A Beautiful Mind
Review
by : Gareth Von Kallenbach
Starring:
Russell Crowe (John Nash), Jennifer
Connelly (Alicia), Ed Harris (Parcher),
Directed by: Ron Howard
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Following the end of World War II the world was gripped in
a fear that lasted into the 1990s. that was known as the "Cold
War" and resulted as mass panic that was spread by the media
regarding the threat of Communism. Entire communities of sane
and rational people began to see Communist agents lurking
everywhere and even went so far as to blame innocent people
of being in league or sympathetic to Communist ideologies.
While
a time of deep fears, it was also a time of great secrets
that were conceived and created by some of the greatest minds
of our times. In some cases, people were asked to live secret
lives and keep the nature of their work hidden from everyone,
including their spouses. It was the work of great minds in
secret that brought on the end of World War II by the creation
of the atomic bomb, and the threat of Communism drove the
government to new heights of security.
In "A
Beautiful Mind" viewers are taken to 1947 and introduced to
a young man named John Nash (Russell Crowe) who attended Princeton
University on a scholarship. A brilliant man, who lacked social
skills and the discipline to attend class, Nash nevertheless
continued to seek for his original idea that would set him
apart from his peers.
Despite
being ridiculed by his peers for his lack of charm and social
skills, Nash made a few friends amongst his peer group and
set about to disprove an economic theory that had stood as
the basis for all economics for 150 years. John's hard work
pays off as he proves his theory and shows the flaws and new
solutions for the old beliefs. The discovery is hailed by
his teachers and peers as a brilliant discovery and soon lands
Nash a coveted position at a top defense laboratory. It is
while working at the lab that John receives a mysterious visitor
who asks him to help break a complex Russian code. John is
able to solve the code in no time at all, and is soon working
for the Defense Department undercover as a code breaker. The
uncanny skill that John displays attracts the attention of
Parcher (Ed Harris), a secret operative who oversees John
and his assignments. It seems that that Johns lack family
and friends is a desirable trait, as he has nothing to distract
him from his work nor compromise national security.
John seems
very content in his work and all is fine in his life. While
teaching a class, John meets a beautiful young lady named
Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), and the two soon fall in love
and marry. Just when things should be perfect in John's life,
his secret life starts to interfere on his normal life, and
drives John to the edge of sanity.
The brilliant
John Nash who is capable of solving the most difficult and
complex equations known to man, and is now having to come
to grips with what his life has become as the lines between
reality and fantasy start to blur, and the clarity and order
of his equations becomes unraveled as does his life.
The film
is directed by Ron Howard from a script by Akiva Goldsman
and is based on the real life story of John Nash that was
chronicled in the book of the same name by Sylvia Nasar. Howard's
directing is strong and he paces the film brilliantly. The
life of Nash is gripping, and Howard allows the audience to
develop a bond between the characters at a steady pace and
shows their strengths as well as their flaws. The real story
of the film is Crowe who gives a brilliant performance as
Nash. He is gripping, and able to transform himself into his
character so completely that he becomes Nash and viewers will
forget that he is playing a role. Crowe deserves to get an
Academy Award nomination for his performance, which is superior
to his Oscar winning role in "Gladiator".
The film
shows the triumph and tragedy of life, as well as the beauty
of the human spirit to overcome and survive. An effective
and very good film and the supporting roles portrayed by Harris
and Connelly are strong and compelling, as they support but
never overpower the brilliant performance of Crowe in this
Oscar worthy film.
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Gareth@nwlink.com
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