Ron Howard's Best Film Since Apollo 13

Rating: 9/10 (20 February 2016)

A Beautiful Mind is directed by Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe as John Nash, a brilliant man that attended Princeton during the late 1940's and early 1950's. He is eventually recruited, in secret, by the government, to break codes involving an atomic bomb hidden somewhere in Europe. Soon after, things take a psychological twist, leaving John to wonder what's real, and what's not. Now, I can't talk about this movie too much in depth, because there's a plot twist about halfway through that I don't want to spoil, but I'll still review it.
To start with some pros, this movie is amazingly directed, much like Ron Howard's other films. It also looks great, with an ever changing cinematography based on the decade the setting is currently in. The movie is mostly set in the 50's, but it also shows some time in the 40's, 70's, and 90's as well, and all these time periods are very distinguishable from one another, thanks to the cinematography and directing.
Also, the acting is amazing. Russell Crowe as John Nash is a perfect casting choice. Crowe does great as a man in Nash's situation, and really fits in the role. Paul Bettany also does very good. Bettany plays Charles, John's college roommate that quickly becomes his lifelong friend. This character was a perfect comic relief for the dark tone of the film. Jennifer Connelly as Alicea, John's wife, is great too. All of the acting is really great, and holds this movie up.
The last great thing I'll talk about is the score. James Horner makes yet another amazing score that pulls you inside of John's head every time it plays. It really helps the audience see through his eyes, and understand the way he feels about certain subjects.
Now, the only negative I had with film is the plot progression. Some people can see this film as very boring for the first act, yet also unpredictable. I thought the movie was going to go one way, until it took a 360 about halfway through and really threw me off. I actually had to sit and process it a little before continuing on with the film. This a good thing, once the credits role, but for the first portion of the movie, and when the twist occurs, it makes you wondering whether or not the film should've played out this way.
Overall, A Beautiful Mind is a great film, and a must see for most people. Ron Howard does amazing again, especially with Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, and James Horner working with him to create his best film since Apollo 13. A Beautiful Mind gets an A-, or a 9 out of 10.