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A Beautiful Mind review
:. Director: Ron Howard
:. Starring: Russel Crowe, Jennifer Connelly
:. Running Time: 2:09
:. Year: 2001
:. Country: USA
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With its exemplary story, solid cast and Ron Howard at the helm, A Beautiful Mind proudly carries its image as head of the class. Though it's difficult to remain insensitive to such an inspiring narrative, one can't help but regret that too often this heavy production ends up feeling like a family TV movie.
Russell Crowe plays John Nash, an exceptionally gifted but schizophrenic mathematician who won the Nobel Prize for one of his theories. The film describes his chaotic path where his career, his fight against the disease and his family life were closely linked.
Without a doubt, one of the major assets of the film is having the foresight to develop a creative approach to a rather dull subject to most people: mathematics. Howard manages on several occasions to make mathematical research exciting, which says a lot. The director also tricks the audience with an unquestionable jubilation (though certain clues are provided), and gives more satisfaction than Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky. Finally, he gives a gripping insight of schizophrenia, making it possible for the audience to experience an aspect of such a disease.
The main problem is that Ron Howard brings out the violins a bit too often while the omnipresent music conspicuously reminds you that what you are watching is serious. Some more reserve would have been preferable which would have greatly reduced the showy aspects of the film. Know you will not be spared from the idyllic love story or the final moralizing speech. Since the final result is sweetened enough, one also wonders whether certain facts were sacrificed to the Hollywood vision.
As for the cast, there's nothing to criticize. Russell Crowe appropriates the role successfully, personifying someone sick and tortured with a conviction we've seen before in The Insider (his performance there was more deserving of an Oscar than in Gladiator). Jennifer Connelly (Requiem for a Dream) interprets a courageous woman perfectly while Ed Harris is as troubling as he's supposed to be.
A beautiful story for a film that's a little too pretty for its own good.
Fred Thom
 Movie Reviews: 1998 - 2011
Movie Reviews: 2012 - present
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