An intriguing and informative film, well worth anyone's time

Rating: 10/10 (22 August 2005)

In looking at the front cover and title of the film, one may immediately be put off by the overbearing seriousness that abounds from the films subject and setting. Yet it is the excellent stewardship of such a sensitive subject, performed by a cast of quality actors and produced by an equally excellent directing team, that makes this film so worth watching. It may not be an easy watch but it is none the less a must see for anyone involved or interested in filmography.
The film opens with what appears to be the average scenario of a young protagonist (Crowe) in a fresh situation. Yet it is the development of the plain, to tell an amazing and indeed beautiful story, that allows the audience to become involved with that which turns out to be a far less than average reality.
The film sticks well to the the story of the real John Nash, a genius whose talent is marred by mental illness, but extends this to educate its audience in the horrors of the abnormality it details. Extensive description of the condition here would potentially spoil this masterpiece for anyone who has not yet seen it, assuredly however, after watching it, no further explanation of the subject, explored through what is essentially a case study of the scientist John F Nash, seems necessary for an audience.
The film occasionally fringes on the strange, but masterfully never to a degree whereby the viewer's attention is lost. It is, in fact, a delightful blend of the ordinary and the bizarre that is precisely what makes this film so watchable and informative. These well developed qualities however, are manifested through a brilliantly constructed insight into the mind of a victim which simply could not be accessed outside of biography.
This film is certainly not recommendable to anyone looking for entertainment only, but for one who is prepared to be shocked, excited and taken through an emotional roller-coaster, this is a film well worth seeing.