Rating: Summary: Howard And Crowe Work Magic Review: First off, I have to admit that I wasn't originally excited to see a movie that runs for over 2 hours about a mathematician. I guess I just wasn't in the mood. But after seeing the movie, I was so glad I did!. What a movie!. What performances!. It was easily my favorite movie I had seen this past year. Okay, on with the movie. Russell Crowe plays John Forbes Nash Jr., a brilliant mathematician who first began at Princeton University, where he created an incredible economic theory. This got him a MIT professorship as well. But then came a horrible down side. Nash was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The disease made Nash become delusional. Through all this, he did win the Nobel Prize too. The delusion part of Nash's life is what Howard really goes for here in the film. He really gives you a look at the disease and of any mental health problems that hasn't really been done before on the big screen. He did it perfectly with no flaws at all. Mr. Crowe. What can I say?. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of his, but I do respect his work and think he is one of our greatest actors we have working today. He is tremendous. You have never really seen a performance like this before. If you say you have and that it's cliched, as I know some of you out there have, you just didn't get it. Crowe's performance is downright astonishing. Your not watching Crowe. You are watching John Nash. If he doesn't win the Oscar for this, well, then there is no need for the academy to go on. He deserves it for this. He really didn't for "Gladiator". And then there is the lovely and brilliant Jennifer Connelly. She holds her own up against Crowe, and that is no easy task. It only shows you how remarkable she is. I never would have suspected her to be in this kind of acclaim when I saw her in her ealier career(Labryinth, Seven Minutes In Heaven, The Rocketeer, Suspiria). She really is worthy of all the attention. The supporting actors are all great. Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, and even Judd Hirsch. The music by James Horner is perfect for this film. Many people bash it as 'sappy' and 'cliched'. Oh please. This movie is great filmmaking. The acting is the best that we could possibly hope for. Anybody who doesn't see that, or has to ridicule because it left out some elements from the book, need to relax. Get over it. What it all comes down too people, is that this is a love story. Alicia Nash stayed with John through all of the hell. Today, they are in their 70's, and they are still very much together. Nothing is more powerful than that. How wonderful. A Beautiful Mind is a beautiful movie. It rekindles your faith in filmmaking. Come Oscar time, if there aren't any gold statues with this film's title on them, it will be a huge upset. Go see this movie. You will fell better afterwards knowing that you did. What a treat. Thank you Ron Howard.
Rating: Summary: Two thumbs way up! Review: A Beautiful Mind was, simply, a wonderful movie. It had me laughing and crying throughout. It was shot beautifully and Russell Crowe was amazing as John Nash. I sincerely hope that this movie wins some Oscars because it deserves them. For anyone who hasn't seen this movie, go out and rent it right now. Trust me, you won't regret it.
Rating: Summary: Betrayed Review: I felt extremely betrayed by John Nash! Without spoiling the plot or ending of A Beautiful Mind, I can only say that I believed Dr. Nash's reality, but that is a part of schizophrenia isn't it? Therefore, rather than giving kudos to Russell Crowe on his mastery of the schizophrenic personality, I must congratulate Ron Howard on capturing the essence of what a schizophrenic personality must experience!
Rating: Summary: a beautiful mind Review: i think that russell crowe is the best frist award and the best actor in top 10 actor i like this movies is a true movies about a best true story to watch and my a fan of russell crowe and roy howard. and im a fan of james horner is the music best soundtrack all time and im a frist time to watch thank you by cameron stanley
Rating: Summary: This Year's Best Picture...Almost Review: In the beginning of A Beautiful Mind, John Nash (brilliantly played by Russell Crowe) is at Princeton struggling to find a bold new theory to distinguish himself. He is a quiet man who does not get along with most everyone around him, and his only real companion is an eccentric roommate. This first half of the movie chronicles his discovery of an ingenious mathematical theory, his marriage to a former student of his named Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), and how he comes into working undercover for a government agent (Ed Harris). At this point, the movie falters as we discover that John is a schizophrenic, and that certain portions of the film weren't real at all. Now, he must struggle with this problem with the help of his wife. It is frankly rather insulting to the viewer that we are suddenly jerked out of the reality that was the first half of this film. No longer does the movie explore his "beautiful mind" or the steady development of his character, now the movie is only interested in people walking around him that nobody else sees. Granted, his story is one of triumph by the human spirit, but we've seen it all before in much more sensible ways. Still, the love story between John and Alicia is a strong plot element, and most everyone delivers a great performance. In the end, it feels rather heartwarming, but also somewhat stale. If I were voting for the Oscars, I'd give it Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay (for its usually clever dialogue), but Best Picture? Best Director? I don't think so.
