This deserved Best Picture.

Rating: 10/10 (7 January 2006)

Geoffrey Rush was virtually unknown when he played pianist David Helfgott in "Shine", but his masterful performance here opened the door to a versatile career in the ten years since. The movie shows how David had a real talent for the piano and wanted to go study in London, but his father Peter (Armin Mueller-Stahl) - who had survived the Holocaust - was afraid of his son leaving home and wouldn't let him go. This eventually led to David having a breakdown, although he later recovered.
Rush won Best Actor for his performance, and you'd better believe that he deserved it. If you ask me, this movie deserved Best Picture (why the hell'd they give it to "The English Patient"?).