Rating: 
Summary: Howard Tries To Get Serious
Review: I have always believed Ron Howard is the kind of film director who makes movies that touch our hearts. His works always makes us feel good. "Cocoon", "Backdraft", "Willow" -all these films are fine examples of Howard's abilitites to manipulate our feelings. Hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's a trait which is very essential on him and his movies.When I started watching "A Beautiful Mind", I found myself watching what might be Ron Howard's first attempt to make something serious. The real story of John Forbes Nash, Jr. is quite gripping. And his fight to overcome schyzophrenia is quite attractive because he watches some sort of ghosts or imaginary people who are product of his problem. Russell Crowe's performance is one of a kind and makes the rest of his castmates, especially Jennifer Connelly, perform in a very fantastic way. Ed Harris seems to be the only one wasted as one of Nash's "ghosts". As I said before, this is Ron Howard's first attempt at serious filmmaking. However, his formulaic pattern becomes noticeable at the final fifteen minutes when Nash's wife gives her total support in one of the most unnecessarily romantic moments of the movie. And the Nobel Prize ceremony scene is disappointing because it shows Howard's way of finding an easy conclusion to a very tough drama by giving his audience a way to feel sorry and weep for Crowe's character. But, hey, this is supposed to be a Ron Howard film.
Rating: 
Summary: Quite Possibly the Best Movie Ever
Review: It took me awhile to actually get to a theatre to watch this movie, and when I finally did, I couldn't remember why I had waited so long. I am a huge Russell Crowe fan, as well as a Jennifer Connolly fan, and I was very pleased to see her star in a film side-by-side this amazing actor. Crowe's performance in portraying John Nash was absolutely unbeatable and I was so absorbed in this movie that when it was over I just wanted to sit in my chair and cry for all those who suffer from mental illness. Crowe was truly robbed of the oscar by yet another ridiculous political statement. He is best actor in my book. See this movie, if you haven't already!!! It is an experience you won't forget!
Rating: 
Summary: Who are you kidding ?
Review: or Honey, I shrunk the Oscars ! Do you remember when Russell Crowe was the best kept secret in Hollywood ? Do you remember that you have been secretly in love with Jennifer Connelly for the last 15 years ? What have Ron Howard done to them ?
The life of John Forbes Nash math genius and Nobel Prize gives Ron Howard the opportunity to deal again with the American positive values all of his movies (except maybe Ransom)are swimming in. So here we go again with the usual promotion of an "Extraordinary Destiny of A Beautiful Mind" that is supposed to wipe out all of the American doubts (yes they exist !). The life of John Forbes Nash could have been a paranoid tale and an allegoria of the life in America during Cold War and Mac Carthy. But no!, all those spies were just an allusion and after a small brain cleaning all is back in order !! And we can witness one of the scariest dialogue of the last 20 years ("Mac Carthy is stupid but he is not always wrong !") Russel Crowe plays Nash from 1947 to 1994, from Princeton university to the Nobel Prize in 1994. Crowe's performance is absolutely dreadful and utterly ridiculous : he overplays the genius with a catastrophic plethora of mouth twistings and eyes clinchings. It's "Rain Man for Dummies" !It makes the overplaying of Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man almost as sober as a Bergman movie.
I cannot say anything about J-Co except that I am in love with her and seeing her with that awful "planet of the apes" make-up in the end almost killed me.
The screenplay is so overwhelmed with good feelings and happy ending that it almost makes that real story fake. The directing is absolutely flat (Ron howard winning over David Lynch and Robert Altman is one of the funniest situations the oscar witnessed !) and over sentimental. But Of course it won the Best Picture Oscar. Against an Kiwi and an Aussie, can we think that we witness a patriotic vote on Oscar Night ??? Don't lose your time with this cold meat and go and buy the Mulholland Drive DVD !!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Best Picture AND Actor...Crowe Was ROBBED!!!
Review: This IS the best movie of the year. Crowe gave the best performance by a male I have EVER seen, yes, that includes Tom Hanks and his awesome role in "Forrest Gump". Crowe was SOOOOO SOOOOO SOOOOO robbed in not getting the Oscar. Washington was the overrated one this year. All this he did this year was scream and yell and say 'shoot the gun, and SNORT this!!'. CROWE DESERVED IT SO MUCH! But I digress. This movie was amazing. It's a MUST-SEE!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: An ode for human achivement
Review: (for people who know what the movie is about) Most times people think human achivement lies outside of him, in history or technology or intelectual advancement. This heart felt movie is about the prime human achivement over our primordial companion... our mind. One of the main discoveries of psicology and quantum physics is that there is no TRUTH but only perceptions... our interpretations. This movie is about a man strogle with his version of reality and coming to terms with it. I believe most people think he is special because he had a high IQ... actually I believe is because he helped himself to live in health regardless of his illness. He is a true example of the best humans are capable of doing... he reminded me how much love is the first and last important aspect of life
Rating:
Summary: Not bad for an Oscar
Review: I'll put it simply. I had no idea whatsoever what A Beautiful mind was about before I saw. I was therefore not influenced by all the hullabaloo regarding the veracity of the portrayal of J.Nash's life. In any case a movie cannot, and maybe should not describe anything like a real story. Z, the Costa-Gavras classic claimed any resemblance was NOT accidental. Well any resemblance between R.Crowe and J.Nash might therefore by accidental.
