Review of Proof (1991) by Jillian L — 12 Feb 2012

I LOVED this adaptation. It was really true to the play, which I think really helped. I was wondering how they were going to make the movie not stagnant, considering the play has one stationary set, the back porch.

But they did a great job. Picking places where pretty much the exact same conversations could happen in places other than the porch. Also, the second half, where act 2 would normally be, was arranged slightly differently so the flashbacks could be utilized more effectively, and they did a fantastic job at that.

I half wish I didn't know the show, because then I could have followed the suspense of all the flashbacks between time periods, but nonetheless, extremely well done. The acting is of course, phenomenal.

I would expect nothing less. Anthony Hopkins, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Hope Davis were fantastic as well, no doubt about it. But this movie belonged to Gwyneth Paltrow, and she totally took ownership. An exceptional movie that you don't need to be a mathematical genius to understand, just an understanding of family loyalty, because at the heart, of it, family is what this movie really is about.