anthony Hopkins
• Details: US, 99mins, 15s.

Brilliant mathematics student Catherine (Paltrow) is at her wits' end; her father Robert (Hopkins), one of the shining lights of mathematics before he started to lose his mind, has just died and Catherine is worried that she might inherit her father's madness as well as his genius. Not only that, her estranged and pushy sister Claire (Davis) is home for the funeral and Robert's former student Hal (Gyllenhaal) is constantly coming onto her, as well as poking into her father's notebooks looking for new 'proof' - maths theorems. When Hal finds a proof in Robert's desk drawer that will shock the world of mathematics to its foundations, he is surprised when Catherine admits that it is hers - but who will believe her? Using flashbacks to show the relationship between Paltrow and Hopkins was a great idea for Shakespeare in Love director John Madden, as the flashbacks become more erratic to coincide with Hopkins' disintegrating mind. Paltrow will surprise her fans and any nay-sayers with her edgy performance: where her perpetual frown and doe-eyed teary look is usually annoying, here it actually suits the role and Paltrow can, at last, be satisfied in pulling off a film that required more than was previously asked of her. Davis is excellent as the facetious older sister and Gyllenhaal oozes cool in every film, even when he is playing a geeky maths student. Proof also boasts strong dialogue; zippy, fast yet realistic, the conversational tone is the real highlight.

Review by Gavin Burke