Rating: Summary: My 100th review! Review: Russell Crowe plays John Forbes Nash, a brilliant schizophrenic in one of this years best film's. A Beautiful Mind dive's deep within the world of Nash's brain with more twist's than a roller-coaster. After the main secret is revealed, more thing's happen that question's what even you know. It makes the audience feel the lost assuredness of whether what we know is real or fake, and that is one of its many qualities. Ron Howard has always been a stand out with his films. From Apollo 13 to Willow, Ron Howard has developed into a director at the peak of his form.Though Nash is Socially awkward, he manages to steal the heart of a student who is to become his wife. Played by Jennifer Connelly (yeah, Labyrinth) in a fine and realistic tone, Alisha falls in love with John Nash and hold's him up through his illness. The Math depicted in A beautiful Mind was actual math, made to resemble the deteriorating illness from its less complicated measures to its chaotic and disoriented forms. Also, the math represent's his relationship's, which was an effort some filmmaker's wouldn't have taken. Leave it to Ron Howard. In one of the first sequences in the film, there is a 360 degree steady-cam shot of John Nash, decifering codes for the FBI. This shot was done to represent the spinning wheels of Nash's mind. It was also my favorite shot in the movie. It caused an urgency and made an exciting feeling from what could have been just an ordinary scene. The Math wasn't the only thing created from reality. The Therapy sessions and method's were well researched for authenticity. It was reported when John Nash (now 73) and his wife saw the film with Ron Howard, John couldn't watch these scenes, and his wife had tear's streaming down her face. It was like post trauma for them, and too difficult to see again. A Beautiful Mind is one of most rewarding movies I've seen in a long time. It is my hope that Hollywood continue's to create project's with as much substance and emotion as A Beautiful Mind. Whether it recieves an Academy Award or not, it doesn't take a society of appointed panelist's, nor a gold-sealed manilla envelope to determine my vote. This will be on my shelf of favorites as soon as it becomes available. ~SAOS~
Rating: Summary: Almost, not quite, in the ballpark... Review: I love Amazon ratings but it seems to me that the people who are motivated to write either love it or hate it. Since there is someone out there who would give five-stars to anything, I tend to blow past the five-star ratings and head directly for the rips! Call me crazy but I figure if I respect the post as actual criticism then I can rely on it. So here goes mine... First (and please stop reading if you don't want to be tipped off to anything), you get drawn in to a really intruiging world only to have the rug yanked out from underneath to you. What you are left with is a world that is NOT really all that interesting. If you've seen the film tell me am I wrong? Wasn't the first part really kind of interesting? Weren't you wishing that it wasn't BS? Second, I have no idea why Alicia falls in love with Nash. Did he do unexpected things for her? Was it his genius that attracted her to him? Did she see a side of him that his colleagues did not? I have no idea. I would like to have known. It might help to explain why she didn't dump his toosh when he almost drowned his baby. Last, whether you are an actual Good-Will-Hunting or at least ever have had an intuitive moment in your life, I'm sure you can be intruiged by a person who's ability to make "quantum leaps" goes far beyond what you experience in everyday life. The film DOES revolve around Nash's intuitive ability, it just doesn't seem to care about it. What are those things he's writing on the windows? And come to think of it, why is he writing on those windows? The film just seems likes it needs more than Nash's abilities to justify itself - so it adds conspiracies, then the horror or 50's psychiatric care, then Princeton's "challenge" of accepting Nash for who he is. The filmmaker can't seem to decide what his priorities are. On the other hand, this film is light years beyond anything in the "New Releases" section of your local video-store. There are other films that you can find if you look that will mean more to you. But then again, you could do alot worse than to see this film. I actually reccomend this film, just remember that it was approved by the people who hoped it would wind up as a "Best Picture" candidate. Know what I mean?
Rating: Summary: Almost, not quite, in the ballpark... Review: First, you get drawn in to a really intruiging world only to have the rug yanked out from underneath to you. What you are left with is a world that is NOT really all that interesting... Second, I have no idea why Alicia falls in love with Nash... I have no idea. I would like to have known. It might help to explain why she didn't dump him when he almost drowned his baby. Last, whether you are an actual Good-Will-Hunting or at least ever have had an intuitive moment in your life, I'm sure you can be intruiged by a person who's ability to make "quantum leaps" goes far beyond what you experience in everyday life. The film DOES revolve around Nash's intuitive ability, it just doesn't seem to care about it... The film just seems likes it needs more than Nash's abilities to justify itself - so it adds conspiracies, then the horror or 50's psychiatric care, then Princeton's "challenge" of accepting Nash for who he is. The filmmaker can't seem to decide what his priorities are. On the other hand, this film is light years beyond anything in the "New Releases" section of your local video-store. There are other films that you can find if you look that will mean more to you. But then again, you could do alot worse than to see this film. I actually reccomend this film, just remember that it was approved by the people who hoped it would wind up as a "Best Picture" candidate. Know what I mean?
Rating: Summary: Stellar Job Portraying Nash's Mind On the Edge Review: Apparently there are lots of quibbles over this film revolving around details of John Nash's personal life. Certain aspects were not included. I think these people are missing the point of this film. What this film does that is startling is that it takes you into the mind of Princeton professor John Nash so that you can experience being there. You are able to unfold in layers what it is like being a math genius as well as someone being engulfed by schizophrenia. In fact, you are not suprised that a person with this kind of genius can be engulfed by madness. The two seem to flow effortlessly together. Russell Crowe's performance is simply astonishing. I am not a fan of "Gladiator" and thought his performance there undeserving of the Best Actor Oscar. However, both his performance here and in "Disclosure" are about as deserving of the Oscar as is possible. The relationship I thought was the key one in this film was the one between Nash and his college roommate. That relationship is central to the entire film and ultimately tells you everything you need to know about Nash and his mind. The marital relationship is fine as depicted. Jennifer Connelly does a good job. But this aspect tells us more about how distressing his problems were for his family, which is not new territory in the movies. I could have done without that aspect of the story but I assume many people would miss it. I'd compare this film to "Requiem For A Dream" and, although it is not quite as cinematically adventurous as that film, this one has Crowe's performance, which is saying a lot.
Rating: Summary: Ron Howard's greatest acheivement! Review: I was totally and utterly moved by this film! The performances were great, and the direction was perfect! Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly deserve the Oscars that they were nominated for. Great movie about a man's struggle with schizophrenia, and how he dealt with it. It's hard to believe that this actually happened. I was shocked. Twists and turns galore! You'll love this film! Ron Howard also deserves an Oscar!
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