Review 611: A Beautiful Mind

 

A Beautiful Mind is a deeply touching and affecting biographical drama film, a moving look at mental look at mental illness and a showcase for a mesmirising performance for star Russell Crowe. 

 

In 1947, John Nash (Russell Crowe) arrives at Princeton University as co-recipient of the Carnegie Scholarship for mathematics. A genius in that field, he made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and brilliant Nash soon finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery once he is diagnosed with schizophrenia. After many years of struggle, he eventually triumphed over this tragedy, and finally, late in life, received the Nobel Prize.

 

The tale of an extraordinary man who learnt how live with his condition and accomplished great things.

It tells the story of a man whose mind was revolutionary to society whilst at the same time

 

Courage:

 

Passion: One of the most remarkable things about A Beautiful Mind is how it showcases his brilliance for mathematical

 

Triumph: The way that John Nash conquers his disability is very inspiration because at one point it takes over his life makes him a danger to those around him but with loads of help from his family and psychiatrist Dr. Rosen (Christopher Plummer) and

 

Director Ron Howard's direction is sensitive, he lulls us into Nash's paronoid mind and gives us the sense that he's living in an alternate reality and not knowing that he's living in this alternate reality until a certain point

The score by James Horner is beautiful, the cinematography is lovely and captures the beautiful, dreamlike atmosphere of New Jersey in the 40's & 50's. The production design is splendid, the costumes are fantastic, 

 

Russel Crowe delivers a sensitive and mesmirising performance playing John Nash. One of the great mathmaticians and a victim of schizophrenia. Crowe brings Nash to life in a way that expertly balances out the  as well as the vulnerability, fear and frustration   He couldn't trust his own mind

 

Jennifer Connelly is luminous playing Alicia Nash, John Nash's wife. In a film filled with uncertainties, Alicia is the one constant in John Nash’s life and one of the few people whose able to bring him back to reality.

 

Paul Bettany is also terrific playing Charles Herman, a friend of Nash whilst at Princeton

 

Ed Harris, as usual, makes for  playing federal agent William Parcher, providing him with the mysterious, enigmatic demeanor required for the part whilst also giving us the sense that he's not what he seems or entirely trustworthy.

 

Christopher Plummer, as always, delivers a fine performance full of empathy playing psychiatrist, Dr. Rosen

 

5/5.

 

The Anonymous Critic