Freaktana A Major Disappointment

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Tanuj Poddar Proof is a subtle drama centered around Martin, a blind man, who has a deep conviction that everyone tries to deceive him, simply because they 'can'. He has built his life around in such a way so as to not allow anyone to hurt him. He doesn't intend to trust anyone. He has a bizarre system of taking pictures and marking them in braille to be convinced that the world is as is being described to him. His maid Celia has strong feeling for him. He in fact, is specially rude to her advances so that despite his handicap, she is the weaker one in the relationship. In midst of all this comes Andy, whom Martin is able to trust and asks him to describe all the pictures he takes so that he can appropriately tag them. Celia who keeps Martin dependent on her, feels vulnerable when she sees Martin's growing trust in Andy. She manipulates Andy into doing something that shakes Martin's trust in him. Will he be able to win the trust back.It is not overly melodramatic nor is it very fast paced. It is a gripping tale where the director takes his own time to lay down the characters, revealing them only to the extent as needed to justify their actions. The chemistry between the characters is wonderful and all the three actors do a wonderful job of breathing life into their roles. Overall an enjoyable lighthearted drama with some funny moments in between.

kimi_layercake "Proof" stars two great Australian actors, "Hugo Weaving" and "Russell Crowe" who relatively unknown during this movie, went on achieve great heights in Hollywood."Proof' is about a blind man(Hugo Weaving) who strikes up an unusual friendship with a waiter(Russell Crowe),something scorned by Hugo's maid(Genevieve Picot).Even with a running time of ~90 minutes, "Proof" can be very slow from time to time, but that's the way the Director wants the audience to feel for the protagonist. The way he feels things around him, the way he walks, the way he talks, his expressions, his unconvincing nature; Hugo Weaving gives the near-perfect performance of a blind man. Russell Crowe exhibits great flair playing a man torn between his friendship with Hugo Weaving and his love life with Genevieve Picot.The best thing about this movie is its unique script and the way the story unfolds due to small lies and betrayal. The way every character is torn between two aspects of their life is beautifully captured by the Director. The ending is very good and the flash backs of Hugo's childhood are placed appropriately placed throughout the movie, helping to delve deeper into Hugo's character.Overall, watch this movie, as it offers a unique movie experience. To see two great actors initial movie work is sure to delight a lot of people.My Verdict: 8/10

httpmom I am not a Russell Crow fan...and while I liked Gladiator...I always thought it would have been better without Crow. That said...I have always liked Hugo Weaving and until I caught this fantastic movie on IFC last night, I thought of him as a steadfast character actor with a terrific accent. Whoa! Think A-G-A-I-N !!! "Poof" sure proved me wrong...Weaving's acting was brilliant and I can give nothing but praise and admiration to the director, Jocelyn Moorhouse for her ability to make such a gripping movie on such a small budget. This movie is all about character development and she is an obvious master at turning the written word into emotional reality. This is a B-I-G (like in red wine) movie! Hugo Weaving's character, Martin is so real you want to touch him! As for Crow...he had it all when he was younger...what the devil happened? Moorhouse is keenly adept at maneuvering your sensitivities. Right from the start you are drawn in to the story...honestly empathizing with this unusual triad of desperately lonely individuals. Nothing about this story is contrived and I think that is where it gets it's power. It's a shame this movie did not get more play but a big thank you to IFC for bringing it to my attention!

shaunfogarty if not for a film buff pal, i would have never seen this gem of a flick. the performances are excelent, the screenplay unusualy insightful and honest, and it wastes not a moment. it is also a very sexy film, in a sophisticated manner.