Review of Shine (1996) by Felixq. — 24 Jul 2006

Truly a piece of art. So many times are mentally handicapped people- whether having been born that way or later becoming so- portrayed in a very cookie cutter way. I am Sam and The Other Sister come to mind- although these two films are both great in their own respect and fulfill a very important role, Shine goes the route that desperately needed to be explored.

I think one thing that sets this apart for me was the format. We don't follow the younger David only to be told *Shock!* he suffers a mental setback! We're not focusing on the fact, either. This film is about the man behind the talent, and the talent that fronts a mental ilness that proved to be David's challenge in place of possibly poverty or a physical disability.

We explore the diversity of a character instead of getting pre-occupied by his set-backs. I would say, for me, this missed the 10/10 because it's so very much a product of it's time. Of course, the time stamp is inevitable, but there have been great films that have transcended that- this one did not.

But still an amazing piece of art, when all is said and done.