Film Screening 17th August, 2006

Poster for Proof

Proof 

8:00 PM, 17th August, 2006

  • M
  • 99 mins
  • 2005
  • John Madden
  • David Auburn, Rebecca Miller
  • Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal, Danny McCarthy

I am ...... a Maths teacher.There, I said it. Its out now.One evening, two other Maths teachers and I went to the cinemas to see Proof. A Maths outing, if you will. (Something which our prejudiced booklet editor found highly amusing, and is probably the reason she gave me this film to review!). [Hey, I love Maths! Really! Snigger snigger - Ed.]And, although we weren't sporting pocket calculators or wearing jackets with patches on the elbows, we were the only ones in the cinema laughing at the complex number jokes!You don't need to worry, however - the rest of the film is easily accessible to the innumerate amongst you. It's based on a Pulitzer-winning play, and is directed by John "Shakespeare In Love" Madden. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as possible-genius Catherine, who has to deal with the repercussions, both personal and public, of her father's (Hopkins) descent into madness. Cool nerd Hal (Gyllenhaal), who is enthusiastically analysing the father's mathematical papers, is drawn to Catherine and tries to support her as she starts to fear her dad's insanity is hereditary.Proof is an engrossing human-relationship film that benefits from Paltrow's superb portrayal of an anti-social, awkward person just trying to connect. Hopkins and Gyllenhaal give strong support as well. The overall equation of Proof balances out nicely, and differentiates itself from many of the other pretenders out there (boom tish).

Travis Cragg