Based on David Auburn’s Tony and Pulitzer award-winning play, Proof tells the story of Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow), a brilliant young woman dealing with the death of her equally brilliant yet schizophrenic mathematician father Robert (Anthony Hopkins) after caring for him while putting her life on hold, and the possibility of being diagnosed with the same disease herself. The film re-unites Paltrow with her Shakespeare In Love director John Madden.
Proof
Studio: Echo Bridge
US BD Release Date: January 10, 2012
Original Release Year: 2005
Rated: PG-13 (for some sexual content, language and drug references)
Running Time: 100 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM 2.0 Stereo)
Subtitles: None
Movie: 3.5 out of 5
Movies about mathematics have one thing going against them - the mathematical theories presented are often over the heads of the average movie goer, alienating the audience. Movies such as Good Will Hunting and A Perfect Mind succeeded by focusing more on the characters or introducing a red herring to assist an audience in following the story. Proof is no exception by introducing two mysteries that may or not be solved by the end of the film. The first mystery is whether or not Catherine will succumb to schizophrenia like her father did at her age. The second is who wrote the potentially ground-breaking mathematical proof found by student Harold Dobbs (Jake Gyllenhaal) amongst Robert’s notebooks filled with rambling monologues. It is these subplots that help to propel the film and hold a viewer’s interest during the film’s 100 minute running time. Gwyneth Paltrow is very convincing as the troubled daughter, struggling to not only grieve but also to come to terms with her future. Hope Davis, as Catherine’s neurotically controlling sister Claire, also gives a fine performance, as does Anthony Hopkins as their father, seen in flashbacks, teetering on the brink of insanity. The weak link in the cast is Gyllenhaal, who for some reason I found completely unbelievable as a math wizard, and the lack of chemistry between he and Paltrow made me feel his actions were more for making a name for himself than actually caring about Catherine. Director John Madden keeps the film running at a nice pace, never letting the story get too bogged down in its math theories, and never feeling like a filmed stage play.
Video: 3 out of 5
Echo Bridge brings Proof to Blu-ray in a mostly acceptable 1080/24p transfer using the AVC codec, approximating the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Colors are accurate, although the film does tend to have a yellowish hue. Details are very good in close-ups, but there seems to be a touch of softness in the image during wider shots, particularly in the opening sequence as Catherine rides her bicycle across campus, with the manicured lawns looking like green smears, despite having a very high bit rate.
Audio: 3 out of 5
The audio is available in three flavors: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 (at 448 kbps), and PCM 2.0 stereo. The DTS-HD track is obviously the best choice (with the PCM coming in at a close second) with its increased dynamic range and fidelity. This is a dialogue-driven film, so the surrounds and LFE are rarely used, mostly to enhance the ambiance of a scene. Dialogue is always clear, and Stephen Warbeck’s score fills the soundstage nicely.
Special Features: 0 out of 5
Like most Echo Bridge releases, there are no bonus features whatsoever.
Overall: 3 out of 5
Proof was largely ignored by movie audiences (mostly due to the then-pending divorce proceedings between the Weinsteins at Miramax and the owners at Disney), and fans can now rejoice that the film has been released on Blu-ray. The disc has a fairly heavy list price for a bare-bones release ($19.99), but as of this writing is selling for under $10.00 at most online retailers.
US BD Release Date: January 10, 2012
Original Release Year: 2005
Rated: PG-13 (for some sexual content, language and drug references)
Running Time: 100 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, PCM 2.0 Stereo)
Subtitles: None
Movie: 3.5 out of 5
Movies about mathematics have one thing going against them - the mathematical theories presented are often over the heads of the average movie goer, alienating the audience. Movies such as Good Will Hunting and A Perfect Mind succeeded by focusing more on the characters or introducing a red herring to assist an audience in following the story. Proof is no exception by introducing two mysteries that may or not be solved by the end of the film. The first mystery is whether or not Catherine will succumb to schizophrenia like her father did at her age. The second is who wrote the potentially ground-breaking mathematical proof found by student Harold Dobbs (Jake Gyllenhaal) amongst Robert’s notebooks filled with rambling monologues. It is these subplots that help to propel the film and hold a viewer’s interest during the film’s 100 minute running time. Gwyneth Paltrow is very convincing as the troubled daughter, struggling to not only grieve but also to come to terms with her future. Hope Davis, as Catherine’s neurotically controlling sister Claire, also gives a fine performance, as does Anthony Hopkins as their father, seen in flashbacks, teetering on the brink of insanity. The weak link in the cast is Gyllenhaal, who for some reason I found completely unbelievable as a math wizard, and the lack of chemistry between he and Paltrow made me feel his actions were more for making a name for himself than actually caring about Catherine. Director John Madden keeps the film running at a nice pace, never letting the story get too bogged down in its math theories, and never feeling like a filmed stage play.
Video: 3 out of 5
Echo Bridge brings Proof to Blu-ray in a mostly acceptable 1080/24p transfer using the AVC codec, approximating the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Colors are accurate, although the film does tend to have a yellowish hue. Details are very good in close-ups, but there seems to be a touch of softness in the image during wider shots, particularly in the opening sequence as Catherine rides her bicycle across campus, with the manicured lawns looking like green smears, despite having a very high bit rate.
Audio: 3 out of 5
The audio is available in three flavors: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 (at 448 kbps), and PCM 2.0 stereo. The DTS-HD track is obviously the best choice (with the PCM coming in at a close second) with its increased dynamic range and fidelity. This is a dialogue-driven film, so the surrounds and LFE are rarely used, mostly to enhance the ambiance of a scene. Dialogue is always clear, and Stephen Warbeck’s score fills the soundstage nicely.
Special Features: 0 out of 5
Like most Echo Bridge releases, there are no bonus features whatsoever.
Overall: 3 out of 5
Proof was largely ignored by movie audiences (mostly due to the then-pending divorce proceedings between the Weinsteins at Miramax and the owners at Disney), and fans can now rejoice that the film has been released on Blu-ray. The disc has a fairly heavy list price for a bare-bones release ($19.99), but as of this writing is selling for under $10.00 at most online retailers.