It actually does not matter. Ron Howard tried to show us a schyzophrenic that survives because of love. We have a love story mixed up with One Cuckoo's Flew Over the Nest going forth and back and never really deciding where it ought to be. The link is never obvious and sometimes this smells like a poor melodramma, on occasions like serious stuff.
Sadly it never decides which way to go and it stays somewehre in between.
Is it a watse of time? Certainly not, Ron Howard has delivered an interesting picture, not a masterpiece, but worth a trip to the theater. In fact R.Crowe is the real positive surprise. Winning an Oscar usually suggests you are a second rate actor, winning it for Gladiator, a third rate one. Well, where it not for his Australian accent, R.Crowe would be great. As he is, he is just good. Mind you by cinema standards that is definitely good enough.
Rating:
Summary: Punshing Crowe got Robbed!!
Review: Although Crowe's behavior might have cost him the Oscar this does not take away from his brilliant performance as John Nash. I still don't understand how "A Beautiful Mind" could win best supporting actress and best picture and Crowe not win for best actor when his performance makes the movie. Conelly although good as Nash's wife is by no means better than Crowe and the movie would not have been what it is (a masterpiece) without Crowe's Performance. If your interested in the Psychology of the human mind or if you just want to see a great performance you should run to see "A Beautiful Mind".
Rating:
Summary: Love is king!
Review: "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) It is hard to make a movie about mathematics interesting. I mean, I can barely sit through a math class without getting bored out of my skin. This movie is about mathematics and numbers, and it has a man I've never heard of in the lead character. A Beautiful Mind really had nothing going for it. But this movie surprised me a lot. I was thrilled to find out this was one brilliant film, and one that is surely going to knock the critics' socks off. I wasn't that interested in the film at the beginning. But as I discovered as the film went on, this is one of those movies where the boring start is essential so the movie makes sense at the end. When I watch it next time I'll remember to look closer in the first few scenes. I think this'll be one of those films where you notice something different each time. This is one of the few examples of performances driving an entire film. Russell Crowe is the head and shoulders of this film and his performance is indescribable. I can't exactly find the right word to pinpoint how brilliant he was in this film. All I can say is that he became John Nash, and delivered a career-best, and by far one of the best leading male performances of the last 20 years or more. Jennifer Connelly is superior to all the supporting actresses of 2001 and will get applause in bucketloads. It's about time she did too, the actress has been around for a few years and has never seemed to get that much recognition for her work. Ed Harris is also good, and his plot twists are shocking. Christopher Plummer is the wise-old-man of the movie (for a little while anyway) and provides much subtlety to the heart of the film. As do Connelly and Crowe, who have one of those rare chemistries and sparks on screen...it was wonderful to see them act together. The direction by Ron Howard was incredible. As I was saying before, it is extremely hard to make an interesting film about a boring mathematician, but under Howard's impeccable direction and outstanding effort, the movie works on many different levels. As it turned out, this movie is not just about a mathematician and his numbers, its about hallucinations, schizophrenia, friends, socialising, and love overcoming all of these obstacles. To write a screenplay that includes all of these things and does it in a beautiful way, ask no other man but Akiva Goldsman. He used to write silly drivel of films but the man is turning into a potential genius of the writing industry! He adapts this engrossing material with enthusiasm for making his characters 3-dimensional and I learnt a lot about the world in general in general from this film, its messages came across loud and clear, and with style. And all this is coming from the guy who wrote Practical Magic, Lost in Space and Batman & Robin. Whew! Really shows you how a guy can improve his writing skills, huh? The score and music for the film is deeply affecting to the film's atmosphere. The score is very reminiscent of Titanic, with the same sadness, the same great use of a choir, and the same rightly chosen instruments to display the film's messages and morals. The song "All Love Can Be" was very touching. James Horner is the man! This movie will hopefully be nominated, and maybe even win, a few Oscars this year. All I know is it deserves it as it by far the best overall drama I've seen in 2001. Amazing performances, incredible writing, great direction, awesome music, stunning makeup effects (wow, Russell Crowe looks 50 years older!), neat camera tricks, good sounds and moods...all of this combined make this an inspirational piece for people who like films, and more importantly, love, and life. MY GRADE: A+
Rating:
Summary: A Beautfiul Movie
Review: One of the greatest movies I've ever seen. Russell Crowe got jipped out of his second consecutive Oscar. ... Crowe's protrayal of a schizophrenic is superb!! This movie had me wondering what was real well into the plot. Wonderful, wonderful movie. I can't wait to own it!!
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Mind - A Beautiful Movie
Review: A significant emotional event for me. This movie compelled me to look into the eyes of people I had normally avoided; the homeless, the mentally ill, the demented elderly. I now see the same torment in their eyes as was seen in the eyes of Russell Crowe as John Nash. I am now deeply aware of the suffering of those who long to reach or be felt by their mentally incapacitated loved one, but can find no way in, in the same way that the loved one can find no way out. Had there been true justice on Oscar Night, Russell Crowe would have stepped on the stage and claimed his. He is a true craftsman of the Art.
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