A Beautiful Mind Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)January 14th, 2002
A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001) / ****
Directed by Ron Howard. Screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, based on the book by Sylvia Nasar. Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris. Running time: 135 minutes. Rated AA for mature subject matter by the MFCB. Reviewed on January 13th, 2001.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: This is the story of John Nash (Crowe), a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician who got his start at Princeton in the late 1940s. Despite his peculiar mannerisms and obsession with his work, Nash finds success both professionally and personally, eventually wedding the beautiful Alicia (Connelly). Shortly thereafter, however, Nash is approached by a shadowy figure named Parcher (Harris) to do code-breaking work for the government -- an event which precipitates Nash's descent into madness and isolation.
Review: "A Beautiful Mind" is a powerful examination of the thin line between genius and madness, and the effect that crossing that line can have on others. Crowe offers another stunning performance as Nash, reaching perhaps a new milestone in a career already encompassing such accomplishments as his roles in "L.A. Confidential" and "The Insider". Crowe portrays Nash as being awkward enough that his descent into madness is neither immediately obvious, nor entirely surprising. At the same time, the man's genius and fundamental goodness are evident as well: Nash is not some sideshow freak, but rather a figure whom we can both respect and care about. Howard's direction is excellent. Wisely, through the first half of the film he treats Nash's delusions as if they actually were real, greatly enhancing the audience appreciation of what he is enduring. Only in retrospect do the events Nash imagines really seem far-fetched; up to that point, they do not seem particularly out-of-keeping with Cold War-era America, and certainly not in a cinematic portrayal of that period. "A Beautiful Mind" avoids the soppy sentimentality which often burdens this kind of film; it is a fascinating and sobering depiction of the life of a brilliant man and the debilitating illness which never quite succeeded in bringing him down. "A Beautiful Mind" is a beautiful movie.
Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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