Proof (2005)

A second appearance from Anthony Hopkins in my viewing schedules within a few days, but a much more convincing one, although his role was in many ways a minor one and he only appeared periodically throughout the film -- mainly because he died a few days before the start and only appears in flashbacks and in his daughter's imagination.   It's actually a Gwyneth Paltrow vehicle and while I have never doubted her talent, I can't say that I've ever looked forward to watching her go through her paces.  Yet she is convincing enough here as the dutiful daughter who looked after her father (Hopkins) -- once a brilliant mathematician but hopelessly lost to mental illness -- for the last five years, at the expense of her own career.  She may have inherited his intellectual capabilities, but she fears she is also prone to the same mental weaknesses.  In what is basically a four-hander,  one of the other two characters is a young teacher searching through Hopkins' papers in the hope of finding a gem; Jake Gyllenhaal plays this self-confessed nerd who starts a not very convincing romance with Paltrow.  The final role is taken by Hope Davis as Paltrow's insensitive elder sister who tries to take command of the situation and Paltrow's future.  This film was adapted for the screen by David Auburn from his own stage play and despite some opening-out, it does come across as a filmed drama.  Still the story was involving, if not completely fascinating, and the overall level of acting was sufficient to justify one's time.