Too handsome for its own good...

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 2019)

While this film is very moving in its own right a more daring film that didn't ignore the thornier aspects of Nash's life would have been better. Nash's delusions were more outlandish than the film suggests; he thought he was in contact with aliens for example. Likewise, he had affairs (and was arrested for public indecency), was quite mean at times and was possibly anti-Semitic. Nash in the film is too pitiable and awkward to really capture the tenor of this stuff. The resulting film isn't bad but it lacks real weight as a result.
I do rather like the trick the screenplay and direction pull off in regards to Nash's delusions vis-a-vis the viewer's expectations. It is an effective, through probably inaccurate, way to capture what paranoia feels like. Howard stages the action in that classic Hollywood way that makes the story involving.
The film largely succeeds on Crowe's and Connelly's winning performance. For the type of role he is in Crowe is rather understated. Connelly is just sensuous and heartbreaking in this film.
This film has grown on me over the years.