Proof (2005)

Catherine (Gwyneth Paltrow): I saw you at my dad’s office once, do you remember?
Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal): I can’t believe you remember that.
Catherine: I remember you. I thought that you seemed…not boring.

"I feel like I could crack open, like an egg, or one of those really smelly French cheeses that ooze when you cut them.
- Catherine

A brilliant mathematician, Robert (Anthony Hopkins) spends the last 3 years of his life in an unstable mental state, but breaks through with occasional coherence. His daughter (Gwyneth Paltrow), a sharp mathematician in her own right, takes care of him during those difficult years. When he dies, she becomes friends with, and then lover to Hal (Jake Gyllenhaal), her dad’s last PhD student. After Robert’s death, Catherine reveals a stack of notebooks scrawled by her father, all containing nonsense formulas. But there is one other notebook. It looks like all the rest, but it contains a possibly groundbreaking proof – and Catherine claims to have written it. Part rom-com, part sibling drama, part A Beautiful Mind (2001) – in fact, the original play was based on the life of John Nash, who was also the subject of A Beautiful Mind. It has moments of pure charm and tension, and also a little bit of repetitive dialogue, especially in the early scenes with Catherine and her sister Claire (Hope Davis). But Paltrow’s perfect performance (reprising the role she played on stage in London’s West End) papers over any cracks. Rating: 3 of 4 reviewed 4 Nov 2007

"The emotional heft of Proof is considerable, even with some problems inadequately worked out."
- Susan Walker (Toronto Star)

"[Paltrow's] is a performance that redeems everything else about this film, and allows for the hope that there will be many more to come in this gifted actress' career."
- Kenneth Turan (Los Angeles Times)

"Jake Gyllenhaal brings a certain geeky sweetness and enthusiasm to his role as Hal. There's also genuine chemistry between him and Gwyneth..."
- Matthew Turner (ViewLondon)