Rating: 
Summary: An actor's film very well done, indeed!
Review: For anyone who appreciates a film that is character-driven and, in this case, dominated by an exceptionally strong performance, this movie is for you.The film does make stylistic film choices that may border on the sensational, but it does so in order to illuminate a character's inner emotional and intellectual turmoil. It is debatable whether a film can fully succeed in telling the story of such an illness as schizophrenia or not, since the subconscience is so interactive with the conscience that a film representation cannot take into account the other senses that are manipulated. However, the attempt is admirable. Russell Crowe is the central pivot around which this movie twists and turns, and without his nuanced performance the movie would not have succeeded half as well. It is nearly impossible to capture all of the complexities of John Nash's life in a theatrical film release. True, the film does leave out ommisions from what is an unauthorized biography. These ommisions are not grave errors. In Nasar's book, Nash's sexual proclivities practically disappear during the last forty years of his life and even though Alicia Nash does divorce Nash, she remained in close contact, eventually living with him once more until their remarriage. Would including these details in the film have added more dimension to her story? Definitely. Yet, it might have shifted Nasar's essential three act story of Genius, Madness, and Reawakening (Note: Nasar was a consultant on the film). What is not left out of the film is the complexity of John Nash, the character. We see in Crowe's performance the arrogance, conceit, unpleasantness, awkwardness, bitterness, humility and intelligence of this man. For any plot development that is left out by the filmmakers or sentimentality left to linger in its final minutes, it is Crowe's performance that fills in the details. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST movie I've seen in a LONG time!!
Review: I'm not much of a Russell Crowe fan, but went to see this movie because I had heard so many good things about it. I knew this movie was a true story about a brilliant man, but I didn't know anymore than that. I instantly got sucked into the story, which made the movie so enjoyable. I laughed, I cried, and I felt every emotion in between. I have recommended this movie to everyone I know.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Ron Howard film
Review: If you like Ron Howard's brand of feel-good films, and I typically don't, then this movie is for you. I am a fan of Russel Crowe, and I think he did a solid job considering the material he was given. But I came away from the movie feeling that something was lacking. There was no information about John Nash's past, and too much time was spent on showing the effects of Nash's illness on his life. The scenes about his illness tended to get repetitious. And, the major plot device in the movie was taken straight from The Sixth Sense (probably an attempt to get people to see this movie again). Overall, this movie was disappointing--certainly not worth all the rave reviews it is getting now. I would have given this movie three stars, but I had to give it an extra star because of Jennifer Connelly. She stole every scene she was in, and her beauty is simply incredible.
Rating:
Summary: More than entertainment!
Review: A film for mind and heart - about the reality of mental illness and the tenacity of love. Superb performances, but this is much more a journey into understanding than it is entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: A Thoughtful Film
Review: After three days, I am still heavy with a certain fullness of the mind and heart that an intelligent movie sometimes leaves in its wake. Russell Crowe was spell-binding as John Nash, demonstrating a Hoffman-esque range well beyond his pretty-boy contemporaries. The world around him was well-stocked with convincing, albeit occasionally two-dimensional, offerings from a host of both rising and established actors. The based-on-a-true-story plot was clearly carved into a more palatable form to suit this medium, as well it should be. Although omitting significant areas and portions of John Nash's life, biography is often about deciding *which* story to tell, and the screenplay has a certain admirable economy of structure. A tip of the hat to the trailer editors who didn't spoil the substance of the film. Plot developments, unexpected twists, and mysteries that could fall either way propel the storyline, which is refreshing in this movie year of well-worn fairy tales. After all is said and done, we have shared in both the beauty of genius and the anguish of mental illness. This is a Hollywood film, sugary and self-censored, but smarter and more genuine than I've seen in recent memory.
Rating:
Summary: Russell Crowe is magnificent!
