MovieChat Forums > Proof (1992) Discussion > Best Movie You Never Saw.

Best Movie You Never Saw.


period

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True, this really is a great movie. I saw it back in '91 when I was studying at Melbourne Uni. None of my friends back in Europe ever saw this, and they couldn't understand my fascination with Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe. That's all changed now, though...

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I also saw it back in 91 and loved it !
I remember having noticed Russell Crowe because he really has a strong presence in the movie !
I have seen it again recently and I find Russell so young looking compared to 6 years later when he played L.A Confidential !
He is also smiling a lot in the movie which is rarely the case in his most recent movies !

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um I nver saw this movie, what is it about? I'd like to see it

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None of my friends back in Europe ever saw this, and they couldn't understand my fascination with Hugo Weaving and Russell Crowe. That's all changed now, though...

I of course know who Russell Crowe is, but I clicked Hugo Weaving's name to see why he would be better known by now.

Wow, never even recognized him as Agent Smith from the Matrix movies.



You got your pint, you got your pig snacks, what more do you want?

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Best movie ending ever! Last minute says it all!

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Elvis Mitchell has a nice retrospective review of this movie at the NY Times website. One of the questions he asks is "What happened to Jocelyn Moorehouse?" I looked on the Imdb listing for her, and indeed it's sort of hard to figure out her trail. I wish she would direct again because I liked so much of what she did.

Her framing of the actors seemed always to include a bit of background...not many of those extreme close-ups that contribute little to the feel of the movie. Having a bit of the set in the shots seemed to keep the movie grounded.

She paid great attention to detail. At one point, Andy describes a picture for Martin saying something like "Old bag holding hand of ugly child." The reference to "old bag" returns again when Andy looks at the snapshot of Celia. And then I wonder if it reprises silently in the park scene when Andy sees the two older women having a picnic and laughing. He gets the briefest smirk on his face as he looks at them. Is one of them the "old bag?"

I've only seen Hugo Weaving as the villain and the elf lord. He doesn't smile much. It's the same for Crowe as one of the previous posts notes. But it was fun to see them laugh uproariously after the fiasco at the drive-in.

Oh well...see it if you can. You may have to search for it though. I could only find one rental copy of the VHS in a town of 750,000.

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Jocelyn Moorhouse is currently reteaming with Russell Crowe in an adaptation of Eucalyptus; I think filming has wrapped, you can check details elsewhere on IMDb. (If you haven't already...this was an old post.)I agree her touch is highly nuanced and brilliant. The only other director who makes such interesting use of middle distance in composing shots that I can think of right off is Stanley Kubrick, and his style was otherwise very different. But both keep the viewer at a distance, making them observe surroundings and reactions instead of spoonfeeding them emotional hints.

I'm posting about Proof now because I just received my DVD copy (finally!) I'm hoping others will join back in the conversation now that it's available. It's a brilliant, undervalued film. (I won't say "Best Of All Time" because I've found composing such imaginary lists and rankings is pointless and futile.)

I first saw this film in 1992 in an arthouse. I think I was the only person in the theater. I'd been stood up by a then-boyfriend, and found the film's depiction of a poisonous, dependant relationship so chilling in my circumstance that I neglected the film for 12 years. Stupid reason, I know. Then I became a Hugo Weaving fan, and was reminded of his lead performance in this film, so I nervously rented a library copy and watched it again. I'd completely forgotten about the humor and hopeful outcome of the film. The acting and psychological portraits remain devastating and timeless. I hope more people get to see it...
(I'm a bit worried David Auburn's play of the same name, now filmed with Gwyneth Paltrow, will create confusion...)

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Jocelyn Moorhouse is currently reteaming with Russell Crowe in an adaptation of Eucalyptus;

Hugo Weaving is also rumored to be joining the film, according to a source close to Crowe, or Crowe himself. A real reunion all the way!

