After piano aficionados gave David Helfgott's recent performances a lukewarm reception, the story of the not-all-together Australian prodigy may have lost a bit of its titular luster, but not to my eye. To me, Shine still stands out as a sterling example of filmmaking that is all too rare these days, filled with emotion and carefully crafted detail that you can't get from the Disneys of the world. With Geoffrey Rush's much-deserved Oscar-winning performance, the best score of 1996, and Noah Taylor's unforgivably overlooked role as the teenaged Helfgott, Shine is exquisite on many levels. Combined with its themes of overprotective fatherly love, blind ambition, and the horrific insanity they can cause, the film is a masterpiece. And let me not forget the music, which is simply awe-inspiring (especially the unbelievable "Rach 3"), and which makes you want to applaud after each piece is performed. As Gielgud (another overlooked gem in the picture) puts it, "It's monumental!"

Capsule Reviews
Shine
Shine

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