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Review by Jack Foley |
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On first appearances, a true story about the life of a socially inept mathematics
genius who later develops paranoid schizophrenia and resolves to fight back
sounds like pretty tedious viewing.
But in the hands of Oscar-winner Russell Crowe, it becomes a thoroughly engrossing,
even emotional, two hour-plus movie experience which has rightly landed its
talented star with another Academy Award nomination.
Inspired by events in the life of John Forbes Nash Jr, and in part based on
the biography A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar, the movie chronicles the years
which led to Forbes' pioneering work in the field of game theory, his brief
stint as a CIA code breaker, his battle against schizophrenia and his subsequent
acceptance of the Nobel Prize in Economic Science in 1994.
But while credit must go to director Ron Howard for delivering an absorbing,
even exceptional, movie, there remains a niggling doubt that this is not the
whole story.
Indeed, further investigation into the real life of John Nash reveals an even
more complex character than the one depicted on-screen, one which included
involvements with other men, a secret mistress and a neglected, illegitimate
son. None of this even warrants a mention.
A Beautiful Mind is in no way the definitive story of John Forbes Nash Jr
and it is important to keep this in mind while viewing.
What it is, however, is a well-directed, strongly written, character-driven
piece which has its eye firmly on gaining the keys to the Academy - it gained
eight nominations recently.
Howard, up for best director, does well to keep things lively, throwing in
elements of romance, conspiracy theory and triumph against the odds while
in no way succumbing to the type of sickly sweet sentiment which dogged much
of his earlier work (Far and Away, for example). He even manages a neat twist
half way through proceedings, which really keeps viewers on their toes.
The
film is also well-served by a stellar cast, who rise to the challenge presented
by the difficult material. Of particular note is Jennifer Connelly's Oscar-nominated
turn as Nash's devoted wife, as well as Paul Bettany, last seen as Geoff Chaucer
in A Knight's Tale, again on terrific
form as Nash's best friend.
The likes of Christopher Plummer, Ed Harris, Adam Goldberg and Josh Lucas
round out an established cast, but there is no escaping the fact that this
is Crowe's movie.
After career-making performances in LA
Confidential, The
Insider and Gladiator, the actor
again re-defines himself and turns in a tour-de-force as the troubled genius.
At times egotistical, at others remote, Crowe is never less than sympathetic
and his attempts to overcome a disease still referred to as a 'cancer of the
mind' make for terrific viewing.
He is phenomenal and his efforts help turn A Beautiful Mind into a flawed
but beautiful movie.
A Beautiful Mind opens in the West End on Feb 22, and nationwide on March
1. Advance previews take place on Sunday, Feb 24
