Shine (1996)reviewed by Benn "Where's the Humanity?" Farrell
"Shine" is based on the true story--before the phrase was popular among movie marketers--of pianist David Helfgott. Helfgott was ridden by his father as a youth to be the performer of perfection, but always had a problem when success came knocking at the young man's door. Eventually, during one of his finest post-secondary performances, David has a nervous breakdown, and is never quite well in the head after that; he becomes overly stimulated easily and has no sense of control over his thoughts. After being in and out of mental health hospitals, David helps himself by performing in a small restaurant. His life then takes a fantastic turn when he meets the only woman who can keep him level, who falls for him. They marry and she helps him realize his dream of finding his way back onto the stage to perform in front of thousands of music lovers. The imagery of this picture is its greatest strength. Director Scott Hicks (Snow Falling on Cedars) brilliantly found a way to shoot this sometimes dark and depressing story in a way as poetic as the music David had in his head, without making the picture too pretentious. The other greatest aspect of "Shine" was the performance of Geoffrey Rush's lifetime. Rush (Quills) won the Academy Award® for Best Actor with this work, and deservedly so. When I saw Rush's first scene in the movie, I said to the girl next to me, "We're able to see this guy do something very special." That's about the best way I can put it when it comes to Rush playing Helfgott. It was maybe the most special performance of the 1990s, maybe of the last 20 years. Armin Mueller-Stahl (Avalon) also warranted an Oscar® nomination for supporting actor for his performance as David's father Peter. The only thing I felt was strange about the picture is that the writing, scripted by Hicks and Jan Sardi, made the picture drag a bit. It felt long, even though the movie is over before you know it. It's only 105 minutes long. Overall, if you like music and stories about musicians, "Shine" is a must see. If you want to see one of the most beautiful and touching films of the 1990s, this one is again a must see. It you want to see one best performances by an actor in the past two decades, you can't go wrong with "Shine." Benn - Where's the Humanity?
This was the best movie to come out in 1996.