Proof

If I were a filmmaker, I would have approached telling this story with trepidation. A blind man whose life's endeavor is taking photographs, who has been surrounded by less than trustworthy people all his life, who has searched in vain for someone he can believe in, while lacking the proof needed to cement that trust. Already you can see the intricacies of telling such a tale simply and clearly. The only way it can be done is to hire actors who can put as much into expressions and movement as they do into the words they say. Jocelyn Moorhouse picked well. Hugo Weaving as the blind photographer, Geneviève Picot (an actress whose talents haven't reached Hollywood yet) as the bitter, scheming housekeeper, and Russell Crowe as the photographer's new friend. Each of these actors has fleshed out a tangible character that fits inside Moorhouse's story with no visible gaps. Each series of scenes took my breath away -- in particular, the drive-in theater and consequent crazed driving sequence, and the arguable climax of the film as Picot invites Crowe to her house for the first time. If there is a fault to the film it is that it's somewhat chilly, but that choice was necessary if only for that scene to work. It's been a long time since I've been moved so much by the ending (in this case, the dénouement) of a film. We get the proof of what we've been hoping is true, but do we, the viewer, see the proof? The essence of the film -- that proof is unattainable -- is gracefully summarized in those last few scenes. I can't recommend this film highly enough.

year: 1991
length: 86 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102721/combined