Crowe rises above genre, the movie doesn't. Spoilers.

Rating: 10/10 (27 December 2001)

A BEAUTIFUL MIND is the story of how a talented man, bound by a desire to put his craft to work, attempted to defeat disability, and went on to receive praise from his contemporaries. You might think that I have successfully described the trials of the Russell Crowe character (John Nash) in the film, and how, with the help of his wife, handled schizophrenia while going on the win the Nobel Prize. The problem is, I didn't. This really isn't the plot of the movie. In fact, the plot of this film involves what went on behind the scenes of the movie.
We live in a time where Hollywood cannot even make a decent character study without placing it in some predefined genre with the intent of increasing box office revenue. I couldn't help but consider this while watching A BEAUTIFUL MIND. That's not to say I didn't feel satisfied with Russell Crowe's performance. To put it bluntly, this is some of the best acting you will ever see. Unfortunately, A BEAUTIFUL MIND becomes a psychological thriller that leads to a pithy resolution that "love conquers all".

I can only suspect that this was not the film that Ron Howard wanted to make. Don't get me wrong, I've never identified Howard as being some kind of independent spirit or unconventional filmmaker. After all, Howard did direct THE GRINCH. But here is why what went behind the scenes overshadows the story: Howard does put a lot of emphasis on character development, and I could sense his desire to give John Nash's story full emphasis with a studio pressuring him to make a thriller. As a result, the film is kind of half-baked. We become more concerned with whether John Nash is delusional or not. At least, I was.
I still recommend A BEAUTIFUL MIND. Crowe's performance is the reason to see it, along with praiseworthy performances by Ed Harris, Adam Goldberg, and Christopher Plummer. This was also one of the few times I've went to see a film where the audience applauded at the end. I can't help but praise an action star like Russell Crowe for transcending the Hollywood genre. I wish I could say the same for the movie itself.