Una mente brillante

A Beautiful Mind

Director Ron Howard has experience in playing with his audience's heartstrings. Remember in Apollo 13, when the fate of the astronauts was uncertain? (Ok, so if you remember your recent history, you knew.... but still!) Or remember in Parenthood, when Steve Martin's kid was about to make the crucial catch? Ol Opie can still pluck those strings with the best of them. (And you know, he'll never stop being called Opie, even by those of us who never saw The Andy Griffith Show during its initial run.) And plucking heartstrings is not a bad thing at all, not when you can do it in such a sincere, noncloying way as the masterful Beautiful Mind presents to its viewers.

John Nash is a mathematics prodigy who has a decided knack at solving previously unsolvable problems. He's socially dysfunctional, rarely looking anyone in the eye, but pours all of his energy - and soul - into producing one original idea, an idea that will distinguish him from all of the other mathemathical minds at Princeton University.

But John, like most who have had movies made about them, had his ups and downs. He meets and falls for a beautiful student of his named Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), and they produce a baby. But John also suffers from tremendous delusions and is diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia's a tough disease, folks - it's still not fully understood, and Nash was diagnosed with it in the middle of last century. He spends time in a sanitarium, as doctors struggle to find a cure.

Russell Crowe is absolutely powerful as the confused and confusing Nash. Although the marquee says "Russell Crowe", you'll immediately forget this is the hunky guy from Gladiator. I mean after all, he's playing some nerdy scientist dude! But Crowe completely disappears in the role, and he's unforgettable. Actors kill for roles like this one, because it gives them a chance to show off their acting chops. For many actors, this is the kiss of death, because then they're exposed as poor thespians. But not for Crowe; if anything, this proves once and for all that he's a grand master of acting. I realize that sounds like overkill for him, but I think that when actors are labeled as a "hunk" - their skills as actors aren't seen as very substantial. Hey, looking darn good worked against Tom Selleck, and to a degree it has worked against Crowe as well.

And he ages well, too. The movie takes place over a fairly extended period of time, ending with Nash's acceptance of the Nobel Prize in 1994. The makeup on Nash is neither garish nor schmaltzy; he looks completely genuine. And that's the essence of Crowe's performance. It's sincere, never trying to win over the audience with a sly wink here or a toss of the hair there. Crowe shows remarkable poise, elegance, and is utterly astounding in the role.

His supporting cast is more than able. Jennifer Connelly is better than I thought she would be; in most roles, she's the eye candy. But this role had meat to it, and she held her own. It wasn't an easy role to play, and she pulled it off. And her scenes with Crowe do have that movie magic that each of us looks for when we go to movies, that one moment, that compatible chemistry that leaves audiences mesmerized.

And yes, this does have some very, very touching moments. The final scene, while predictable (even if you don't know the outcome in real life), will bring more than one tear to the eye. Yes, I'll admit it, it got me right here. But it's okay; I did that old 'guy-crying-in-movie-theater' trick. If you feel the brime falling from the lid, you make a motion toward your cheek and then you scratch vigorously; people might think you have a skin infection and move away slowly, but at least they won't think you're a girly man.

At any rate, it's certainly one of the best movies of the year. Everything's in place: the direction, the photography, and especially the acting.

for some unknown reasons, i almost never liked crowe until i saw this movie. He played the role so beautifully and totally absorbed into being john nash rather that just a typical Hollywood actor. I bet he must have done his homework thousand times before finally bring it to the screen. The way he walks, the way he slide himself between the gate at the abandoned warehouse where he thought was a Russian secret movement operation center, the way he talks, in fact, everything, was portrayed perfectly that it actually concealed that very russell crowe that i never actually liked.

The movie was somehow close to me as my uncle, who was a genius,also suffered from schizophrenia, but passed away years ago. I cried when nash was seen sitting on his house balcony because i remembered that was how my uncle used to sit for hours, solving puzzles. the only difference is that, nash had all the chances and supports from peers and the society but my uncle never did. It was a shame.

Connelly was good as ever, and she had always seen carrying this type of role. Loving yet not so mushy, smart yet vulnerable at time.

