A brilliant portrayal of one man's triumph over schizophrenia

Rating: 9/10 (15 March 2002)

Being Australian, I'm often drawn to the work of our local acting talent, hence my eagerness to watch A Beautiful Mind. This film not only stars Russell Crowe (New Zealander by birth, but we now claim him as one of our own because he lives on the NSW north coast) but has also been lauded as an Academy Award possibility for best film, best director and best lead actor. The fact that Ron Howard directed this piece also put A Beautiful Mind into the "must see" category.
And I was not let down.
Russell played the role of a schizophrenic genius perfectly, with actions and facial expressions accurately reflective of sufferers of this condition. Whilst I felt the supporting cast merely held their own without any obvious standout performances, Ron Howard's brilliant interpretation of university life from the 1940s to the present capped off a wonderfully rounded story.
It was refreshing to witness a narrative on mental illness portrayed from the other side of the fence for a change. Too often we are led to believe that such people can't live in society like regular Joe's, but the writer has turned the story around so we view life through the eyes of the one who is suffering.
A big thumbs up to all involved.
9 out of 10.