If anything, the confusion with the other "Proof" film can only serve to make more people aware that this older film even exists. There's not been much advertising at all about this release and I couldn't even find it in any stores after it was released, like no one thought it would be worth bothering to have in stock on the shelves. So I had to order my copy online.

This film deserves more recognition, which it may eventually get once Eucalyptus comes out.

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Hugo Weaving joining the cast of Eucalyptus?! I'll be overjoyed if that's true...no word about this on IMDb or any other film sites I frequent, but they're often a bit behind in information. I've seen copies of Proof at larger chain bookstores like Borders, but preordered mine online. But I do pretend to examine the DVD in stores, comment on the film favorably to nearby friends, etc. As you say, not enough publicity. And given that Russell Crowe is such a major star and even his presence in this isn't getting it a lot of recognition, you can only imagine it is trying to find other early Hugo Weaving films that DON'T happen to costar Russell Crowe. But with or without Weaving, Eucalyptus promises to be interesting. Great to see Crowe doing a small, character-driven film again; I always thought he excelled the most in those, not big-budget spectacles...

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Production of Eucalyptus was halted after rehearsals but before principal photography was begun.

Script problems cited...but since Moorhouse was the writer, and the actors are quoted saying the script was complete, one wonders what the deal was, and who was really unhappy (the studio Fox Searchlight? RC?).

The novelist on whose book the movie is based (whose name escapes me now) and Moorhouse are said to be putting their heads together. Kidmanr filming commitments in April.

Doesn't look good. Very dispoointing as Moorhouse is an interesting and under-represented director.

I loved Proof, saw it years ago at the Chicago Film Festival. I'm so happy the DVD is finally out! Weaving impressed me, as did Crowe. Seeing Rusty in this film and in Romper Stomper in the same year (92?) got my attention.

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Yeah, I've been following the whole Eucalyptus mess. Appears Russell Crowe sabotaged it because he wanted his role enlarged. He's a great actor, but this isn't the first time I've heard about him trying to strong-arm his director to get his own profile raised. All the actors but Crowe have said in the press that the script was fine and they were ready to go. Weaving took pains to defend his director and costar Nicole Kidman. The novel was written by Murray Bail, and I'm glad he's trying to help salvage things, as I personally find writing more critical to a film's success than presence of high-profile movie stars.

I do hope Eucalyptus still gets filmed; Crowe would be good in the role he's slated for, but needs to stop interfering and attempting to enlarge his role beyond what it was in the book. He needs to remember his roots in Australian film, when he served the production rather than vice versa. Like Proof, Eucalyptus is an ensemble film, not a star vehicle; that's why it sounded so intriguing.

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I saw "Proof" in 1992 at the York Theatre in Toronto, as I recall. I quite enjoyed it.



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I first saw it in 1992 as well, and remember being the only one in the theater! It holds up very well. I hadn't seen it in many years before renting it in 2004 and found it very moving and insightful (and wonderfully acted) all over again. I have the DVD now; it finally came out last year.

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It was good.

Thank God for IFC (Independent Film Channel).

I've seen so many movies I otherwise would never have had the pleasure to watch because I never would have known about them. Their Short Film Collection series is a grab bag of unusual treats too.

Movies that I first saw on IFC:

-Proof

-Manny & Lo

-Passion In The Desert

-Gummo

-Ghost World

-Jesus' Son

-Paperhouse

-Crawlspace

-Monster

-House Of A 1000 Corpses

-Vernon, Florida

-The Station Agent



You got your pint, you got your pig snacks, what more do you want?

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Thank God for IFC (Independent Film Channel).


So true. I never really watched it before, but I've seen some great and/or interesting movies lately.

Proof
The Princess and the Warrior
Dark Blue World
The Station Agent
Shadow of China
Johnny Stecchino
The Dancer Upstairs
The Cooler
Jet Lag
The Sleeping Dictionary
Before Night Falls


"Tessie" is the Royal Rooters rally cry.
"Tessie" is the tune they always sung.

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Yes.

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Yeah I have just seen it, great movie and good acting well worth the watch: 7.5/10

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