Based on the true story of Nobel Prize winner John Nash, this moving drama is one of Ron Howard's best films as a director, taking a deeply personal voyage through a fascinating life. From the film's opening scenes in the late 1940s, we can tell that Nash (Crowe) is a troubled genius. He's too smart for his own good, earning both respect and ridicule from his fellow students at Princeton (Goldberg, Lucas and Rapp) ... and bemused laughter from his cheeky roommate (Bettany) as he seeks that one original idea. Soon a shady government agent (Harris) puts him to use cracking Soviet codes. But we can also tell that his mind is slipping, and over the years he and his wife (Connelly) are forced to face the realities of schizophrenia.

This is a lovely film, crafted with attention to detail and assembled with real skill. It's also yet another Hollywood movie about a troubled-yet-brilliant mind (see also Rain Man, Forrest Gump, et al). And despite a few annoying mannerisms, Crowe plays Nash with a terrific subtlety that never patronises or sentimentalises him--and avoiding both is remarkable with a character like this. He's not only likely to get his third Oscar nomination in three years running, but he may win his second statuette in two years! Meanwhile, Connelly shines with a sharp energetic turn as his loyal yet struggling wife (an underwritten role brought marvellously to life by the actress), and Bettany confirms his gifts as a consummate scene-stealer. That said, the film does have just a bit too much Hollywood gloss about it; we long for a bit more edge and darkness here. We can't help but feel that the really gritty bits of Nash's life have been left out. But there is just enough here to keep us emotionally engaged--indeed, there are several scenes that move us powerfully, especially as the film works up to its conclusion at the Nobel ceremony in 1994.

adult themes and situations, language

18.Jan.02