A Beautiful Mind

Review by Clint Morris

Like the titular human expanse, Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind is an unreserved weight of acumen and answers ingeniously shared with the blueprint for love.

Inputted into a calculator of motion-picture superiority, this poignant true-life story adds star power, subtracts clichés, divides tears with tension and multiplies it with wondrous words. The premeditated outcome can be found on the screen.

Adapted from a biography of the same name by Sylvia Nasar, A Beautiful Mind is the story of John Forbes Nash Jr the mathematics intellectual who formulated the notion of game theory, which became an underpinning for present-day economics. During the Cold War, Nash developed schizophrenia and became delusional and mistrustful, but recovered and won a 1994 Nobel Prize.

Opening in Princeton in 1948, diffident and twitchy wonder child Nash (Russell Crowe) finds himself in a world where competition reigns superlative and infamy seems to be measured by your amalgamation of mathematical proficiency and charisma. Slotting into his own circle of friends - Nash ultimately becomes the poster child for mathematical geniuses, in spite of the covetousness of some fellow classmates.

Cut to several years later and Nash is now a teacher at the prominent MIT. He's swept student Alicia (Jennifer Connelly) off her feet, and surrounded with admirers.

But still Nash buries his head in herds of books searching for that original idea. Throw in an offer to work as a Spy for an undercover sector of the Government - and Nash's mind starts to overwork with specifics, statistics and vision. What in Nash's life really exists? And what can be put down to the form of schizophrenia Nash has developed?

Delicately handled but far from a clichéd gushy biopic, Howard's A Beautiful Mind is a sensation. From its well goaded screenplay by Akiva Goldsmith to it's rousing music from James "Titanic" Horner and it's fundamental themes of friendship, love and acceptance - this is quite a movie.

Russell Crowe is a tour de force. He totally immerses the character of Nash, and once again - following a successful transformation in The Insider - can convincingly act and look like a man that ages 47 years in the film. His performance is heartbreakingly human, and unblemished.

Jennifer Connelly, as Alicia, is a marvel. Alicia's battle, just as much as her husbands, is felt as clear as day - and the chemistry Connelly shares with Crowe is inescapably authentic.

The supporting cast are all also superb, notably Ed Harris who is perfect in the role of puzzling agent Parcher, Paul Bettany as long-time accompany Charles, and greenhorn Josh Lucas (You Can Count on Me) as adversary turned somewhat redeemer Hansen.

Mix these folk into a movie that's full of emotion yet cumbersome with detail and integrity, and you have one of the finest films any of the cast have appeared in. Will Hunting was good, but John Nash is beautiful.

4.5 out of 5

A Beautiful Mind
Australian release: Commences Thursday 7th March across Australia
Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, Paul Bettany, Christopher Plummer, Josh Lucas, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp.
Director: Ron Howard.
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