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250 out of 329 people found the following review useful:
A movie with a difference - It's realistic.
Author:
jonwoolfrey (jonwoolfrey@hotmail.com) from Perth, Western Australian
2 May 2002
I went along to the movies not really wanting to see this movie, thinking it
was a 'girly' movie, one which had more technical skill rather than a
storyline. I was surprised more than anything I could imagine.
I have seen a lot of movies in my time, but this movie just took me by
storm. Its uniqueness, ironically enough because it was based on a real life
situation was a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood blockbuster. This
movie provided a brilliant (pardon the pun) insight into many aspects of a
genius at work.
This movie touched me on many levels. The psychology of the movie was
intriguing, the mathematical philosophies was actually realistic from my own
experience, and the icing on the cake making the movie stand out was
surprisingly the humanistic side of Love. While love is a common basis in
most movies, the interaction of this theme with other aspects of the plot
was planned phenomenlly.
As for the cast, I have never noticed the actual difference in skill
between many actors/actresses before. I like Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise etc, but
I wouldn't be able to pinpoint a classic actor's performance. But Russell
Crowe in this film showed me what it was like to act in a way where I was in
awe of his skill in playing this character, especially when considering the
extreme difference from characters in his other movies such as the Gladiator
and The Insider. Russell Crowe was one of the big reasons this movie was so
brilliant. Added to that the stellar performances of Jennifer Connelly, Ed
Harris and Adam Goldberg, and this made for the 'perfect' movie.
A Beautiful Mind was by far the most original, intelligent and entertaining
movie I have ever seen. And this from a movie I didn't expect big things
from. Kudos to Ron Howard, the cast and the crew of this movie. It was truly
worthy of the Oscar, and Russell Crowe was definately the most deserving of
this production team to miss out on the highest accolade. Perhaps politics
played a bigger part than I previously would have thought.
206 out of 260 people found the following review useful:
A beautifully written, acted, and crafted movie.
Author:
The Mad Reviewer from Tennessee, USA
16 January 2002
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A BEAUTIFUL MIND (2001) Rating: 10/10
A Beautiful Mind's greatest achievement, in my humble opinion, is the way
it
makes schizophrenia accessible to "sane" people. The general public knows
schizophrenics tend to talk to themselves, repeat certain actions and do
things generally at odds with the norm. But why? It's nearly impossible
for
a "sane" individual to understand why this happens...and more importantly,
what that feels like. Without this essential empathy, many people become
frustrated with the mentally ill, asking why patients can't pull
themselves
together and just bear up. We express this same impatience with the
criminally insane who act upon delusions with disastrous results. It is
incomprehensible.
A Beautiful Mind does all it can to change that, and it succeeds. Unless
you
are familiar with John Nash's story, you probably won't guess he's
schizophrenic until part-way into the movie. He's eccentric, abrupt, and
highly intelligent, but doesn't seem crazy. His delusions are as real as
reality to Nash, and likewise, they are real to the audience, who cannot
tell the difference between truth and delusion.
Incidentally, I came across a review from a "professional critic" who
blasted A Beautiful Mind for including "all that spying stuff that had
nothing to do with Nash's work that was thrown in for Hollywood thrill." I
feel bad for that chap, since he missed the entire point of the film. But
that just proves Ron Howard's genius in creating a picture of insanity
indistinguishable from reality.
There are some truly shocking moments in A Beautiful Mind. When Alicia
finds
her husband's secret cache of newspaper clippings behind their house, I
was
eerily reminded of Jack Nicholson's wife in The Shining discovering his
endless, typewritten pages of the same phrase. The scene that follows,
culminating with Nash's realization that his delusions are indeed a false
reality is brilliant. In a moment, remembering Marcee, Nash has a flash of
insight, and he finally accepts his illness -- ironically, through his
intellect. When Nash imagines that someone is going to harm Alicia, he
lunges at her -- and only through his eyes do we see how a seemingly
senseless act of violence is a gesture of love, filtered through the smog
of
delusion.
