Review of Shine (1996) by Aaron N — 22 Mar 2008

Cecil Parkes: Rachmaninov? Are you sure?

David: Kind of. I'm not really sure about anything.

Cecil Parkes: The Rach 3. It's monumental.

David: It's a mountain. The hardest piece you could everest play.

Here is a very good film about a child piano prodigy who was on his way to greatness, despite problems between him and his father, only to fall subject to a mental breakdown, but leading to essentially a building back up of himself.

This movie is made better by the performances of Geoffrey Rush and Armin Mueller-Stahl.

The film has separate parts, divided between three stages of the child prodigy, David Helfcot's life.

Starting with the youngest version, we know David is talented, and his father, Mueller-Stahl, only wants the best from him, literally.

Peter Helfgott: In this world only the strong survive. The weak get crushed like insects.

Unfortunately, with good reason, David's father is very hesitant at allowing David to grow outside his home. It's not out of stubbornness, its more about not letting the family separate, which is clarified better in the film.

The college aged David, played by Noah Taylor, has moved on as a greater piano player, with his father still wanting to keep him from growing to far, most of all not to America.

During a particular performance, requiring all that he has, David literally breaks down and is never quite the same.

Getting to adult David, played by Rush, David is now a very eccentric individual, sputtering words, laughing affably at most situations, but begins to play piano again.

Once Rush takes the main spotlight of the film, the joy of this film truly takes off. Rush is so great in this role. A real piano player, the combination of this skill and a harnessing of David's mannerisms is portrayed very well.

The soundtrack is of course wonderful as well.

Great performances in this film.

David: Would you marry me?

Gillian: Well, it wouldn't be very practical, David.

David: Practical? No, of course not. Of course not. But then neither am I, Gillian. Neither am I. I'm not very practical at all.

Sylvia: You'll miss the plane!

Gillian: It's sweet of you, David. I don't know what to say.

David: The stars, Gillian darling! Ask the stars!