A Beautiful Mind (Widescreen
Awards Edition) starring Russell
Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly,
Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany
It's What's "Inside", That "Counts "
A Beautiful Mind manages to twist enough pathos out of John Nashs
incredible life story to redeem an at-times goofy portrayal of schizophrenia.
Russell Crowe tackles the role with characteristic fervor, playing the Nobel
prize-winning mathematician from his days at Princeton, where he
developed a groundbreaking economic theory, to his meteoric rise to the
cover of Forbes magazine and an MIT professorship, and on through to his
eventual dismissal due to schizophrenic delusions. Of course, it is the
delusions that fascinate director Ron Howard and, predictably, go astray.
Nashs other world, populated as it is by a maniacal Department of Defense
agent (Ed Harris), an imagined college roommate who seems straight out
of Dead Poets Society, and an orphaned girl, is so fluid and scriptlike as to
make the viewer wonder if schizophrenia is really as slick as depicted.
Crowes physical intensity drags us along as he works admirably to carry
the film on his considerable shoulders. No doubt the story of Nashs
amazing will to recover his life without the aid of medication is a worthy
one, his eventual triumph heartening. Unfortunately, Howards flashy style
is unable to convey much of it. --Fionn Meade
This film is based on the life of John Nash, the brilliant, Nobel winning
mathematician and his extraordinary relationship with his wife, Alicia. I use
the words `based on' deliberately as the film significantly strays from actual
events and brings the spirit of Nash's life to the screen rather than being a
true-to-life biopic. For those who want to learn more, I suggest Sylvia
Nasar's book `The Beautiful Mind', which was also the source for the film. I
do not want to say too much about the plot as if you have not yet seen the
film, it will spoil the effect. The film attempts to put you inside Nash's head
and experience events just as he did. For me, it worked extremely well. Try
not to find out too much beforehand if you want to savour the full effect.
Rest assured, however, that the film is very much about the human story of
Nash and his devoted wife. The math, whilst integrated into the film in a
variety of innovative and entertaining ways - the explanation of game
theory has never been more interesting - remains in the background. The
acting is superb: Russell Crow is revelatory in the role and how he missed
out on an Oscar is hard to fathom. Jennifer Connelly did win an Oscar for
her performance as Nash's wife, and the film also took best picture, best
screenplay, and best director awards. They were well deserved. For a
thoughtful, deeply moving, and incredibly inspiring film: this is it. If you
manage to watch it without knowing too much about the contents
beforehand, it can also be disorientating as well - just as Nash experienced
his life.
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