Now my take on the acting: Superb in every sense of the word. Russell
Crowe
is incredible. I can't stress that enough. There's never any question
about
the authenticity of his character. Crowe doesn't rely on his elaborate
makeup to age Nash -- his walk, words, and voice do that elegantly in the
movie's end. Crowe will get at least another Oscar nomination out of this
one. And, he better win. Jennifer Connelly is amazing as well. And when
Crowe and Connelly are put together, extraordinary chemistry erupts, they
just gel together, they really belong with one another. Some people have
had
problems with the romance part of the movie, saying that the way John and
Alicia even started seeing each other wasn't very realistic and why Alicia
would stay with John after he becomes distant. But, I think that maybe it
started out as just a crush, you know, and the math question she showed
him
was just her excuse for going to his office and she already knew she was
going to ask him out before hand. Maybe she's just attracted to the kind
of
person Nash is? Who knows? A lot of people are attracted to the "weirdest"
things sometimes. The crush took over the fact that he sort of insulted
her
work and she still asked him anyway. When you're around someone you like
so
much you can't help but be fooled by them. I can't really explain it, but
I
can understand why she still asked him to dinner. And I guess if you love
someone as much as Alicia loved John, then you would stick with them
through
anything. Even how distant he became, she still stuck with
him.
Moving on, I think Ed Harris is, as always, great. Harris continues to
prove
that, simply because he's flawless. With delusions like these, no wonder
Nash was torn between treatment and "spying."
Simply put, A Beautiful Mind is a film which extends far beyond the 2
hours
and 15 minutes that you will spend viewing it in the theater. The
characters
continued to haunt me after the movie (and still do), thanks to the
Oscar-inducing performances by Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and all of
the supporting players. They are not merely acting, yet are transformed
into
the characters, leaving no trace of a line between their part and
reality.
Of course a film is only as good as a screenplay would allow, and the
story
contained within is written in a way that compliments everything that is
truly great about A Beautiful Mind. Ron Howard contributes truly inspiring
work to this film, and I hope that the critics remember him when awards
are
being given out.
All I can tell you now is that if you're looking for an
emotionally-charged
movie that will make you cry, but still filters in some very funny moments
as to lighten things up every now and then, with near perfect acting,
cinematography, directing, editing and a screenplay which will cause the
story of John Nash to inspire you, then consider A Beautiful
Mind.
I hope a lot of people see this film. Not just because Russell Crowe is a
hunk or because it's a Ron Howard piece, but because you will learn
something important. You will learn why compassion is an absolute must
when
dealing with the mentally ill. You won't glare at the next person you see
muttering to themselves. And when someone you love is dealing with a
disorder, be it schizophrenia or depression, you won't ask them to "pull
themselves together." You will understand why they need your love --
because
they are just as confused as you are.
In closing, if Russell Crowe isn't awarded the Best Actor Oscar this year,
then my faith in movies and its rewards system will be seriously
tarnished.
180 out of 223 people found the following review useful:
A Beautiful Movie
Author:
Boyo-2
17 December 2001
I think its a good idea to know as little as possible about this movie
before seeing it. Now that I've seen it, the commercials on television
seem
to be giving away too much. With that in mind DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU
HAVEN'T SEEN IT!
Its a hard movie to pinpoint. Its not like any other movie I've ever
seen,
in that a character exists that is not real. John Nash's mind is the
reality of the movie and its not until the movie is half over that you
realize this and its jarring that you've been taken on a ride with this
man's illness, and accepted it as the real world. Its also a very
heartbreaking thing.
From the middle point, John and you see the world differently because he
starts to receive treatment.
Russell Crowe does not overdo it for a minute and turns in his customary
brilliant performance. Would not surprise me at all if he were to win his
second Best Actor Oscar in March 2002. He really is that good.
Just as good but with less screen time is the beautiful and beautifully
talent Jennifer Connelly, who the world may finally get to see in a
mainstream movie. Her chemistry with Crowe is vital to the movie and
neither of them disappoint the audience at all in that respect.
I enjoyed it immensely and felt like I had seen a movie when it was over.
I
was shown a person at their best and the worse and everything in between,
by
a masterful actor at the top of his game.
I am sure Ron Howard deserves a lot of credit that he won't get, too.
151 out of 197 people found the following review useful:
Direction makes it beautiful
Author:
(susan_may21) from Midwest, US
5 September 2002
"A Beautiful Mind" is an exceptional story, but it is only and exceptional
film because of its director. Ron Howard does an amazing job of engaging
his audience, introducing a brilliant main character, and making the
audience experience the reality of mental illness. This could have been
an
unbelievable story to which very people could relate; however, the
directorial mastery Howard exhibits throughout allows the audience to
accompany Nash on his journey and awareness of his illness. Anyone who
has
been close to the frailties of the human mind will appreciate how
respectfully and honestly this film approaches the subject. Howard is
able
to portray all the complex reactions to mental illness while maintaining
the
humanity and dignity of the patient. Superbly directed, wonderfully acted
by Crowe and cast, this film succeeds on every level.
