***NOTE*** (This is a review written by Number Three, our first guest reviewer. Look for future reviews by Number Three and other guest reviewers!)There are two types of clever movies, in my opinion. The first type can ultimately be described as cheap. This is the kind that Hollywood usually puts out because it’s the easiest kind to develop. A viewer can know he/she’s dealing with cheap/clever when the moviemakers hide facts from you. The Ocean’s Eleven remake is a perfect example. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the movie as fairly entertaining popcorn fare, but it’s still cheap/clever. The “Oh cool…that’s clever” moments are a result of making us think one thing was happening and then showing us that something completely different actually happened by revealing things that the movie purposefully kept secret from us. Cheap/clever only has temporal leverage over my emotions. It’s a pop that quickly fizzes. The other kind of clever is quite different. I’ll call it smart. It’s harder to find a Hollywood production that utilizes smart/clever, but here’s how you detect it: the moviemaker reveals all of the possible realities, and then causes you to question which one is true. In other words, cheap/clever movies hide aces up their sleeves, but smart/clever movies show all the cards and dare you to keep track of them.
If you haven’t guessed it yet, Proof is smart/clever. The question is this: is Robert’s (Hopkins) mind gone for good, or does he still have moments of lucid genius? Either he does or he doesn’t, and the viewer truly questions which is true. As I watched, I kept changing my mind. But it wasn’t cheap/clever, because I knew it was one way or the other, and the moviemakers let me watch Robert be himself. There were a few unexpected revelations, but they never felt cheap. The lasting impact of the movie is that my perceptions were so wildly changed throughout the piece. I was being toyed with, and yet, I wasn’t being tricked. To me, that’s smart/clever.
How about a synopsis? Catherine (Paltrow) is the daughter of a brilliant mathematician who suffers from the crazy bug. After his death, a discovery of a brilliant mathematical proof in his study causes questions to arise about both Catherine and Robert. Add to this a nice little love story with math geek Hal (Gyllenhaal), who is trying to unlock the truth of this proof, and you have a pic that should appeal to many audiences. Think A Beautiful Mind meets Shine.
There are so many enjoyable moments in this movie that I’m reluctant to say more about the story itself. The acting is first rate all around, the story is powerful, and the popcorn is in your couch seat. Grab a glass of wine and your honey and enjoy this one.
As a new reviewer, let me explain my scoring. I use the –22 to 22 scale grading the mouthspeak and watchfeel. These terms are made up, but derived from the real term mouthfeel, which is used to describe the impact or taste of something (usually wine or coffee). In this case, mouthspeak is the overall cleverness, realness, and impact of the dialog and human interchange, and watchfeel is the overall aesthetics and impact of the visuals. Averaging these together produces an overall score, the mouthfeel, which judges the overall watchablility of the film.
Score:
Mouthspeak: 18
Watchfeel: 16
Mouthfeel: 17
Number Three
3 comments:
Excellent first review, Number Three, I'll expect equally great things from you in the future.
Incidentally, why did you choose "Number Three" as your TMBC name?
huh..... i hadn't thought of that, but that works. job well done.
Fair enough reasoning, I suppose, and I'm pleased that you found a name you're happy with. Still, I don't know how you passed up the opportunity to take a name as excellent as "Shoehorn with Teeth."
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