Good Will Hunting

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wanted to create decent roles for themselves before their careers started to take off, so they wrote a screenplay which eventually ended up with director Gus van Sant, who's made a tremendously engaging film of Good Will Hunting.

It's about a young working class South Bronx orphan, Will Hunting (Matt Damon) who's actually a genius; but instead of attending classes at the Massachussetts Institute of Technology, he's cleaning the corridors. Mischievously and secretively he solves an intricate maths problem which Professor Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) has posed on a blackboard for his pupils. By the time Lambeau discovers who solved his problem it's nearly too late because Will is in trouble with the police. He's released because of Lambeau's intervention, but only on the condition that he has a weekly counselling session.

Enter psychologist Sean McGuire (Robin Williams). The relationship between these two men, both emotionally scarred, is the heart of the film.This is certainly one of Robin Williams best dramatic performances. Matt Damon is a hot young star at the moment and this film will only make the steam start to rise. Minnie Driver plays the girl in Will's life with her own British accent which strangely sounded phonier than her pretend American accent in other films. Ben Affleck plays Will's best mate who proves to be a real friend, and Ben's brother Casey is also one of the South Boston gang.

This is Gus van Sant's most mainstream film; he's handled it with great sensitivity, there are some beautifully delicate moments in Good Will Hunting. It's to Van Sant's credit that it doesn't present as predictably and obviously as it could in lesser hands. This is a very easy film to enjoy.