I wasn't actually planning on going to see "A Beautiful Mind" in the first
place, but as it was, I was convinced by the friend that accompanied me
that
it was truly something to see.
And now, after seeing it, I thank her for that. Instead of spending two
and
a half hours watching George Clooney and Matt Damon rob casinos or Kevin
Spacey and Julianne Moore dealing with their problems in New Foundland, I
found myself pulled into another kind of story, a powerful, emotional
story
of how one man learned to battle his own demons and dazzle the
world.
"A Beautiful Mind", based on the novel by Sylvia Nasar, is the story of
John
Forbes Nash Jr., the genius mathematician, whose life suddenly takes a
turn
for the worse when he is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. After
fierce
battles with his inner self, he overcomes this and returns to win the
Nobel
Prize in 1994 for his brakethrough game theory in economics that he had
been
working on during his years in Princeton University in the
1950s.
John Nash, portrayed very well by the versatile and brilliant Russell
Crowe,
is a partly shy, yet ironic and sometimes even arrogant, gifted young
student studying in Princeton University in the late 1940s. He dedicates
his
time to numbers and equations, set on to solving every problem at hand,
rather than mingling with co-students on the football field or in the
pub.
Nash is later on introduced to Sylvia (played by the lovely Jennifer
Connely), a physics student attending his classes. She helps Nash to open
up
and eventually discover love.
Enter William Parcher (played by Ed Harris), a shadowy and mysterious
agent
working for the Department of Defense. Parcher, after realizing Nash's
ability to see mathematical and geometrical patterns everywhere,
approaches
Nash with a mission that involves national security.
Now, amidst his work and relationship, Nash is suddenly thrown into a
whirlwind of emotions and disbeliefs as he is diagnosed with paranoid
schizophrenia. And this is the part where "A Beautiful Mind" truly shines:
in portraying the disorder from Nash's own point of view. In a powerful
and
emotional way, it shows the viewer how difficult an illness like this can
be
to not only face, but overcome, something that people today may not always
realize.
Before seeing this movie, I must admit that I was a bit afraid that
casting
such a well-known actor as Russell Crowe as the main character would ruin
the image of John Nash, forcing the viewer to see Crowe, rather than Nash.
This is a common problem when dealing with famous actors, but to my
surprise, it didn't much bother me much. And the same goes for Ed
Harris.
As a movie, "A Beautiful Mind" is absolutely great (It is so much more,
but
I cannot find the words to praise it enough, so I will simply go with
"great" =).
Not only does it have a strong point and an importaint message to the
viewer, but it delivers it in a touching and sensitive, partly even
humourous kind of way, with the help of powerful actors, a great
screenplay
and even a few special effects to boost it up.
So for anyone whose grown tired of the consant pointless action-movies out
there, and instead want to immerse themselves into a character-driven
story
that might actually bring a tear to your eyes, I sincerily recommend "A
Beautiful Mind".
103 out of 144 people found the following review useful:
A Beautiful Film
Author:
shanfloyd from India
18 January 2003
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
It's not that common people knew John Forbes Nash jr., a Princeton
mathematician after he recieved Nobel Prize for his "Game Theory". It's
not
that people started to know him after Sylvia Nasar wrote his biography.
What
made John Nash a household name is Ron Howard's brilliant direction and
Russell Crowe's excellent performance as the scizophrenic
genious.
Russell Crowe exceeds all of his past performances in this film. He did
not
act as Nash, he became Nash. His facial expression while solving a
problem,
his innocent and shy smile during romantic sequences and his vacant look
during the time of scizophrenia are in a word magnificient, and shockingly
original. Jennifer Connelly also put a beautiful performance as his
devoted
wife Alicia. The actings of these two are the core of success of this
film.
I am still in a dark why Crowe is denied his Oscar for the best actor.
Ron Howard changed the original story in some places a bit, but only to
make
it more enjoyable. His main goal was to feature Nash's point of view to
his
world and he has succeeded totally. The shot in the cafe` where Nash first
understands the significance of the application of his theory is
brilliantly
taken and is the best example of Howard's genious as a filmmaker. The
make-up throughout the film is drop-dead gorgeous as they showed Nash and
Alicia aging in the course of the film. Thus the Russell Crowe in the
beginning and the Russell Crowe in the end become two different entities
due
to the superb art of the make-up artists.