Review: 'A Beautiful Mind' is easily the best film of the year 2001. Spearheaded by a wonderful performance from Russell Crowe, this film is a masterpiece from director Ron Howard. It is about Nobel prize winner Dr. John Nash, who wrote a Nobel prize winning theory during his college days, but was seriously affected by schizophrenia later. During all his struggle, his wife (played by Jennifer Connelly) stood by him. Russell Crowe plays Dr. Nash with consummate ease, effortlessly portraying his youth as well as his troubled schizophrenic days. Jennifer Connelly has supported him admirably as his wife and Ed Harris is as solid as a rock. Ron Howard's direction is very good, with the film starting slowly and then the tempo increases and peaks at the ending. All the supporting actors, especially Adam Goldberg and Paul Bettany, deserve praise for their beleivable portrayals and they make each frame of this film worth watching. Russell Crowe has always been a good actor with excellent performances in 'L.A. Confidential' and 'The Insider', but in this film, he has taken his acting to a newer, more mature level. It will hardly be a surprise if he bags his second Academy award for this performance.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but far from accurate
Review: Ron Howard made an entertaining film, but opted to change the chronolgy of many events, completely omit others and substantially change facts. There is no mention of Elenor and John Strier, his first girlfriend and firstborn son. He never goes to RAND in California and thus is never arrested in a sting to nab homosexuals. John's trips to Europe and his attempts to give up his US citizenship is never depicted. His son Johnny's battle with Schizophrenia is omitted. His divorce from Alicia is also never mentioned. It is understandable that some changes were made in the screenplay, but the movie only resembles his real life in a vague way.
Rating:
Summary: A phenomenal masterpiece!
Review: I just saw "A Beautiful Mind" today. I was expect a monotonous film about a mathematician. What I saw was a story of a brillant man. Russell Crowe should win the Oscar for this. His portrayal of the troubled schizophrenic genius John Nash is absolutely mind-blowing. Jennifer Connelly is also terrific as Nash's husband. She should get an Oscar nod, which I'm sure she will. I was truly touched by this movie. It was flawless in every way. The acting was wonderful, the writing was great (there were some quite funny parts), and many other things made this movie great. I was touched by this film, and after you see it, I'm sure you will be too. I'm a 14 year old boy and I enjoyed this thoroughly. It was great!
Rating:
Summary: What a performance!
Review: This film, the story of paranoid schizophrenic and mathematical genius John Nash, is one of the year's best, thanks to a mind-blowing performance by Russell Crowe (I didn't think he had it in him!) and Ron Howard's vision of Nash's difficult life. The bulk of this film covers the time between Nash's arrival on the Princeton campus to the discovery of his illness at M.I.T, but the power of the movie is fully realized during his struggle to overcome his illness and reclaim the greatness that once resided in his mind. I can't say enough about Russell Crowe's performance - nothing in his "Gladiator" performance comes close to what he achieves here. As for Ron Howard, he deserves kudos as well for his sensitive direction - even though the audience is likely to shed tears, Howard never goes for the sentimental. Howard expresses this story with hard, direct camera shots that never flinch from the pain of Nash's distress. The screenplay takes huge liberties with the real story. For example, Princeton professors do not offer their pens as homage to a colleague, nor did Nash's illness manifest itself in the way presented (he heard voices). No matter, though. Film making is an art form in which visual statements are made. Without such changes, this story would not have the same visceral power. Because I live near Princeton, where this film opened in limited release, I saw A Beautiful Mind in an audience familiar with the campus, its traditions, and the story of Nash. Despite the obvious liberties director Ron Howard took with some of the scenes, I could tell that the rest of the audience,like me, didn't care because Howard captured the spirit of the story. See this film for both the story and the acting. You won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Crowe captures cinema crown
Review: Crowe and cast sweep the viewer into the story of a man who struggles to acknowledge, understand, and finally - to honor his limitations. While driving home, reflecting on the film, I realized what Crowe and Howard had done. They had taken me into a world where fears are faced, sometimes with great pain. And fears are overcome, sometimes with the assistance of great love and perseverance, as in the case of John Nash and family. Cheers to Ron Howard and Crowe and the rest of the cast for bringing us such an uplifting story - one that champions the human spirit and reminds us all that as long as we can laugh at ourselves, we will always prevail. How fitting when the film ended, the audience applauded.
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