A beautiful snub?

Rating: 9/10 (22 April 2005)

So much cinematic output of late consists of "action/disaster" movies aimed at cheap thrills by the second. And the more explosions, murders, special effects, fights or macho posing takes place, the better the audience seems to like it. The film, 'A Beautiful Mind' could not be more removed from the glut of superficial puerile trash that predominates our screens nowadays.
Russell Crowe, who has exhibited more than his fair share of violent and aggressive behaviour on set, (and sometimes off set too) has made an exceptional movie, with ABM. Here he totally relinquishes his aggressive, stereotyped image, in favour of a mild, eccentric and awkward academic, totally absorbed in his field of mathematics. So convincingly does Crowe blend into the character of John Nash, that it's almost impossible to believe that it's him playing this role. He even looks different, having lost a bit of weight for the part, although the bulging biceps are ever present. His acting is just brilliant, and Crowe proves once and for all that he is leagues above most Hollywood actors, and need never be typecast for violent roles again, because he can be versatile in character.
Without going fully into the plot, the film basically is a two part study of schizophrenia, particularly from a victim's point of view. The first half of the film cleverly thrusts the audience right into the mind of John Nash, and the delusions he suffers. We share these delusions with him, and therefore they seem real enough in his mind (and ours) but baffling to everyone else around him. However, we are not really aware that Nash is actually a schizophrenic, until the film's second half. Up to then it's quite possible that Nash's growing alienation and secrecy about his work may have some genuine basis. There are at least three characters that the viewer is led to believe exist. One of them emerges near the start of the film, and unless you are extremely observant you would not realise he was fictitious, until all is revealed. We also notice Nash's lack of social skills, particularly with women, but despite this handicap he eventually manages to attract the attention of one his female students, destined to be his future wife Alicia, sympathetically played by Jennifer Connelly. The second half of the film deals with Nash's awareness of his condition, and his attempts to deal with it, and the strain it places on his marriage.
Crowe was more than ably supported by the rest of the cast. Jennifer Connelly received an Oscar, as did director Ron Howard. And the film received 'Best Picture' Oscar. But as for Russell Crowe? He was nominated but got nothing. It seems he was deliberately snubbed in 2002, since he received an Oscar the previous year in 'Gladiator'. That's life, I guess!
Films like ABM are far and few between. Maybe it's just as well since its welcoming quality reminds us how good films can still be, and that there are directors prepared to take a risk by not following the herd.