frankcavanaugh-71776 So much about this film is lush and entertaining. Hicks brings together an amazing cast for a touching story about a talented man tormented by a conflicted father and a disorder that is both debilitating and freeing at the same time. Beautifully photographed. Funny, touching and charming. The story is filled with great life lessons about understanding and tolerance. Triumph and tragedy. Captivating work.

manders_steve Coming back to a fondly remembered film after many years can be revelatory - sometimes recalled greatness remains, or even appears enhanced; in other cases, it's more like a bottle of not very good red kept far too long. But Shine, the story of just about world famous pianist David Helfgott, to me is firmly in the first category. The story was just as compelling and engrossing as I recall from the promotional fund raising screening in 1996, all proceeds to The Melbourne Chorale.This was the role that launched Geoffrey Rush's film career internationally, and the film world is the richer for it. Mueller Stahl is totally believably awful as David's overbearing father, where his child prodigy's achievements are the totality of his world. Noah Taylor as the adolescent David and Alex Rafalowicz as the child prodigy are wonderful in these roles, and the visual continuity is convincing. This provides a logical lead in to Helfgott's mental health issues in his early adult life, where he is seen in various institutions in London and Australia.The editing, where Rush is seem playing parts of the scores he can manage, with cuts to other pianists is convincing, and as a medium level player, Rush's visible upper body looks like he is playing most, if not all, of those difficult notes.If you haven't seen it and are interested in the psychology of performers, in classical piano music, or just a well told tale, make the effort to dig Shine out. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Alex Deleon Viewed at RIGA, Arsenals Forum IFF, September 20-28, 1998. SHINE (1996) written and directed by Scott Hicks stars Geoffrey Rush as an emotionally disturbed virtuoso pianist in Australia, freaked out by the impossible demands of a father who constantly abuses him with the memory of his own disturbed childhood in Europe and the loss of family in the concentration camps. The cruel father of the child prodigy pianist, passing on his genocide complex to the next generation, is heavyweight German actor, Armin Meuller-Stahl (b. 1930) who is in everything these days, and it ends with a rousing piano rendition of Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Flight of the Bumblebee" when the hero, after a long stint in an institution, recovers his senses to some extent ... The true story of David Helfgott (may God help him) -- very absorbing with tour-de-force performance by Mr. Rush. After this he'll be in everything! (And he was).Shine was one of the big films of the year and earned Rush the Academy award for for Best Actor plus a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting role for Mueller-Stall. Also nominated for Best Picture and best Original Screenplay. It included the last screen appearance at age 82 of British born actress Googie Withers who was a big star way back in the thirties (for example, in Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes"). Another elder British giant, John Gielgud, had a cameo at age 94! -- and passed away in 2000. Aussie director Scott Hicks, not very well known outside of Australia, also made "Snow falling on Cedars", a 1999 drama with Ethan Hawke defending a wrongly accused Japanese American in a murder case during the wave of anti-Japanese prejudice in America following Pearl Harbor.

billcr12 Shine is the real life story of David Helfgott, a gifted pianist suffering from some severe mental problems. Three different actors portray the tortured soul at three stages of his life, concluded by Geoffrey Rush's stream of consciousness and Oscar winning performance, which makes the film well worth the occasionally bumpy ride. A strict and domineering father physically beats and mentally abuses young David; all while telling him what a lucky boy he is to have a good family. After his dad forbids his travel to America, David later works up the courage to move to England to study music on scholarship. After a difficult concert, he has a nervous breakdown which leads to a stay at a mental hospital where he receives shock treatment. He recovers to some extent when he meets a woman who initially treats him as a patient and eventually marries him. The cast is outstanding, starting with Rush and with great support by Lynn Redgrave and John Gielgud. The music is also excellent.