Ron
Howard has often been one of my favorite film makers. Sure, the guy has seen his
share of misfires (see Gung Ho or last year's less than impressive take on the
Grinch), but when he's at the top of his game (see The Paper, Parenthood, Apollo
13 etc.), his movies can be big winners. Such is the case with A Beautiful Mind,
an extremely creative effort that finds the director at his very best. This is
the true story of John Forbes Nash Jr. (Russell Crowe), a genius mathematician
that would go on to win the Nobel Prize in the 90's. Starting with his days at
Princeton University, A Beautiful Mind deftly shows how this man struggled with
his genius and a long bout with schizophrenia. The film's major focus involves
he and his wife (Jennifer Connelly) and their determination to help Forbes with
his seemingly unsolvable problem.
Crowe
is fantastic here, showing what a talented force he can be. Although my favorite
Crowe performance remains his spectacular turn in The Insider, this ranks right
up there. This is not only a beautifully skilled physical performance, but a deeply
complex one as well. Connelly is also spectacular as Forbes' sympathetic wife,
a woman that would never leave her man's side. From her nostalgic turn in The
Rocketeer, to her gut wrenchingly realistic heroin addict in Requiem For a Dream,
this terrific actress is on the verge of stardom. A Beautiful Mind also benefits
from fantastic supporting players, most notably Paul Bettany (A Knight's Tale)
as Forbes' well spoken room mate and Ed Harris as a mysterious government official.
Ron
Howard has found an extremely creative and effective way to get inside Forbes'
head so the audience can understand the pain and confusion that this man went
through. While at times I was reminded of Penny Marshall's Awakenings and even
the thriller The Sixth Sense, A Beautiful Mind is ultimately an elegant and unique
movie experience. I thank the movie gods that this film's secrets have not been
given away in the trailers, a problem that is quite common, especially in Ron
Howard pictures (remember that dreadful Ransom preview that gave away one of the
movies only key plot points?)
If
I have a problem with A Beautiful Mind, it's in the screenplay by Akiva Goldsman
(a man responsible for such epics as Batman and Robin and Lost in Space). While
this is easily his strongest effort, I had reservations with it. There are a couple
of moments that are extremely heavy handed, and while Forbes is an extremely interesting
subject, there were many sides to this man that were left out of the story. The
dialogue and mathematical terminology were all realistic, but sometimes the pacing
was clumsy, particularly where the Crowe/Connelly courtship is concerned. I think
the early moments in their relationship should have been developed a bit. I am,
of course, being a little too critical because I've never been a fan of Goldsman's
work. This is a major step up for the screenwriter.
Aside
from a couple of overly sentimental moments and some dreadful make up effects,
I think A Beautiful Mind is one of Ron Howard's strongest and most restrained
works. It's a thriller, a mystery, and a love story all rolled into one, and it's
so expertly acted and directed that you can easily forgive it for it's very few
shortcomings. This is one of the best movies of the year.
Ron
Howard has often been one of my favorite film makers. Sure, the guy has seen his
share of misfires (see Gung Ho or last year's less than impressive take on the
Grinch), but when he's at the top of his game (see The Paper, Parenthood, Apollo
13 etc.), his movies can be big winners. Such is the case with A Beautiful Mind,
an extremely creative effort that finds the director at his very best. This is
the true story of John Forbes Nash Jr. (Russell Crowe), a genius mathematician
that would go on to win the Nobel Prize in the 90's. Starting with his days at
Princeton University, A Beautiful Mind deftly shows how this man struggled with
his genius and a long bout with schizophrenia. The film's major focus involves
he and his wife (Jennifer Connelly) and their determination to help Forbes with
his seemingly unsolvable problem.
