Film Review: A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Few films can serve as dictionary illustration for phrase “Oscar bait” as A Beautiful Mind, 2001 biopic directed by Ron Howard. Reason for that is not only in its Oscar-grabbing content, but also because planting such content on screen bore fruit resulting in film winning prestigious golden statue.

The plot is based on eponymous non-fiction book by Sylvia Nasar, dedicated to the life of John Nash, famous mathematician and Nobel Laureate for Economics. The plot begins in 1947 with Nash (played by Russell Crowe) as young and extremely talented math student at prestigious Princeton University. He excels at his studies and develops so-called “Nash equilibrium”, concept that would be used in game theory. His works get him position within MIT and later he starts secret cryptographic work for Pentagon under the leadership of government official William Parcher (played by Ed Harris). Nash also falls in love with Alicia (played by Jennifer Connelly), one of his students, and later marries her. He is, however, becoming increasingly concerned that is being followed by Soviet agents until psychiatrist Dr. Rosen (played by Christopher Plummer) discovers that the source of Nash’s woes is something both more mundane and more sinister.

A Beautiful Mind had single purpose – to win Hollywood actors, who make the main voting bloc of Academy, by being focused on acting performance based around physical or mental affliction. In this case it was schizophrenia and it actually didn’t even originate as a story about Nash. Director Ron Howard wanted to make the film about Michael Laudor, schizophrenic who, despite his diagnosis, had managed to graduate from Yale Law School. Before the start of production Laudor has killed his fiancee, thus depriving Howard of happy ending to the story. Howard and his old associate, producer Brian Grazer, decided to depict the life of another famous schizophrenic who, unlike Laudor, managed to restore his sanity and live something resembling happy life. The formula worked like clockwork, even with Oscar campaign turning unusually nasty with Grazer’s competitors telling voters about Nash’s messy private life, illegitimate children, divorces, homosexuality and occasional anti-Semitic outbursts. A Beatiful Mind has won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Like many Oscar-winning films in recent decades, A Beatiful Mind isn’t likely to be remembered as some sort of cinema masterpiece. Howard, one of the most experienced Hollywood film makers, however, does solid work and makes the plot goes very smoothly. Even the script by Akiva Goldsman, writer responsible for catastrophic Batman & Robin, succeeds into making Nash’s life story look interesting and easy to follow, despite many simplifications and straying from actual historical record (with Nash himself commenting that the film was good, although not about him). The main work, as it was expected, was done by actors. Russell Crowe is very good in one of the most demanding roles of his career, during which he had to play the same character with different ages and different levels of mental health. Jenniffer Connelly, one of the most beautiful and glamorous Hollywood actresses of her generation, is also good in the role of Nash’s wife (although some people accused producers of “whitewashing” due to real Alicia being Salvadorean). Supporting cast is also very good, including Paul Bettany (who would later marry Connelly in real life) as Nash’s friend and Ed Harris in another role of sinister government operative. A Beautiful Mind is mildly entertaining, but the most fascinating aspect of Nash’s life – his mathematical concept and work on game theory – is all but ignored in film, probably due to Hollywood producers being unable to grasp it and believing that the general audience is even less able to do so. Nash has deserved a much better film while audience is most likely to associate Oscars with more popular films that actually stand the test of time.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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