"Proof" has a star-studded cast with Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins and Jake Gyllenhaal, but proves that even A-list actors can't make up for a lacking plot.
Director John Madden took a Tony-and-Pulitzer-winning play by the same name and turned it into an uneventful, boring movie without depth or a colorful storyline.
Despite the superb acting, the dragged-out storyline leaves the viewer with the hard decision between staying to see if the ending is as predictable as it seems or walking out.
Paltrow plays Catherine, a 27-year-old, anti-social homebody who is forced to leave college to take care of her father (Hopkins), a math genius who loses his mind at the brink of his career.
Hal (Gyllenhaal) is a former math student of Catherine's father and is a 26-year-old mathematics professor. He becomes fascinated with Catherine upon first sight.
Immediately after the old professor's death, Hal begins rummaging through his old notebooks trying to find something worthy of publishing. He also finds this as an excuse to get to know Catherine and tries continuously to ask her out, without success.
Although the acting is top-notch, the unnecessary romance between Catherine (Paltrow) and Hal (Gyllenhaal) is awkward and included simply for the reassurance that the two attractive characters in a film will eventually hook up.
The lack of chemistry is only exemplified by the obvious difference in age between Paltrow and Gyllenhaal.
Paltrow plays the drama queen perfectly with the character's high-strung personality and constant arguments. Catherine is initially paranoid that Hal is trying to steal her father's work from their house and argues with her sister (Hope Davis) over everything from her mental stability to conditioner containing "jojoba."
Catherine's constant rebuttals prove her to be "interesting," but at a certain point the story becomes redundant. At one point, Claire takes her shopping and Catherine repeats her entire theory about Hal of trying to steal from her, a notion that had already been established in the previous scene. This unnecessary section only takes up space in the script and makes the movie drag.
Similar to the rest of the movie, the ending is uneventful, unromantic and uninspiring. The actors may have been chosen for their ability to portray the characters gracefully, but unfortunately, it is difficult to see someone who looks like Gwyneth Paltrow as a math geek. It is equally as difficult to see Jake Gyllenhaal as a nerd who has to "work" to get the girl.
No matter how plain Paltrow may look on screen or how hairy Gyllenhaal's face is, they are both too attractive to play these roles.
Maybe Paltrow should have jumped back into that fat suit like she did for "Shallow Hal."
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
