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Review

Two parts biopic and one part fairy tale, this real-life drama about Australian pianist David Helfgott's triumph over a lifetime of mental illness and his subsequent return to the stage is as inspiring as it is well-crafted. Told as flashback, the film's narrative walks through the three stages of Helfgott's life: A young prodigy (Rafalowicz) driven by his stern Holocaust survivor father (Mueller-Stahl); a troubled but brilliant teen (Taylor) who struggles to break free of his father's influence; and finally the broken adult (Rush) who has fallen into a mental collapse that includes endless rapid-fire mumbling. While Shine necessarily walks the fine clichéd line of the typical victory-over-adversity tale, Taylor and Oscar winner Rush's dazzling portrayals, director Hicks' acute attention to detail and the rousing use of Rachmaninov's "Piano Concerto No. 3" make this an emotionally satisfying winner.