The mind is really a fascinating organ. It's fair to say that my mind can't wrap itself around 'the mind' entirely. I love biopics where the performance is so convincing that you completely forget that an actor is portraying a real life person. The actor is actually the person. In that list I have to include Russell Crowe who does a phenominal convincing performance in A Beautiful Mind. I had seen him in movies earlier and all were amazing such as Gladiator, Cinderella Man, but the way he portrayed John Nash in this movie is so special.
A Beautiful Mind is actually about a story about a man who is obsessed with making his mark in the world of mathematics trying to discover something revolutionary. Nash is a genius and at the same time he starts teaching, he also gets hired by a secret department of the U.S. government to break foreign mathematical codes. In time, Nash gets deeper and deeper into foreign secrets and codes, but something isn't right. His reality starts getting more and more confusing. Nash has developed paranoid schizophrenia and together with the audience, we are not sure who or what is real and what is not.
Pure brilliance from director Ron Howard. I have seen several "truelife" stories, but none that so strongly put you in the situation of the main character. Russell Crowe should absolutely have received an academy award for this performance, even more here than for his role in Gladiator (Tho I am absolutely glad he received Oscar for Gladiator). Jennifer Connelly who did win for best supporting actress is excellent as well in her role. Instead of Hollywood's usual interpretation of what true love is, this film was a refreshing break. It isn't all flowers and poems. Instead, sometimes it's the willingness to sacrifice and work for someone else's well being. Jennifer Connelly is probably at her best here as John's wife, Alicia and the explosion of inner rage she takes out on that bathroom mirror is probably the scene that sealed that Oscar for her. :)
On the side you have Ed Harris (one of his best performances ever) who is the secret agent whom you don't know if he is real or not. This is also one of the few movies that brings me to tears when it comes to the tea room scene at the end. It gets me every time.
Please, if any of you have skipped it for the some reasons, reconsider. There is a reason it won an academy award for best picture. This one was so well deserved and will totally blow your mind. It's excellent!
I give 100% complete fresh for this movie.
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