Despites all the comments about the movie not being so realistic and not really based on the facts of Nash, i still think it deserves one the of the most beautiful movies i had ever watched.

Ed Harris, Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, and Paul Bettany were terrific.

The film had great balance and is worth a viewing.

The story boldly addresses mental illness as a handicap.

Because of the quality of the acting and directing, this movie is a beacon of hope for people of all disabilities. The film illustrates to the viewer how deeply a handicap can infiltrate the domestic, professional, and personal lives of those unfortunate to have these types of issues. I hope Ron Howard and the acting crew can get together again for something similar. This was a great film, that also serves an important role for awareness to people that might not understand how deeply debilitating these issues can be, and also gets the message across that not all should be marginalized.

I went along to the movies not really wanting to see this movie, thinking it was a 'girly' movie, one which had more technical skill rather than a storyline. I was surprised more than anything I could imagine.

I have seen a lot of movies in my time, but this movie just took me by storm. Its uniqueness, ironically enough because it was based on a real life situation was a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood blockbuster. This movie provided a brilliant (pardon the pun) insight into many aspects of a genius at work.

This movie touched me on many levels. The psychology of the movie was intriguing, the mathematical philosophies was actually realistic from my own experience, and the icing on the cake making the movie stand out was surprisingly the humanistic side of Love. While love is a common basis in most movies, the interaction of this theme with other aspects of the plot was planned phenomenlly.

As for the cast, I have never noticed the actual difference in skill between many actors/actresses before. I like Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise etc, but I wouldn't be able to pinpoint a classic actor's performance. But Russell Crowe in this film showed me what it was like to act in a way where I was in awe of his skill in playing this character, especially when considering the extreme difference from characters in his other movies such as the Gladiator and The Insider. Russell Crowe was one of the big reasons this movie was so brilliant. Added to that the stellar performances of Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris and Adam Goldberg, and this made for the 'perfect' movie.

A Beautiful Mind was by far the most original, intelligent and entertaining movie I have ever seen. And this from a movie I didn't expect big things from. Kudos to Ron Howard, the cast and the crew of this movie. It was truly worthy of the Oscar, and Russell Crowe was definately the most deserving of this production team to miss out on the highest accolade. Perhaps politics played a bigger part than I previously would have thought.

John Nash is something of a mathematical wizard. Constantly searching for something with which to make his name, he finds his calling by code breaking for the government. But with that comes a sense of paranoia and pretty soon John is sliding desperately into schizophrenia.

There is a school of thought that says any decent film about the mentally ill or afflicted is a sure fire way to attract the awards givers. Personally it bothers me that it bothers me that people view these films in this demeaning manner. If a story is worth telling then lets get it out there for all to see. Would the cinema world and all those stuffy film lovers really be happy if film makers didn't tell these remarkable stories? A Beautiful Mind is one such picture that divides opinions, although exemplary made and well put together, it doesn't adhere quite to the facts of Nash's life-it's an interpretation that smooths out the drama by way of delivering a safe and watchable biography. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning four for Best Film, Best Director {Ron Howard}, Best Supporting Actress {Jennifer Connelly} and Best Adapted Screenplay {Akiva Goldsman adapting from the book by Sylvia Nash}. Yet as great as that roll call is, the big surprise is the omission of a win for Russell Crowe in the Best Actor category. For as tidy and engrossing as the film is, and it is folks, it's because of the big Kiwi that the film breaks free of your standard emotional heart tugger. It's a superlative performance from Crowe and him not winning is probably more to do with his much publicised dust up at the BAFTAS a few weeks before the Oscar ceremony: than his undoubted acting ability.

The film as a whole should not be viewed as a representation of John Nash's life, many important things from Sylvia Nash's book have been omitted. But crucially it's important to note that in making this film, the makers have brought Nobel Prize winner Nash to the public's attention, whilst simultaneously giving awareness to the sadness of those suffering with schizophrenia. OK, so it's far from perfect in its portrayal of Nash the man, but ultimately the cinematic world is a far better place when the likes of A Beautiful Mind are being made and the film lovers are flocking to see it. And then some. 8/10