I
was recently asked why my reviews are somewhat basic and
to the point. Just in case anyone else was wondering I'll
tell you why... When I see a film for the first time, I
will generally have no idea about what I'm about to see.
No preconceptions and therefore no opinions formed. And
that's what it should be like for you too, dear reader.
Far
be it from me to spoil your fun.
On
now to this weeks in-depth analysis… Set in 1947 Princeton,
we are first introduced to America's new generation of mathematical
intellects, the most intriguing member of which is John
Nash Jnr. (Russell Crowe) - "The mysterious West Virginia
genius", as he is labelled.
Obsessed
with discovering a new and undiscovered concept, Nash avoids
attending classes instead choosing to fixate on this seemingly
impossible goal. One night while out having a few beers,
his friends begin flirting with a gorgeous blonde girl,
and suddenly John Nash has his brilliant idea come into
focus.
His subsequent paper on game theory - the mathematics of
competition - boldly contradicts the principles of Adam
Smith, the father of modern economics. One hundred and fifty
years of accepted thought is abruptly outdated, and Nash's
life is changed forever.
The
first change being offered a lecturing position at MIT -
a prestigious job indeed. Always looking for more however,
Nash gets involved with the US Government through a shady
military official by the name of William Parcher (Ed Harris)
and is soon breaking complex codes. Another life changing
event is his encountering Alicia Larde (Jennifer Connelly),
who he later marries.
I
won't even begin to go into the complexities of A Beautiful
Mind as I would baffle myself even thinking about it. Its
core story twists enough to keep you on the edge of your
seat right till the very end. Sometimes confusing though
and you may get lost in the plot and wonder what is real
and what is fantasy.
A
tough suspense to maintain, but Russell Crowe is amazing
as John Nash. Indeed Jennifer Connelly's engaging beauty
helps her play the role of the troubled wife with ease.
In actual fact, the entire cast contribute to this film
in their own special ways. Bewildering, emotional and utterly
compelling - A Beautiful Mind is a beautiful film. No wonder
then that it has been nominated for 8 Academy Awards.
Verdict:
(5 stars out of 5) Wayne Cronin.
A
Beautiful Mind is on general release from March 1st 2002
Running Time: 134 mins Cert: tbc
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