Proof (1992)

In The Kingdom Of The Blind, The One-Eyed Are Gods

Whatever else it might be, the 1991 Australian motion picture Proof (not to be confused with the 2005 American movie) is a film that irresistibly compels a viewer to imagine life without the sense of sight. It's harder than ever to find originality in storytelling, but Proof achieves that rarity with its off-kilter tale of Martin, a paranoid, blind photographer (yes, that's what he is) living in Melbourne, Australia, who ponders whether or not his mother abandoned him by faking her death during his own childhood, because at her funeral the testimony of his sensitive hands compelled the young Martin to believe her casket was in fact empty. Living a life of comfortable privilege yet an existence devoid of an ability to bond with most others, Martin snaps photographs at random in a nearby park, then seeks out the sighted to describe the pictures to him. Martin's often cruel housekeeper, Celia, who harbors a seething, acidic form of love for her caustic employer, oversees the care of Martin, yet also undertakes tiny but effective cruelties against him, such as her frequent re-arranging of household furnishings, which confuses the blind man and also presents a hazard to him as he plods through his home. Martin's newfound friend, Andy, a dishwasher at a local restaurant, played to expected perfection by the always brilliant Russell Crowe, presents a threat to the cold Celia, who in a perverse ploy makes love to Andy in an effort to alienate his affection for Martin. There is also a later attempted seduction of the alternately pathetic and odious Martin, Celia's war of cruelties escalates, and the ending arrives with either a moment of liberation or a profound rejection of love, however it might be perceived by the individual viewer. As I said, Proof is certainly a cinematic original.
March 7, 2008

Interesting, but never quite comes together.

Proof (Jacqueline Moorhouse, 1991)

These days, anyone who remembers Proof probably does so because it contains a young Russell Crowe, something I was unaware of when I first tacked it onto my ever-growing list of movies to watch; I knew it was an early Hugo Weaving film (and discovered it because it has the same name as the decent-but-overrated Jake Gyllenhaal flick from a few years ago), which was enough to spark my interest. All I had to do was read a description of Weaving as a blind photographer, and I was in.

Turns out Proof was actually pretty well known in its day, having picked up a slew of Australian Film Institute awards and a Golden Camera at Cannes. Didn't do a great deal of box office, but that's rarely an indication of whether a movie's actually good or not. But Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe when they were both still relative unknowns? How can you go wrong?

Weaving, as I mentioned, plays Martin, a blind photographer, while Crowe is Andy, a dishwasher at a local restaurant. To complete the triangle, we have Celia (veteran TV actress Genevieve Picot), Martin's housekeeper, who's a bit in love with him. Martin and Andy meet after a mishap in which Martin stumbles over some of the restaurant's garbage in the alley, injuring a local stray cat; Martin and Andy take the cat to the vet and bond. Soon Andy meets Celia, and the stage is set.

Moorhouse (A Thousand Acres), who also wrote the script, came up with something potentially quite powerful, but there are pieces of it that never quite gel. Martin's take on why he refuses to return Celia's affections comes off as facile, and seems to serve no purpose other than to set up a possible love triangle; Celia herself doesn't really impress as someone who'd be willing to sit around and take it. Only Andy, played to a T by Crowe, comes off as truly genuine here (which is ironic, considering Andy is a completely surface creature, ruled entirely by his instincts).

An interesting movie, but not an especially accomplished one. Worth checking out to see two wonderful actors when both were still rising stars, a year or two away from each's breakout performance. ** ½ October 12, 2007

Truly a delightful film with a subject that should affect everyone...

One of the more impressive features in `Proof' is that it manages to strike a chord in the viewer almost unknowingly. It really wasn't until the film was finished that I realized just how much of an impact that small film can have. It perfectly addresses the need for total and complete trust but balances that out with the need for forgiveness, the need for patience and the need for understanding. The film spends a great deal of time building trust with the audience, helping them to understand why it's characters need each other the way that they do and then it effortlessly snaps the trust in two and demands the audience decide the moral road to take. It shows the frustration that comes with frigid demands and how we can ultimately end up alone if we refuse to give any slack. No one is perfect and this film helps show the importance of understanding that very fact and conceding to it.

The film revolves around Martin, played by Hugo Weaving, a blind man who takes photographs of his surroundings as proof of his existence. By a chance meeting at a restaurant he meets busboy Andrew, played by Russell Crowe, and an immediate friendship is sparked. The film does a wonderful job, all the way down to the boyishly free spirited score, of building the feeling of childlike friendship. The two of them truly have fun together and we have fun watching them interact. Andrew is the type of guy every other guy wants to be friends with, and Crowe's portrayal is so convincing and natural the audience just can't take their eyes off of him. Weaving, while not the greatest actor in the world, delivers here as well, playing reclusive and unsure and tortured by a childhood unwanted well enough. His performance comes off a bit tense and stiff in some scenes but is forgivable. It's easy to see why he was chosen for the role of Agent Smith in `The Matrix' for he exhibits that stiff and proper delivery even when he should be relaxed.

The true crutch of the film lies on the shoulders of Celia, Martin's housekeeper. Harboring a crush on Martin that he doesn't dare embrace, Celia starts to resent him as he resents her. It boils down to frustrated attraction, even on the part of Martin. He's attracted to her but he doesn't trust her and so he repels her. Genevieve Picot does a fantastic job playing Celia with enough sass and cattiness yet underlining sadness that we can feel for her as much as we understand Martin's reservations. When she begins to target Andrew, who has no problem embracing her advances, the bond between Martin and Andrew is threatened.

Crowe, while very young here, commands his role with such fervor and dedication and natural charm that it would be easy to predict he'd be an Oscar winner. While he allows others to shine he still proves to be the most talented of the cast in question. His performance is the most memorable and his character is the most relatable. Picot also deserves praise for creating a wonderfully memorable character in Celia. She's an utter standout. The final confrontation between Andrew and Martin lays the groundwork for this entire film and the feeling and morale that it should impress upon the audience. Everybody lies, just not all the time, and how true and important is that very fact! June 28, 2007

Brilliant and uniquely original and rare piece of cinema

Jocelyn Moorhouse has written and directed one of if not THE most original screenplay to come along in years.PROOF concerns itself with the issues of trust and obsession.Martin,brilliantly portrayed by Hugo Weaving,has been blind since birth.He has learned to develop all of his other senses and has relied solely upon them his entire life as the watermark of truth.Martin has photographs everything to prove he and the world exist.In his employ is a seemingly cold-hearted and vindictive housekeeper named Celia,played with the utmost cruelty by Genevieve Picot.Even Charles Dickens would have admired this viciously dark and shady lady!Enter Andy,a cook in a restaurant,played by a younger Russell Crowe already displaying the talent that would later win him an Oscar.Martin and Andy develop a bond of trust and friendship.Andy begins to interpret Martin's photos for him thus enabling Martin to further trust him.Celia,obsessed with Martin the nearly four years of her employment,sets out to destroy the bond the two men forge,and that is when this film gets so tense that from moment to moment you will be looking over your shoulder!This is an intensely personal film with great character development and superb acting to boot.None of the accents are too Australian for the American ear.Once you have seen it you will agree that this is a brilliant and uniquely original and rare piece of cinema. March 22, 2007

Movie Proof starring Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe

The movie Proof is a definite addition to any Russell Crowe fan. Hugo Weaving is very different from his later character in The Matrix, but he puts in an excellent performance. The ending is satisfying, though I didn't want the movie to end! February 7, 2007

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