A Beautiful Mind (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Well, he won the Best Actor Oscar last yr. for Gladiator, and now Russell Crowe looks to double-up in 'A Beautiful Mind', directed by Ron Howard. Crowe plays Princeton University Professor John Forbes Nash Jr., a math prodigy who's able to solve problems (cryptography) that has baffled the greatest of minds; leading to his winning of a Noble Prize! But just when his acclaimed career & marriage were taking flight, his life plunged into a nightmare. Stricken with schizophrenia, this film shows the ups & downs of Nash's wild life (including helping breaking Soviet codes for the U.S. government). 'ABM' is a wonderful piece of entertainment. The story is gripping ... both joyous & sad. And the acting is stunning.
We first meet Nash as a student at Princeton. He's brilliant alright, but erratic. A math whiz with almost no social skills {I know people like him}. His time at Princeton is tough, but he makes it through thanks to his dorm mate, Charles (a great Paul Bettany). The story then jumps many yrs. later after Nash's astounding career breakthrough. Revolutionizing economics, he's able to break said Soviet codes in working for agent William Parcher (Ed Harris). At this time, he meets, falls in love with, & marries Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). This seemingly happy story doesn't last, though; as John becomes afflicted with hallucinations. And a Dr. Rosen (a solid Christopher Plummer) is eventually able to pinpoint Nash's severe condition ... schizophrenia.
The 1st half of the film nicely sets-up the 2nd half. Though he isn't overly likeable, the younger Nash is still admirable. Later, the segments in which he's involved in a horrifying conspiracy plot (over the Soviet codes) is interestingly told. And the marriage btwn. he & Alicia (during the height of his illness) is truly heartwarming. It is with Alicia's unwavering help, love, & devotion that Nash is able to recover 'any' mental strength, at all; leading him to the man he is today. Overall, the film is very well written, & meticulously laid-out (with embellishments here & there for cinematic purposes). The plot is not difficult to follow, the cinematography is not groundbreaking, but 'ABM' offers a highly intriguing story, & it's a crowd-pleaser, for sure.
As mentioned, Crowe is superb. It can’t be easy to convey schizophrenia onscreen, but he does so with effortless control & utmost believability; watching him battle his inner demons is something to behold. Every mannerism, tick, jab, ramble-of-the-mouth seems spot on -- he's just got it. Jennifer Connelly is not only gorgeous in this, but her portrayal is almost as difficult as Crowe's. Bereft at her husband's condition, the unfortunate situation, loving him, fearing him, & nuturing him ... she handles the role exceptionally well. Ron Howard does a nice job directing some difficult material. Does it dip into sentimentality? A little, yes. But all that can be excused when the rest of the movie is as intuitive, as smart, & as faithful to its source material as it is. Who wouldn't want to watch a story where the human spirit triumphs over such adversity? Great film.
We first meet Nash as a student at Princeton. He's brilliant alright, but erratic. A math whiz with almost no social skills {I know people like him}. His time at Princeton is tough, but he makes it through thanks to his dorm mate, Charles (a great Paul Bettany). The story then jumps many yrs. later after Nash's astounding career breakthrough. Revolutionizing economics, he's able to break said Soviet codes in working for agent William Parcher (Ed Harris). At this time, he meets, falls in love with, & marries Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). This seemingly happy story doesn't last, though; as John becomes afflicted with hallucinations. And a Dr. Rosen (a solid Christopher Plummer) is eventually able to pinpoint Nash's severe condition ... schizophrenia.
The 1st half of the film nicely sets-up the 2nd half. Though he isn't overly likeable, the younger Nash is still admirable. Later, the segments in which he's involved in a horrifying conspiracy plot (over the Soviet codes) is interestingly told. And the marriage btwn. he & Alicia (during the height of his illness) is truly heartwarming. It is with Alicia's unwavering help, love, & devotion that Nash is able to recover 'any' mental strength, at all; leading him to the man he is today. Overall, the film is very well written, & meticulously laid-out (with embellishments here & there for cinematic purposes). The plot is not difficult to follow, the cinematography is not groundbreaking, but 'ABM' offers a highly intriguing story, & it's a crowd-pleaser, for sure.
As mentioned, Crowe is superb. It can’t be easy to convey schizophrenia onscreen, but he does so with effortless control & utmost believability; watching him battle his inner demons is something to behold. Every mannerism, tick, jab, ramble-of-the-mouth seems spot on -- he's just got it. Jennifer Connelly is not only gorgeous in this, but her portrayal is almost as difficult as Crowe's. Bereft at her husband's condition, the unfortunate situation, loving him, fearing him, & nuturing him ... she handles the role exceptionally well. Ron Howard does a nice job directing some difficult material. Does it dip into sentimentality? A little, yes. But all that can be excused when the rest of the movie is as intuitive, as smart, & as faithful to its source material as it is. Who wouldn't want to watch a story where the human spirit triumphs over such adversity? Great film.