a beautiful movie

Rating: 8/10 (6 July 2005)

Prior to "A Beautiful Mind" coming out, I had never heard of John Nash. Then, this movie blew me away. While most critics panned it, the viewer gets completely absorbed by every performance. Russell Crowe does an excellent job as Nash, starting out with his days as a student at Princeton. As the movie progresses, we see his schizophrenia evolve. His wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) is virtually the only person who can understand him.
"A Beautiful Mind" is one of those movies where you are surprised as you learn various things about the characters. Also, maybe the movie's timing might have helped it. After September 11, 2001, we needed something to show us that human nature is not inherently evil. This movie, released a few months later, did a great job reminding us of that. All in all, I consider it very appropriate that this movie finally got Ron Howard a Best Picture winner (plus a Best Director Oscar). Never preachy or sappy, "A Beautiful Mind" is a beautiful movie, and Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly probably played their best roles ever.