A Beautiful Mind [DVD] [2002]

Ron Howard's Biopic of mathematician John Nash is a triumph in all departments. Yes the story is incomplete and some parts of John's life have been left out, but this is a good thing as a true and faithful account of anybodies whole life would not be a movie, it would be a documentary. Luckily for us the writers have decided what is important and what is not, and as a result of that disciplined approach have written a film that is superb from beginning to the end. Following John's life from 1948 at Princeton to the Nobel Prize 46 years later we learn about his overwhelming desire to come up with a truly unique and original idea that over time drives him to near insanity. Not what you might think would make a riveting and memorable film that won four Oscars including Best Picture 10 years ago. However you would be wrong. Ron Howard handles a delicate and not on the face of it, commercial subject with authority. He ensnares the viewer with flair and imaginative visuals, not to compensate for a dull story as some other directors do, but to enhance our feeling of involvement. When John starts to hallucinate we are at first not aware of it, just like John, later when we learn a little more, we are. This technique gave me a feeling of being part of the story, rather than just a passive viewer from outside. James Horner's wonderful Oscar nominated Score is now on my CD shelf and is played often. A beautiful haunting and mischievous piece that compliments the film no end. It is however in the end a film that will succeed of fail based on the leading man who takes on the role. That man was Russell Crowe. Whether you love or loath him Russell gives his best performance ever by some margin and it is a disgrace that he lost out on the Best Actor Oscar. He should have walked it. Sometimes films just come along and just seem to work even when you think the shouldn't. This is one of those films.

If you haven't seen this movie, I do not want to give spoilers in my review, so I will just say that this is a great story and a lovely journey. It is the story of John Nash, a maths prodigy who has changed the way in which we view the world. However, this story, while it does say a little about the math, is a much bigger story. It is a poignant love story. It is a story about friendship and how friendships endure despite the problems they undergo. It is a story about paranoia (a large part is set in the 50s/60s America when the populace felt threatened by the USSR and by nuclear bombs) It's a story about mental health and illness. It is a story about success - even when we think we have failed. It's heart-warming, sad, funny, roller-coaster of a brilliant ride. Well written, well acted, well directed and best of all, true.

I kept missing this film and I am really glad I made a point of buying it on DVD. I really enjoyed it and Russell Crowe is great - as ever. What a pity that the mathematician does not seem to have been as sympathetic in real life, although I suppose it would have ruined the story's "Ah factor" if the marriage ended much earlier in divorce....as it really did. Still, watched as partly fiction, it was an enjoyable experience which I would recommend.

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Just exactly as it says, a truly wonderful film, that can be watched again & again, a serious classic.

Know this film very well and use if frequently as part of a Schizophrenia module in A level psychology - it depicts schizophrenia an a way which raises understanding and treats it seriously rather than parodying the symptoms. In my view the main performances (Crowe, Connelly and Harris) are outstanding and the story is well paced, I also like the way it requires attention to what is going on on screen. It's however a film and some of the criticisms about it being a sanitised version of John Nash's life may well be justified, but that does not detract from the overall achievement of a watchable film which clarifies some of the issues with the condition, as well as mapping the life of an influential mathematician.

I think this may be Russell Crowe's standout performance. Forget Gladiator, this actually showed that he could act. I love this film, perhaps because I can relate to the main character a little more than I really should be able too. This is a fantastic film about one of the greatest mathematicians of all time. The kind of people films should be made about. The recent film 'The Man Who Knew Infinity' is very similar, and also a thing of beauty. A Beautiful Mind is a powerful yet touching movie, that allows you a glimpse into the broken mind of a genius. This is definitely a film that you can watch again and again and get something new from it every time. I love it.

Absolutely brilliant, a truly inspired true account of a troubled mind and the consequences for himself and his family. It shows what it's like to live in a world that no-one else can see, touch, or believe in. How can you get across to 'them' on the outside of your world that what you are experiencing is REAL, that is, real to you anyway. I thought this was a wonderful way to not only explore the world of mental health issues, but to SHOW other people what it looks like and feels like to those experiencing it.