Russell Crowe stars as a mathamatical genious, who is nervous and very clumsy around people. The movie opens with him at a prestigous college, where he is surronded by other students, trying to get thier theories published.
Crowe's character has a difficult time grasping normalcy, and refuses to show up to class, because he beleives he is wasting his time. His professors don't agree with the way he aproaches school, and although they think he has potenetial, they won't give him the time or day until he produces something.
It takes time, but everyone finally reolizes that Crowes genious theories are far ahead of the rest of them, and he finally graduates and gets a great job. He then falls in love with one of his students, who finds his quarkiness sort of charming.
Then the plot thickens: Do not read ahead until you have seen this film.
[SPOILER - highlight to read]: Crowe is approached to try to break difficult government codes, which would foil Russias plans to unleash the Atom Bomb. It's not long before the Russians are chasing Crowe with bullets flying. Crowe tells his wife she must run away to stay alive, and he cannot say why because it is top secret.
Crowe is constantly being chased, and when he is finally caught, the men claim to be doctors. He is brought in, and told that he is skitzofrenic, and that his mind made up that he was being chased by Russians, and that he wasn't working on a government project. He was just a teacher at a college.
Crowe, and his wife then spend many years dealing with the horrors of skezofrenia. Crowe must come to terms with it, and accept it.
This is truly a masterpiece movie. It deals with very emotional issues, and is solid througout. Russel Crowe gives the performance of his career. This is the best movie I've seen since Traffic.
(*** out of four) Oscar Contender: (Best Picture, Best Director-Ron Howard, Best Actor-Russel Crowe, Best Supporting Acress-Jennifer Connley)
Gender: Unspecified Location: Berlin, but soon moving t
Is there a logical reason that you hate him? I like Crowe very much, he's blunt and open-minded, unlike most Hollywood film stars that say what the dollar wants them to.
Sure, the son of a ***** won last year for Gladiator, ROBBING Tom Hanks for Cast Away. But he's still one of the best actors working right now.
His performace in this picture is flawless. Even if you hate him, go see this movie, Machine. I hate Kevin Costner, and Tom Cruise, but they've been in great movies.
Crowe carries this film. He was much better in this than he was in "The Insider", and much better than he was in "Gladiator".
He should win Best Actor Oscar, but probably won't, because he won last year.
CAUTUION: SPOILERS I liked the movie. I wouldn't go as far as to call it a masterpiece. Crowe will be a Oscar nominee for sure! For a second there In the movie, I thought I was experiencing a 'Vanilla Sky' moment. With the real/not real bit. Crowe was very likable in the movie, I thought the movie was funnier then that crap 'The Royal Tenennbaums'! It had alot of funny moments, and dramatic moments, and that scence with the baby and when he rips his wrist open had my heart racing! A great movie, I give it a A-!
i stiill hate gladiator but i actually found this movie to be good not really great but a 81/2 out of 10 it made me cry that is always a good sign of a good movie russel crowe was actually a good actor in this one ,its a must see movie bring tissues
__________________ The Sweet Is Never As Sweet , Without The Bitter.
I don't think I can sit thought it just because of that manner of speaking that he has...plus I read that there's some huuuuuuuuuuuuge bit of his life that they just chose to totally delete..like his homosexuality or his illegetimate son. It what I've read it's very loosely based on his life.
Okay I saw it..and it's basically what I thought..okay but not specactular.. Jennifer Connelly did really well...and so was Russell Crowe..but it wasn't at all awe inspiring.. just a movie.
No actually I can see why they didn't go into that..and I think that what they did handle was quite enough..
and I'm not slamming the movie..I just think it didn't quite get there so in the "Wow, I'm moved" catagory... I think there's alot of other movies this year that deserve the Oscar more than this one..
I agree with Dim. It's a well made film, but not Oscar material. I think Jennifer Connely was great, but she does not deserve an Oscar, and after the Golden Globes, she probably will get one. It doesn't deserve best picture eiter, but it did win the Golden Globe. Russel Crowe does deserve an Oscar though, although I hear Billy Bod is amazing in Monsters Ball! But all in all, it just goes to show, many smaller films are blown out of the water by the big studio pics
They SHOULD be blown out of the water by a film such as this.
Tex, I obviously had no part in the movie, so this isn't some kind of self-promotion. Everyone needs to see this movie. It is very important. I think everyone can learn something from this picture.