SHINE
A film review by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1997 Michael John Legeros
(Fine Line)
Directed by Scott Hicks
Written by Jan Sardi. based on a story by Scott Hicks
Cast Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, Lynn
Redgrave, Googie Withers, John Gielgud, Sonia Todd, Alex
Rafalowicz, Nicholas Bell
MPAA Rating "PG-13"
Running Time 105 minutes
Reviewed at The Rialto, Raleigh, NC (18JAN97)
==
Another overrated underachiever from last year, SHINE is the true story of David Helfgott, a classical pianist from Australia who spent a double decade in a mental institution before returning to the ivory fold. Three actors play the prodigy, with Geoffrey Rush's adult arguably the most memorable of the lot. (He doesn't even use a hand double!) His stammering, seen-RAIN-MAN-one-too-many-times shtick, however, is far less affecting than it should be. Blame better movies like MY LEFT FOOT, whose tortured heroes were a world more-accessible than this one. (Helfgott's story is incomplete and, at times, incompre- hensible. More than once I wondered if I was watching a dream sequence.) Of the other actors, Armin Mueller-Stahl displays subtle sadism as Helfgott's demanding, narcissistic father. Even better is John Gielgud's London mentor, the one character who comes the closest to showing us the soul of a performing musician.
Grade: B-
-- Mike Legeros - Raleigh, NC, USA, Earth legeros@pagesz.net (h) - legeros@unx.sas.com (w) I'm also on the Web! http://www.pagesz.net/~legeros/
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