A Beautiful Mind will be considered one of the best biopics ever. It is
dramatic, descriptive, detailed, reflective, enthusiastic, heroic and in
all, a beautiful film. 10/10.
100 out of 139 people found the following review useful:
Le génie frise la folie / genius is close kin to madness
Author:
Philippe Bruneau from Charlottetown, Canada
7 January 2002
A poorly tailored trailer does not begin to describe what
is
one man's journey from the heaven of clear thought to the
hell
of schizophrenia.
Russell Crowe does an excellent role as John Nash, a mathematician
who revolutionizes Group Theory, only to have his mind crash
into confused and split views of the world.
Jennifer Connelly is superb as his wife. It is through her that we
begin
to understand the range of problems and pittfalls Nash is facing,
most
of his own devising. She deserves an Oscar, period.
The director has arranged beautiful 'red herrings' to kept
viewers
guessing and it works suprisingly well. Ron Howard's best work to
date.
A beautiful movie to decribe a beautiful mind.
81 out of 107 people found the following review useful:
Crowe Does It Again!
Author:
ccthemovieman-1 from United States
1 February 2006
The more I watch Russell Crowe, the more I am becoming a big fan of his
acting talent. Here again, he demonstrates his skills in a role that
had me spellbound. Of course, mentally-ill people are usually
fascinating. Look how popular the cable television show "Monk" has
become.
Crowe's character, mathematician John Nash, is not nearly as eccentric
as "Monk," but his schizophrenia makes for a fascinating portrait of a
very troubled man. This is another of those Ron Howard
based-on-a-true-story films, so don't take everything here as gospel
truth....because it ain't so. (One example: in real life, Nash's wife
was anything but as supportive as Jennifer Connelly was portrayed
here.)
The first time I saw this film I was disappointed. Maybe I expected
more, maybe I felt the story was unfair to the viewer and I felt like
this was just one more attempt at Liberal Hollywood to make fun of
those in the 1950s who were opposed to Communism. Well, on the second
viewing, just a few weeks ago, I didn't have a problem with any of
those things, just enjoying the performances and the classy-looking
cinematography, thanks to one of the best cameramen in the business,
Roger Deakins. I'm not always a fan of director Ron Howard, but his
films are usually interesting and pleasing to the eye. He and Crowe
seem to be a good pair, too, as witnessed by 2005's "Cinderella Man."
For those who enjoy a cerebral thriller, this is a very intriguing
film. Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Judd Hirsch, Josh Lucas
and Anthony Rapp all deliver solid supporting help and, if you haven't
seen this, this story will deliver a big surprise. If you know the
ending, a second viewing is even more interesting as you trace Nash's
actions from the beginning.
68 out of 83 people found the following review useful:
Powerful, quiet, effortless Crowe
Author:
Dan Franzen (dfranzen70) from United States
23 January 2002
A Beautiful Mind
Director Ron Howard has experience in playing with his audience's
heartstrings. Remember in Apollo 13, when the fate of the astronauts was
uncertain? (Ok, so if you remember your recent history, you knew.... but
still!) Or remember in Parenthood, when Steve Martin's kid was about to
make
the crucial catch? Ol Opie can still pluck those strings with the best of
them. (And you know, he'll never stop being called Opie, even by those of
us
who never saw The Andy Griffith Show during its initial run.) And plucking
heartstrings is not a bad thing at all, not when you can do it in such a
sincere, noncloying way as the masterful Beautiful Mind presents to its
viewers.
John Nash is a mathematics prodigy who has a decided knack at solving
previously unsolvable problems. He's socially dysfunctional, rarely
looking
anyone in the eye, but pours all of his energy - and soul - into producing
one original idea, an idea that will distinguish him from all of the other
mathemathical minds at Princeton University.
But John, like most who have had movies made about them, had his ups and
downs.
He meets and falls for a beautiful student of his named Alicia (Jennifer
Connelly), and they produce a baby. But John also suffers from tremendous
delusions and is diagnosed with a form of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia's a
tough disease, folks - it's still not fully understood, and Nash was
diagnosed with it in the middle of last century. He spends time in a
sanitarium, as doctors struggle to find a cure.
Russell Crowe is absolutely powerful as the confused and confusing Nash.
