Wow.

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2002)

Let me tell you just how good "A Beautiful Mind" really is. I have a kidney disorder that makes it necessary for me to visit the restroom every hour. I was on the verge of exploding halfway through this movie and yet I didn't move for fear of missing even three minutes of this fascinating event. (As soon as the closing credits rolled, I ran.)
"Mind's" greatest achievement, in my humble opinion, is the way it makes schizophrenia accessible to sane people. The general public knows schizophrenics tend to talk to themselves, repeat certain actions and do things generally at odds with the norm. But why? It's nearly impossible for a sane individual to understand why this happens...and more importantly, what that feels like. Without this essential empathy, many people become frustrated with the mentally ill, asking why patients can't pull themselves together and just bear up. We express this same impatience with the criminally insane who act upon delusions with disastrous results. It is incomprehensible.
"Mind" does all it can to change that, and it succeeds. Unless you are familiar with John Nash's story, you probably won't guess he's schizophrenic until partway into the movie. He's eccentric, abrupt, and highly intelligent, but doesn't seem crazy. The reason: His delusions are as real as reality to Nash, and likewise, they are real to the audience. *(SPOILER)* I suspected the decoding fantasies weren't real, especially when Nash began postering the walls with newspaper clippings. But his fictictious roommate threw me---and there is the point. The audience is just as fooled by the delusion as Nash is, who cannot tell the difference between truth and delusion.
Incidentally, I came across a professional review that blasted "Mind" for including "all that spying stuff that had nothing to do with Nash's work that was thrown in for Hollywood thrill." I feel badly for that chap, since he missed the entire point of the film. But that just proves Ron Howard's genius in creating a picture of insanity indistinguishable from reality.
There are some truly shocking moments in "Mind." When Alicia finds her husband's secret cache of newspaper clippings behind their house, I was eerily reminded of Jack Nicholson's wife in "The Shining" discovering his endless, typewritten pages of the same phrase. The scene that follows, culminating with Nash's realization that his delusions are indeed a false reality is brilliant. In a moment, remembering "Marcie," Nash has a flash of insight, and he finally accepts his illness--ironically, through his intellect.
When Nash imagines that someone is going to kill Alicia, he lunges at her--and only through his eyes do we see how a seemingly senseless actof violence is a gesture of love, filtered through the smog of delusion.
Now my take on the acting: Superb in every sense of the word. Russell Crowe sure knows his trade. There's never any question about the authenticity of his character, although the accent wasn't consistant. Crowe doesn't rely on his elaborate makeup to age Nash---his walk, words, and voice do that elegantly in the movie's end. Crowe will probably get at least another Oscar nomination out of this one. Heck, he might even win it again.
Ed Harris is, as always, perfect. Harris continues to be one of my favorite actors, simply because he's flawless. With delusions like these, no wonder Nash was torn between treatment and "spying."
I hope people see this film. Not just because Russell Crowe is cute or because it's a Ron Howard piece, but because you will learn something important. You will learn why compassion is an absolute must when dealing with the mentally ill. You won't glare at the next person you see muttering to themself. And when someone you love is dealing with a disorder, be it schizophrenia or depression, you won't ask them to "pull themself together." You will understand why they need your love--because they are just as confused as you are.