Good, not great

Rating: Null/10 (3 June 2002)

There were just too many problems in this film for me to rate it as great. Geoffrey Rush did a great job, as did the young actor who played the early Helfgott. The story was interesting, and the cinematography well done. Overall, it was a good film, but it had a few glaring issues I cannot overlook.
First, if we are to feel sympathy or understanding for Helfgott's condition, it would be nice to know exactly what it is. Is he schizophrenic? Not sure. I find the label of "madness" to be far too vague, and nearly cliché.
Second, as a little research on Helfgott confirms, the filmmakers were not accurate in many aspects of the story. According to his own family, Helfgott never broke down while playing the "Rach 3", nor was his father an abusive taskmaster.
Third, there were just too many confusing and/or vague moments throughout the film. There was a scene of David receiving electroconvulsive therapy, at one point, with absolutely no explanation of what was going on. His relationship with his father, once he left home, was confusing at best. Similarly, Gillian tried to help David write a letter to his old music professor, but we never heard any more about that, either. Loose ends and apparently superfluous scenes made the film sometimes hard to follow, and left me with an empty feeling at the end.
Lastly, I take issue with the implication that overbearing parents and intense mental and emotional labor can lead one to mental illness. Schizophrenia, in particular, is not something caused by your relationships or activities. It is organic. Things can't "drive you mad," in that sense. Certainly parents can cause mental and emotional damage, but if that was goal of the film, it should have been more clear.