Review of Proof (1991) by Blake P — 08 Nov 2013

If someone were to ask me if I was interested in a drama revolving around the death of a mathematician, I'd scoff in their face. Truly, who wants to see that? "Proof" is lucky. Sure, it has a snoozy sounding plot, but it has Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, and John Madden in its favor, and it's adapted from a Pulitzer-Prize winning play. Can it lose? Several times, yes. But for the most part, "Proof" is much better than it sounds on pen and paper.

Paltrow portrays Catherine, a young woman whose life is thrown away when she gives up a promising college education in order to care for her ailing father, Robert (Hopkins). Robert is a brilliant mathematician, but over the years his skills have been squandered by debilitating mental illness.

Several years later, Robert passes away, after a long period of madness. Catherine, deeply depressed by his death, begins to worry that she'll inherit his mental illness eventually - after all, she's been sitting around for years caring for her dad rather than getting an education or being social; she's been stuck inside her own mind for much too long.

When his funeral comes, Catherine's goody-two-shoes, self-involved sister Claire (Hope Davis) comes in from New York. The polar opposite of Catherine, Claire isn't very concerned with Robert's passing and truly has the desire to take her sister to New York with her so she can reinvent her life.

In the meantime, one of Robert's former students, Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal), is determined to find something important within the several notebooks the former left behind. When Hal stumbles upon a proof that could be historical in its information, something surprising comes up - it was, in fact, written by Catherine.

It isn't the plot that makes "Proof" fascinating. It's hard to truly care about the discovery of a mathematical proof (who one most likely associates with being the one topic that was impossible to understand in math class), and we don't know enough about Hopkins' character to truly get a grip on his adoration.

The performances are truly what makes "Proof" worth watching. With a very small cast, and coming from the roots of a play, the characterizations are ripe, confrontational, and intimate, heavily showing off of the actors' skills. Madden has a hard time keeping the balance of emotions, however; many scenes are a tad too furious and feel a bit too frequent for their own good. But that isn't enough to mare the good work on display.

Davis and Gyllenhaal prove to be great support. Davis is instantly detestable as Claire, who is so shallow that she can't put on a face that says "I care about you." She contrasts flawlessly with the loose-cannon that Claire is. Gyllenhaal is somewhat of a confusing character, because he falls under the category of the "dreamy love interest" but also the "geek"; sometimes, it's written to a point where you can't tell if Hal is trying to be goofy or simply charming. But in the more intense scenes, Gyllenhaal is strong.

It's Paltrow's show, however. It's easy to tell that she's a bit of a nut - her hair is greasy, she chooses to go without makeup, and she'd rather stare into space than have a real conversation. Paltrow doesn't let her appearance say everything about Catherine though. Her portrayal is very complex, at once depressed, confused, naïve, but ultimately, likable. Catherine is a woman who has been scorned by an unhappy life, and we can see her potential: that's what makes her so compelling.

"Proof" isn't perfect, but it's a fine example of actors at their best. It's minor, and ultimately as unstable as its characters - but it's worth watching.