movieinthepark.blogspot.com

Rating: 9/10 (2 September 2011)

Amazing movie. Go watch it if you haven't yet. Ugandian born (now Australian) Scott Hicks made this near masterpiece movie and actually left me willing to explore more of his works. Shine is about David Helfgott (Alex Rafalowicz, Noah Taylor and Geoffrey Rush). David sees since very young his life driven towards the fields of the piano. His father, visibly victimised by his austere father (Alex Rafalowicz), demands perfection from him and also extreme loyalty to him. His father sacrifices a lot of his potential in order to fulfil his desires and wills, including not allowing David to go study in the States. A few years later he receives a scholarship from the Royal College of Music in London, an opportunity which is father obviously declined. But David was already older enough and left home, what shocked his father, who decided to clear David from his family, believing his acts were a complete betrayal. Anyway, in London, David practises like an animal and reaches the complete success, winning a competition, when ha has a mental breakdown on stage. Years pass and he is forgotten, until his talent is rediscovered, by accident. Very powerful movie. Got me by surprise because I didn't knew, even during the movie that his mental illness, allied with his great talent, who be pu together so brilliantly. Geoffrey Rush received one of the most deserved Oscars the Academy has ever given. He had in my opinion what might just be his best performance of his whole career. Although works well to dramatize David's youth, it seems to me that his father is too much exaggerated, as his family say he was nothing like shown in the family. The same happens with David's quality in the piano after the breakdown, that is supposed to be a somehow worse that the movie implies. That clearly separates this movie from total perfection. Nevertheless, a real delight to both music lovers and fanciers of the devilries of the mental illness. 9/10