Finally a good bio flick

Rating: Null/10 (26 November 2004)

Ron Howard continues to impress and surprise. Russell Crowe is, to my way of thinking, the finest screen actor before us at the moment, possessing a range of versatility unknown by any other male "star" of the day. Comparing his portrayal here with his other work, notably 'Master and Commander' and 'Gladiator' it is astonishing to believe one man can encompass so successfully such a wide variety of roles within such a short span of years.
Unlike the current crop of bio-historical cow flop like 'Troy' and 'Alexander' Ron Howard's fascinating journey along the razor's edge between madness and genius proves that good cinema need not involve gratuitous violence, sex or profanity, not that those things in and of themselves cannot add to a film's relevancy, but they usually don't.
The entire cast is excellent, notably Jennifer Connelly's magnetic performance as the mad professor's long-suffering and loyal wife. She embodies the "love conquers all" message of the movie in a way that is never saccharine or mawkish.
This movie is a very good mystery for the first time viewer. Further viewings uncover more depth in the story which is always a sign of good craftsmanship on the part of the script writer, director and actors.
The technical aspects never intrude on the action (please note this Bertolucci!) and the story flows naturally from start to finish without a hiccup.
It is gratifying to see that a Hollywood production can have some depth to it without resorting to coy sexuality and meaningless vulgarity.
I don't buy many dvds but this one is a keeper.