You Do the Math

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2008)

By the time Russell Crowe (as John Nash) married Jennifer Connelly (as Alicia), I had serious concerns about "A Beautiful Mind". My first question revolved around Mr. Crowe's Princeton roommate, Paul Bettany (as Charles). I could not understand why Mr. Bettany did not pal around with the college bar crowd. Crowe was there, with a group of other students, but no mixing with Bettany. Why? Obviously, Bettany loved to imbibe; so, he should have been the life of the party, I thought. With that question nagging me, I continued to have questions. Like was up with the two men at the later party? I wonderedÂ…
Then, the final straw - Crowe uses his secret "code" to open a security gate; and, the gate swings open without closing behind him. This was not a very secure gate. Anyone wanting to gain admittance would only have to wait for Crowe to open it up, and walk in after him (if not climb in ahead of him). And, why wasn't Bettany at the Crowe's wedding?
Just when I was wondering how to get in touch with director Ron Howard, the truth dawned on me. I was expecting a more traditional film. A couple of surreal moments should have tipped me off; for example, Crowe's barroom deduction concerning the students' chances of "picking up" a blonde women. Still, I didn't fully appreciate what was going on. Was the rollicking car chase with Ed Harris (as Parcher) supposed to be an illusion?
Then, I wondered about the characters "Charles" and "Marcee". I understood "Parcher" as a manifestation of "cold war" paranoia. But, I do not understand what, precisely, "Charles" and "Marcee" reveal about the title character, other than a propensity for creating illusions. The three imaginary characters are the most important in Nash's life - maybe if I knew what they were around for, they'd go away. Eventually, the film confirms suspicions.
I can almost see clearly now.
******** A Beautiful Mind (2001) Ron Howard ~ Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany