Review of Shine (1996) by Will E — 11 Apr 2011
Before I watched this movie, I had assumed it would be another snooze-fest cleverly disguised as an Australian semi-biographical movie. However, as I began to watch the film, I realised that it is an excellent movie, heart-felt and uplifting yet blunt and honest.
The acting, especially on the part of Geoffrey Rush, is amazing. He depicts the strange pianist with a subtlety and a massive amount of grace. The other actors and actresses in the film also prove to be effective at their job, and it is easy to relate to them all.
The storyline starts non-linear, but gets more linear and straightforward as it goes. As with most biopics, there is no movie-long plot, no ultimate goal, other than maybe the pianist (David/Geoffrey Rush) impressing and then rekindling with his father. It never tries to be overly depressing, and it sort of skims over the more depressing parts in the man's life up to this point, highlighting the happiest points.
This heartwarming film is one of Australia's greatest, and if you watch it you can see why.
My Rating: 60%.
Standardised: 40%.
This review of Shine (1996) was written by Will E on 11 Apr 2011.
Shine has generally received very positive reviews.
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