Great Idea, disappointing results

Rating: Null/10 (8 May 2002)

While I was watching Ron Howard's `A Beautiful Mind' it seemed uninteresting, but I couldn't quite pinpoint why. Looking back, the film has a fantastic story, appropriate soundtrack, and great cinematography. However, I soon realized that mediocre acting and a bland script compromised these elements which could have made an excellent movie. The storyline in `A Beautiful Mind' revolves around the life of mathematician John Nash, a genius who is eventually diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic. The film is made to show us what schizophrenia is like; the audience is able to see the world the way John Nash sees it, complete with hallucinated people and occurrences. Nash's struggle against his schizophrenia is intriguing, and his struggle reaches a happy conclusion when he is awarded the Nobel Prize. Throughout the film, brilliant cinematography gives the audience a unique perspective on Nash's world. Camera techniques show not only the way Nash sees real and imagined patterns, but give us insight into Nash's relationship with his wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) as well. In one scene, after Nash is diagnosed with schizophrenia, we see the rift that has come between him and his wife through the way the camera is set up to show both Nash and his wife in the kitchen, but with a wall between them. Details like this add up throughout the film to contribute greatly to its effectiveness. Unfortunately, the cinematography could not obscure the blandness of Russell Crowe's acting. It is difficult to empathize with Nash's character, which lacks depth, until the very end of the film. However, by this time, Crowe is affecting an accent that sounds like Sean Connery's brogue, inspiring people to leave the theatre thinking `Well hello, Moneypenny,' even after the credits are finished.