Review of A Beautiful Mind (2001) by Byron B — 11 Nov 2012

I knew nothing about John Nash before seeing this, so Goldsman's story and Howard's direction did keep surprising me. With Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly having starring roles I was afraid for a moment it might be like Pollock, but it is not a fair comparison.

It is a little misleading that Harris is given top billing because as an agent from a shadowy CIA-type organization he really does not have very much screen time. Connelly shines much brighter in the role of Alicia, Nash's eventual wife.

Paul Bettany is wonderful as Nash's college roommate. Lucas, Goldberg, Rapp and Gray-Stanford are some of his classmates and eventual co-workers. They all turn in great supporting performances. There are several attention grabbing shots and effects too.

Russell Crowe subtly ages as we observe most of Nash's adult life. I was caught up in his life story as things seem to be going well. It did take some time to adjust when I began to realize the effect the schizophrenia had on the way Nash saw his world, and therefore the way Howard leads us, the audience, to see his life.

The movie has moments of humor, tension and romance. It is good to see a person get the support and help they need to overcome mental illness.