Acting: Brilliant Story: Brilliant Film: BRILLIANT A+

Rating: 10/10 (8 July 2002)

Not enough can be said about "A Beautiful Mind". Thought provoking, intense, and incredibly acted, this film is a gem. Winner of 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actress. Also Nominated for Best Actor, Best Score, and Best Makeup. Russell Crowe stars in an amazing performance as the brilliant mathematician John F. Nash. John isn't social, isn't really popular, and definetly not great with the ladies. But, he is gifted with a brilliant mind. He solves equation after equation looking for an original idea to become well known and respected. He's well on is way, and is successful. Life is perfect. Until he is hired by William Parcher (played by Academy Award nominee Ed Harris)to break codes during a Russian conspiracy. Everything is going well until he makes a shocking discovery that it is all fake. The conspiracy, his roommate who he befriends, and the roommate's adorable niece. All fake. Schizophrenia has taken over his life. His wife is the only thing that can help him get threw this. Alicia (Academy Award Winner (for this) Jennifer Connelly) is there with him threw the hospitalizations, the struggles, the good times, but more the bad. She sticks with him, and thanks to her, John is able to win the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994. Jennifer Connelly's performance was nothing short of brilliant. She is luminous and exquisite. The Oscar was well deserved. You can truly see her struggle to help her husband, to raise her son, and to stay sane herself. And, Russell Crowe, Russell Crowe. Only nominated this year for Best Actor (beaten out by Denzel Washington for "Training Day". Personally, I thought Russell was better!), Russell is still is as good as he has ever been. Truly amazing. He makes you cry, laugh, and cheer at the end. Russell's best performance to date! "A Beautiful Mind" is brilliantly directed by Oscar Winner Ron Howard, and beautifully written by Oscar Winner Akiva Goldsman. A BEAUTIFUL MIND IS THE BEST FILM OF THE YEAR.