This is one trippy movie.

Rating: Null/10 (17 July 2003)

**Contains Spoilers**
Knowing that mathematician John Nash was a real person can lead to some real confusion while watching this movie. For example, before I realized that he had schizophrenia, I was wondering how I managed to go through 12 years of public school without hearing about the mathematician who cracked codes and saved the country from Russia. However, it did make sense at the end, and I wasn't left with any lingering questions.
This is a very character-driven movie, despite the fact that the commercials make it look like a preachy, confusing nerd piece. Russell Crowe does a great job as the almost android-like Nash, who has no social skills whatsoever around women (I was reminded more than once of Lt. Cmdr Data of Star Trek: TNG trying to woo someone) and has no love greater than math. Well, until he meets Alicia, that is. Their love is a bit hard to buy, especially since he's not very charming and she strikes me as a bit of a bitch, but it's an essential part of the movie and it doesn't hurt the flow too much.
The first half of the movie is great, really. But somewhere around the time he gets out of the institution, it gets really anticlimactic. Personally, I think it would have been a lot better if it had ended before he grew really old and suddenly everyone loved him.
As for the trippiness factor, watch it and see what you think. The shed scene is especially mind-boggling.