Beautifully made

Rating: 9/10 (11 May 2014)

At first glance, A Beautiful Mind is an inspiring tale about a "genius" mathematician who struggles with severe mental problems. And as long as we can focus on that first glance, the film provides compelling entertainment. I found myself caught up in the movie. Director Ron Howard (Splash, Parenthood) delivers an intriguing story about a man struggling to maintain clarity as his prodigious powers of imagination bring him inspiration, delusion, true love, and trouble. How rare is this? A film out of Hollywood in which the hero's most heroic endeavour involves restraint and self control! But A Beautiful Mind presents itself as the true story of John Nash, whose mathematical breakthroughs have apparently changed the world. And there's the rub. I came away from A Beautiful Mind feeling inspired to learn more about this fascinating character. And the farther I moved from the movie, the more I began to see it for what it is: a fantasy, at best and at worst, a rip-off game by con-artist. Strong accusations? I suppose so. And for the record, I don't expect films that are "based on a true story" to be 100% factual. It's impossible to tell a story that is entirely true to its inspiration; we all invent fictions in order to convey aspects of the truth that are most important to us. But shouldn't movies that claim to be "based on actual events" seek to bear some resemblance to those "actual events"? Is it too much to ask that the film makers and storytellers be reasonable in their embellishments? Watching this film, we endure the hardship of John Nash's mental problems right alongside him. Howard, who has proved time and time again that he can build a decent, workmanlike motion picture does his typically adequate job of telling the story. And the great Russell Crowe brings a lot to the production. Crowe, who deserved an Oscar for his work in The Insider (but received one for Gladiator instead, alas!) is fantastic. He transforms himself into this staggering, bewildered, tormented soul. In spite of a bland script, he gives us glimpses of a hurting spirit, an alienated boy, incapable of discerning the difference between fantasy and reality. It's hard to watch. As we watch Nash grow old, Crowe's performance and make up (some of the finest ageing make up I have ever seen) deliver a completely convincing human being burdened with challenges most of us have never imagined. Nash is a character who isn't comfortable with what we consider "normal life." In social circles, he's brusque and rude. Around women, he's awkward and downright insulting. At work, he ridicules the "great ideas" of his genius peers, calling their work "derivative" and declaring, "There's not an original or innovative idea in any of it." Nash's troubles stem from schizophrenic hallucinations, and A Beautiful Mind is the story of his struggle to reject false realities and hold fast to what is true. But he is calm, collected, and right at home whenever he's breaking codes and solving mathematical problems. We can see the potential in him, and so, in spite of his unkindness, we find Nash sympathetic. We root for him when he is drawn into working for a harsh and manipulative government operative (Ed Harris.) And we also root for him to overcome his social awkwardness when an admiring student (the radiant Jennifer Connelly) starts courting him. As a result, A Beautiful Mind stands apart from most Hollywood hero epics, in which we are told again and again to obey our hearts and our impulses. This story dares to suggest that the path to fulfilment and peace requires that we deny of self-destructive impulses. This is the most resonant chord in the film's dissonant symphony. At its heart, A Beautiful Mind is a parable about self-control, and about becoming a better person through the transforming of our minds.It's a shame, then, that the movie contradicts itself.For the sake of crowd pleasing, Howard abandons the thought of restraint when Nash is tempted into romance by a student named Alicia. The allure of a glamorous romance gets the better of him, and their plunge into passion is portrayed without any question about the propriety of such behaviour. Further, we are baited into cheering when Nash lashes out at those around him, because it makes for good spectacle.