There are many times in my life when I have wanted to succeed - maybe with a special girl, maybe playing sports, maybe in the classroom or maybe doing something that had the capacity to inspire the entire world. When these thoughts ultimately wove themselves into fantasies, I would daydream.
For John Nash, a brilliant mathematician struggling in what he finds a largely indecipherable world, such grand visions prove the basis for "A Beautiful Mind."
If you see no other movie this winter, you should see this one. "A Beautiful Mind" has enough of everything to be creative, humorous, inspiring and most importantly, entertaining.
In an age of blockbuster scripts and surprise endings, this story manages to unfold in a way that even the most jaded viewer wouldn't expect. Screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, working from a biography by Sylvia Nasar, has created a script that provides us with a few important and even jolting surprises.
Nash (Russell Crowe) is a brilliant math student at Princeton University with absolutely no social graces. Only later do we find out that his social failures come from his mental illness and his desire to be recognized as special.
"A Beautiful Mind" is more than a movie about a single character. It is a movie about inner conflict, faithfulness, frustration, courage and true love. As you get to know this man (and know him you will), you will be amazed at what he has to go through just to have a life with his family. Watching the movie, I found myself caught up in the story beyond the big-screen, the history of Nash himself and the times he survived.
Crowe is the most important part of this movie. His performance alone could justify the film becoming a classic. Through Crowe's performance we are able to understand and empathize with Nash. Perhaps it is not simply that Crowe finds himself with an inexplicable character to embody, it is that he does not let any of the intricacies or facets slip through his fingers.
Whatever our expectations might have been, Crowe certainly does not disappoint us. He brings to the table key elements of Nash's personality: eccentricity, passion, arrogance, brilliance, a sense of humor, creativity, romance, courage, weakness, dedication and ultimately, humility. Already tormented by his painful and socially awkward entrance into Princeton, we see his fragile ego when he loses a game against one of his classmates early in the film. Crowe captures the intricacies of Nash's character. Beyond simply being an actor, he becomes the man.
Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) is not only Nash's love interest. We feel for her as much as we feel for Nash. "A Beautiful Mind" is Connelly's biggest role to date, and judging by her tremendous performance, I do not know why it took her this long to break into the Hollywood scene.
The list of excellent supporting actors parallels the talent of the leads. Ed Harris is remarkable as Parcher, a quasi-secret agent who promises to protect Nash as he begins a difficult assignment for the United States government. His assertive style makes him a convincing covert taskmaster. Paul Bettany makes us laugh as Nash's laid back college roommate Charles. Both roles are rather complicated, even uncharted territory, but they add so much depth and beauty to the story that they deserve special mention.
Ron Howard and the editors, Mike Hill and Dan Hanley, do a fantastic job of providing just the right pace for this film. There are so many sequences that convey time passing by quickly. We never lose the meaning of those moments, and we never are bored. Despite the significant length of time covered by the film, the most crucial events of Nash's life are given their due attention.
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Viewers leave the theater feeling as though they have indeed just read Nasar's biography. Nash not only is a character onscreen, but a friend.
Thanks to Roger Deakins, the cinematography is stunning and one manner in which the true sorrow and beauty of the situation can be conveyed. Late in the movie, there is a shot of Nash sitting in a chair, holding his newborn, utterly lost in his illness. Finding myself brought to tears, I understood more than any narration could possibly have explained. If you have never known someone with Nash's affliction, this film certainly will open your eyes.
"A Beautiful Mind" probably will be nominated for several academy awards, Best Picture being one of them. It is the best film of 2001 that I have seen so far - a seamless work.
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