A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris; d. Ron Howard; A

John Forbes Nash, Jr., is every filmmakers's wet dream: An important figure in history who won the Nobel Peace Prize for a mathematical theory developed in college which proved to be helpful in economics (among other things); a struggling genius whose search for a "truly original idea" brought him attention and acclaim but also made him eternally frustrated; a man of distance whose determination to his work often resulted in a lack of proper communication between other people; but, more importantly, a total screw in the head.

In other words, John Forbes Nash, Jr., is a walking Oscar . He's a Jake LaMotta with a knack for numbers with a little bit of Forrest Gump inside that Mozart's brain of his.

But unlike many of these walking Oscar tales, there's something that sets A Beautiful Mind apart: The fact that it's actually Oscar-worthy. Without a doubt A Beautiful Mind is one of the best and most well-crafted (though not flawless) films of the year. This is an unflinching (at least on Hollywood terms) account of a man driven insane by his ambition and his work, and a man driven to work and ambition by insanity. It is not just one of the many perfunctory "biographies" that choose to string together important events without adding any insight into the person being portrayed. The decision not to meticuously recreate certain events in Nash's life proved to be a wise decision, rich for artistic freedom. The filmmakers may not have taken full advantage of that freedom, yet what they do with Nash's life results in a very fulfilling portrayal.

Russell Crowe truly deserves the most acclaim for his work in this film, more proof than necessary that he is indeed a talented actor. It's easy (and downright horrific) to think of what disasters would have happened had A Beautiful Mind been given to porky actors such as Carrey or Hanks. No one's ears would have been safe from the abundance of yelling, screaming, and preaching that would have gone on during the duration of A Beautiful Mind, not to mention the painfully obvious convulsions, ticks, and crazed movements actors must've learned in basic textbook training. Then again, there are elements of Crowe's performance that could be classified as classic ham, even though playing someone like Nash can't go without those "hammy" elements. What set Crowe's performance apart from those potential ones from Hanks and the like is that he plays it with a quiet intensity that outlines the nuances of his character. He is the best thing about this movie, and delivers one of the best, if not the best, male performances of the year.

Jennifer Connelly is good as Alicia, an outgoing student of Nash's who later becomes his wife. Yet for a film that takes its dear time developing the character of Nash, it never takes the time to develop Alicia, a very important character in this story. Connelly tries as best as she can to fill in the gaps left in the script with her character, but she alone cannot explain why Alicia falls in love with Nash, why Alicia stays with Nash throughout his decent into mental illness, or even who Alicia is (for all we know she could be one of Nash's many hallucinations, and, given her lack of development, I almost believed that she was). Ed Harris is noticeable here as William Parcher, a mysterious government agent who pulls Nash into a web of government conspiracy, but his role is nothing more than the foreboding Man in Black act that he did in The Truman Show and countless of other films. One person who seems not to have gotten enough praise for his performance is Paul Bettany as Charles, Nash's Princeton roommate. He's everything his performance requires him to be: Charming, eccentric, every dejected nerd's dream of a best friend, charismatic enough to convince the audience of his being such a good friend to Nash.

The script by Akiva Goldsman is excellent, yet, like so many other films this year, it both excells and suffers from its use of plot gimmicks, which serve as a somewhat conventional way of making the audience comprehend Nash's schizophrenia. These gimmicks are certainly clever but are nearly a misfire. When the gig is revealed in the second half of the film, the first is rendered nearly rediculous, far-fetched, and confusing. This isn't helped by the lack of further directorial input by Ron Howard, who had in his power the ablitity to make things seem clearer and more plausable. However, instead of deeper interpritation he left the script, for the most part, as is. The script's lowest point is moat certainly its purely Hollywood dialouge, so familliar that I frequently tuned out what was being said and focused more on the emotions the actors were trying to convey (which could be a good thing).

Howard's direction should not be overlooked, though, thanks to his exceptional direction of the cast and his use of visuals. Letters, people, and other objects are highlighted, cameras whiz around, and mysterious sounds are heard so that we get the full visual scope of Nash's mentality, from his schizophrenia to his mathematical genius.

Musical input by James Horner makes up for the lack of insight by Howard... Too much, as a matter of fact. It's a beautiful score, yes, but boat boy feels the need to chime in at the most inappropriate places (luckily, unlike some people who got the honor to score a story about a certain young wizard, he knows when to stop). Roger Deakins, who impressed audiences a few months ago with The Man Who Wasn't There, delivers again with flattering cinematography, and costumes by Rita Ryack are also notable.

A Beautiful Mind is one of the most satisfying movie going experiences of the year. Its flaws only become noticable in retrospect, mostly because the film engages you so much as you are watching it. Crowe's performance should be the main reason anyone goes to see this movie, if anything, as both he and this movie are no doubt sure fire Oscar contenders.