Although the marquee says "Russell Crowe", you'll immediately forget this
is
the hunky guy from Gladiator. I mean after all, he's playing some nerdy
scientist dude! But Crowe completely disappears in the role, and he's
unforgettable. Actors kill for roles like this one, because it gives them
a
chance to show off their acting chops. For many actors, this is the kiss
of
death, because then they're exposed as poor thespians. But not for Crowe;
if
anything, this proves once and for all that he's a grand master of acting.
I
realize that sounds like overkill for him, but I think that when actors
are
labeled as a "hunk" - their skills as actors aren't seen as very
substantial. Hey, looking darn good worked against Tom Selleck, and to a
degree it has worked against Crowe as well.
And he ages well, too. The movie takes place over a fairly extended period
of time, ending with Nash's acceptance of the Nobel Prize in 1994. The
makeup on Nash is neither garish nor schmaltzy; he looks completely
genuine.
And that's the essence of Crowe's performance. It's sincere, never trying
to
win over the audience with a sly wink here or a toss of the hair there.
Crowe shows remarkable poise, elegance, and is utterly astounding in the
role.
His supporting cast is more than able. Jennifer Connelly is better than I
thought she would be; in most roles, she's the eye candy. But this role
had
meat to it, and she held her own. It wasn't an easy role to play, and she
pulled it off. And her scenes with Crowe do have that movie magic that
each
of us looks for when we go to movies, that one moment, that compatible
chemistry that leaves audiences mesmerized.
And yes, this does have some very, very touching moments. The final scene,
while predictable (even if you don't know the outcome in real life), will
bring more than one tear to the eye. Yes, I'll admit it, it got me right
here. But it's okay; I did that old 'guy-crying-in-movie-theater' trick.
If
you feel the brime falling from the lid, you make a motion toward your
cheek
and then you scratch vigorously; people might think you have a skin
infection and move away slowly, but at least they won't think you're a
girly
man.
At any rate, it's certainly one of the best movies of the year.
Everything's
in place: the direction, the photography, and especially the
acting.
58 out of 67 people found the following review useful:
Tour de Force acting.
Author:
Dawn_Of_The_Hippies
1 December 2007
Ron Howard has certainly matured over the past years. From lighthearted
flicks such as Splash, Gun-Ho and Willow to successfully done dramas:
Backdraft, Apollo 13, Ransom, Edtv (just kidding folks) and now, A
Beautiful Mind. This movie won 4 Oscars including Best Picture. Even
though the movie only won 1 deserved Oscar for Best Writing, (Best
director in my mind was David Lynch and Best Movie was without a shadow
of a doubt Gosford Park), the academy gave the Best Actor award to
Denzel's mainstream performance on Training Day, which I thought was
comical. Don't get me wrong, Denzel was a superb bad guy, but Russell
easily outacted him, his best performance. A Beautiful Mind is an
incredible achievement, the acting is perfect and even if the script
gets overly Hollywoodized at times,(term I use that means cheesy
Hollywood moments a la Titanic) it still is an incredible experience
from beginning to end.
The movie follows the real life of John Forbes Nash Jr, a math genius
that suffered over the years due to schizophrenia. It details the rises
and falls of Nash, the love of his life Alishia and his closest
friends. The script is very well written, keeping you on your toes at
all times. And for those who haven't seen it, the twist is incredible.
I wont spoil anything other than you need to pay very close attention.
The acting as I said is exceptional. Everyone does their roles to utter
perfection. Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Christopher Plummer, Adam
Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Judd Hirsh...everyone; an incredible supporting
cast that sadly didn't receive any nods from the academy, but the
academy are pretentious snobs anyways. The beautiful Jennifer Connelly
acted marvelously as the wife suffering because of his husband's
condition. You feel for her on more than one occasion. And Russel Crowe
gives the best performance of 2001. From his trouble at walking, to the
way he talks, to his constant nervousness and when he is on the brink
of insanity is all acted brilliantly. Not so many actors do perfect
roles in their careers. Russel achieved his. Romper Stomper was his
best performance, but with A Beautiful Mind, he breaks new ground. This
IS his best performance.
The editing and cinematography are pure eye candy. Very crisp and
bright colors highlighting the enormous production value. The ever
great James Horner composes an incredible soundtrack, his second best.
The things that bothered me with the movie is well, the over glamorized
clichés that seems to form part in dramas. For example: the stars in
the sky scene. I could smell the cheese from my living room. Still,
this is one of Ron's best movies in his ever growing A list
filmography. Ron is good at these types of movies, the big-budget
heartlifting dramas. Perfect performances, great script, great music,
and overall, an excellent movie. 9/10.
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