A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Directed by: Ron Howard | 135 minutes | drama, biography | Actors: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, Josh Lucas, Anthony Rapp, Jason Gray-Stanford, Judd Hirsch, Austin Pendleton, Vivien Cardone, Jill M. Simon, Victor Steinbach, Tanya Clarke

You’ll just be a genius mathematician, who needs the most complicated formulas for even the simplest decisions in life – what clothes to wear today, what to eat tonight. John Forbes Nash Jr. is such a man. The Nobel Prize winner gave permission to have his life story filmed, after which lead actor Russell Crowe was allowed to meet Nash. Reportedly, it took the mathematician fifteen minutes to decide whether he wanted to drink coffee or tea during his rendezvous with Crowe. The film capitalizes on this incident in a scene where Nash can’t decide whether to have a cup of tea. It illustrates Nash’s obsession with numbers, formulas and mathematical calculations. ‘A Beautiful Mind’ (2001) was the big winner at that year’s Oscars, where it won prizes for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. Crowe narrowly missed the gold statuette (it went to Denzel Washington for “Training Day”), but he certainly deserved it.

‘A Beautiful Mind’ not only outlines Nash’s genius but also his schizophrenia. We get to know him during his college years at the renowned Princeton University, where he is an eccentric figure. He doesn’t go to classes. Not only because he is then taught things that he already knows, but also because he has something else on his mind. He is trying to find a formula that can explain the coherence in the universe. He spends his days solving mathematical calculations, resulting in a controversial thesis with which he wants to shake up the entire science. But as he withdraws more and more into his world of numbers and formulas, his paranoia grows. He becomes delusional and is convinced that the government has hired him to track down codes that point to the location of a Russian atomic bomb on American soil. Much to the chagrin of his pregnant wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), who does not know what to do with her increasingly delusional husband.

‘A Beautiful Mind’ is Russell Crowe in top form. He portrays the genius John Nash convincingly and lifelike; both while figuring out mathematical theories and later in the film when he tries to overcome his internal demons. However, the star of the film is Jennifer Connelly. In her supporting role as Alicia, Nash’s wife, she sublimely portrays a woman who both fears and loves her husband. He rightly received an Oscar for best supporting actress for this performance. The excellent cast is completed by the ever solid Ed Harris, Paul Bettany and Christopher Plummer. However, Akiva Goldsman’s screenplay is what actually makes this movie memorable. Of course things are a bit romanticized by Hollywood standards, that’s not the point. Goldsman uses a clever trick that seems to mislead the viewer at first glance. In reality, this manipulation takes the public into Nash’s mindset. Reality is simply distorted to show how Nash sees the world. A brilliant find, deservedly awarded an Oscar.

Strong acting and a special script: in the case of ‘A Beautiful Mind’ it is sufficient for a top film. Russell Crowe had to dig very deep for this role but once again profiles himself as one of the best actors of his generation. Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris complete the picture.