Beautiful And More

Rating: 9/10 (16 February 2011)

Beauty. The word every filmmaker wants to hear in relation to his or her work. However, achieving cinematic beauty is something else. Beauty lies in the emotion, dedication and passion of good filmmaking; beautiful films are the one's made for a purpose. This film falls into that category: it serves a purpose. It successfully investigates the implications of dealing with schizophrenia, from minor inconveniences to larger problems with the potential to deliver devastating consequences. Therefore this movie is not destined purely to entertain, but to educate.
The story focuses around John Nash: A mathematical genius who attends Princeton in the hope of coming up with a mathematical theory which is 'original'. Under immense pressure to meet his ambitions as well as from his classmates, Nash eventually succeeds, working his way up until he became a professor at the MIT. Here he begins to notice the effects of his growing mental illness. He marries Alicia: one of his graduates but then begins to slip into a complicated world where he cannot differentiate reality from fantasy.
Crowe pulls of the part brilliantly, delivering a merit- worthy performance. Equally as impressive is Jennifer Connelley with Ed Harris interjecting a solid part. The mood of the film swings, twists and warps the traditional pallet; enveloping the range of feelings of a true drama and packaging them into a complete thriller. This film is layered with emotion and passion: showcasing determination and proving that you can overcome your trials. It's pace fluctuates, making it exciting, dynamic and unpredictable, panning from quaint romance to exhilarating action. Howard succeeds in delivering a product which contains more than just pure beauty, but despair as well as joy. Wrapped up in this feature are messages that all people can draw from, whether you're ambitions and inspired or not. It reminds us all that life has its challenges, but also that those challenges can be overcome if we learn to ignore the hurdles whilst embracing the rewards. Prepare to be amazed, saddened, elated and touched by a movie which exhibits more than just the beauty of overcoming.
86/100