A Beautiful Movie

Rating: Null/10 (26 September 2003)

* Terrible * * Below Par * * * Not Bad * * * * Good * * * * * Brilliant
WARNING *POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
'A Beautiful mind' is the oscar winning biopic of John Forbes Nash Jr.A brilliant young mathematician who though an incredibly gifted genius is sadly lacking in any social skills.The cocky student is brought down a peg or two by fellow students who mock him for his arrogance.Eventually however,Nash manages to win their respect after making a ground breaking discovery and marries the beautiful Alicia Larde(Jennifer Connelly).
After graduating university Nash gets a job working for what appears to be the CIA.Working under the enigmatic William Parcher(Ed Harris),Nash becomes a code breaker who amazingly unravels numerous codes for the American government.But everything is not what it seems and the young scientist eventually finds that there is more to what is going on around him than meets the eye.A fact that also becomes very clear to his loving wife and friends.
This harrowing and touching drama has to rate as one of director Ron Howard's finest works to date.An excellent biopic that depicts the life of one man who struggles to come to terms with the demons that are suddenly presented in front of not only himself but those who care about him.Russell Crowe's portrayal of the cocky yet likable genius is simply breathtaking.An actor of true versatility,Crowe manages to make Nash everything that he is.An incredibly gifted man who is sadly also very naive in many ways.He manages to bring the right amount of cockiness to Nash while also making sure there is an under current of true vulnerability to the brilliant man.He is more than expertly supported by a fine cast of wonderful actors that includes the gorgeous,talented Jennifer Connelly(who won a best supporting actress oscar for her roll.) as Nash's wife Alicia.Ed Harris as the shadowy William Parcher, veteran actor Christopher Plummer and brit Paul Bettany as one of Nash's friends who is also not all he appears to be.
Mention must also go to screenwriter Akiva Goldsman's fantastic script which he has adapted from biographer Sylvia Nasar's book.it's surprising considering this is the man who penned the scripts for such dire travesties as the awful 'Batman and Robin' and the terrible 'Lost in Space'.This is the work of a man who has more of a knack at telling true human stories.Not fantastical sci-fi or action adventure movies.
Final recognition however must go to Ron Howard who has crafted a haunting testament of one man's life and the obstacles that he would have to over come.Howard,aided by Goldman's script does an excellent job of hiding the true facts of what is really happening to Nash,before hitting the audience with the reality of the situation like a ton of bricks.It's a revelation that is genuinely well done and shocking.
Some critics have criticised Howard and Goldsman for taking some artistic license in the presentation of the events of Nash's life.It does after all seem to pave over the fact that the handsome young scientist was supposedly bisexual as well.Such quibbles in the end however are minor and critics must remember that this is simply just a movie.At the end of the day what Howard and Goldsman are setting out to to do is to entertain an audience.Anyone who wishes to know the total truth about what happened to Nash should watch a documentary.
The movies only real flaw that it gets a little too 'Hollywood' for my liking towards the end.That said this is still an excellent example of a brilliant film about one mans struggle against adversity.The fact that the movie is based on a true story simply makes it all the more inspiring.Howard and the cast of actors he had assembled should be more than proud of what they have accomplished.My one complaint is that even though it was a wonderful movie it should never have won best picture at the 2002 oscars.That honor should have gone to Peter Jackson's awe inspiring adaptation of 'The Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring'.That aside I still recommend that you see one of Ron Howard's best movies to date.Chances are you won't be disappointed.
Robs Rating: * * * * *