Beautiful Performances, Not Quite as Beautiful Movie

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 2002)

MINOR SPOILERS
Being an aspiring scientist myself, I was really looking forward to the story of John Nash, the schizophrenic mathematician who wins the nobel prize. From an objective standpoint, I could say that the movie was really good. But, from my personal standpoint, I was a little disappointed. John Forbes Nash (Russell Crowe) is a new graduate student at Harvard University. From the very start he has no friends (all his classmates accurately think of him as an a**hole), and he seems to have no chance of ever getting a girlfriend (his idea of wooing a girl being "can we just skip the small talk and have sex, because that's all I'm interested in"). But that doesn't bother Nash. He doesn't like anybody but his new roommate Charles (Paul Bettany) anyway. All Nash really wants to do is come up with an incredibly original idea in the world of mathematics. His incredibly original idea does come out, shaking the grounds of things that were held true before hand.
After graduating, Nash is asked to stay at Harvard and teach. He is even summoned to the Pentagon to crack a mysterious code that Russians are sending to each other. It is after this visit to the Pentagon that two things happen. First, he falls in love with one of his students, Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Surprisingly, she can handle his buttheaded personality, and his bluntness. She even loves him too. Second, William Parcher (Ed Harris), a secret government agent, has asked him for help in cracking more codes for the government. Nash learns that the Russians plan to drop an atomic bomb in a largely populated civilian area. Parcher asks that Nash read every American magazine published, in the hopes of finding some hidden code, which will put a stop to the Russians' plans.
Now Nash leads an exciting life. He has friends, he has a dangerous and exciting job, and he now has a family. But not everything is as it seems to be. After all, John Nash suffers from schizophrenia, and Nash can't tell the difference between his delusions and his real life. Neither can we.
I guess I've never been a huge fan of dramas. For me, there just wasn't quite enough to keep my attention until Nash's illness comes out. Then it is quite shocking, and the story is very intriguing. Russell Crowe did a wonderful job, balancing between a genius man and a crazed man, all the while being likeable, even when acting like a jerk. Jennifer Connelly is wonderful as Nash's wife, not quite sure how to cope with her husband's illness. My favorite performance would have to be Paul Bettany's though. The first movie I saw him in was A Knight's Tale. A movie I loathed, except for him. He has some truly great talent.
I was also a little disappointed with the mathematical aspect of the movie. For me, I never really understood why he won the nobel prize. I wish that they would have gone more into his works as a scientist. But, I know that is not what the movie was supposed to be about, and I only want it there because I am a budding scientist.
Overall many great performances, and an interesting storyline will give this movie high marks. But I think the lack of passion, excitement, and detail will keep it from being a great movie in my eyes.