|
|
|
1996
|
SHINE
|
|
|
STARRING:GEOFFREY
RUSH,ARMIN MUELLER STAHL,NOAH TAYLOR,LYNN REDGRAVE,NICHOLAS BELL,ALEX
RAFALOWICZ,SONIA TODD,JOHN GIELGUD
STORY
BY SCOTT HICKS
SCREENPLAY
BY JAN SARDI
PRODUCED
BY JANE SCOTT
DIRECTED
BY SCOTT HICKS
GENRE:BIOGRAPHY/DRAMA/MUSIC
RATED:AUSTRALIA:PG/UK:12/USA:PG-13
RUNNING
TIME:105 MIN
|
Based
on the life and times of virtuoso pianist David Helfgott, Shine
begins with a seemingly schizophrenic man amusing the staff of a restaurant
with his bizarre ramblings. In flashbacks it is revealed the man is
David Helfgott, a child prodigy pianist raised by his strict Polish
Jewish father Peter (Armin Mueller Stahl) in the suburbs of Melbourne.
As David grows older, he seeks independence from his father who has
forbid David from ever leaving the family, and joins the Royal College
of Music in London who have offered him a full scholarship. In London
he is taken under the wing of Professor Cecil Parks (John Gielgud)
who has found glimpses of genius in David. As he grows older, he is
diagnosed as suffering from a schizoaffective disorder, living a lonely
existence in a mental institution where he has been ordered to stay
away from the piano. Cut back to the restaurant where David surprises
all the customers by playing on the restaurant piano, earning notoriety
from the local press as a blast from the past. With his life back
on track David continues to plays music with a new found vigour and
also finds love with astrologist Gillian (Lynn Redgrave.)
Director Scott Hick's has done a great job bringing Helfgott's story
to life. The power of Shine comes from the actors who portray
Helfgott, especially Geoffrey Rush and Noah Taylor. Helfgott is shown
in three stages; as a child he is portrayed by Alex Rafalowicz; Noah
Taylor gives a very good, understated performance as Helfgott during
his more interesting period of adolescence; and then there is Geoffrey
Rush, whose performance earned him numerous awards, critical praise
and launched his acting career. He portrays Helfgott's ticks and mannerisms
without going overboard and in doing so delivers an engrossing and
heartbreaking performance. Armin Mueller Stahl is also great as David's
domineering father, who has passed his dreams onto his son robbing
him of his childhood.
Shine will forever be one of my favourite Australian films
of the 1990's due to the fact that it is not some quirky outback fantasy
featuring men dressed in drag or some other eccentric lead character
with a fetish for disco (seriously, what is it with Aussies and Abba?)
No, with this movie there is no need for shock tactics as the three
most basic movie staples - script, direction and acting - are all
terrifically displayed creating a captivating account of an incredibly
complex life. |
|
|
