Crowe cracks code of A Beautiful Mind

Russell Crowe gets an A for his portrayal of John Forbes Nash Jr in A Beautiful Mind.

A Beautiful Ming spans 47 years of the life of John Forbes Nash Jr, a renowned mathematician who founded game theory. He studied at Princeton University, won acclaim with his new theory, lectured at MIT, married his student Alicia, but was unfortunately stricken by paranoid schizophrenia.

His contributions to economic science and other fields were only rewarded in 1994 when he won the Nobel Prize.

Through Ron Howard’s deft direction we are introduced to characters like Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), John’s university mates Sol (Adam Goldberg) & Charles (Paul Bettany), as well as William Parcher (Ed Harris), a shadowy government agent who engaged Nash to crack codes.

Admitting to mixing fiction in this autobiography, the makers abandon the overused method of relating a life story from the view of a third party. Instead, the audience is given a refreshing treat of being introduced to Nash’s condition from his own perspective.

To enhance watchability of this somewhat serious film, the requisite human angle is injected and that includes scenes depicting Nash’s hopeless courting skills and how he chanced upon his Nash equilibrium discovery. James Horner does the honours of providing yet another music score befitting a Best Picture nominee.

However, the emphasis on drama and illusions has somewhat compromised an important element of the story - the will for survival.

Alicia is pivotal to Nash’s recovery, but an under-allocation of screen-time for her has restricted one’s comprehension of her love, concern and support for Nash during his schizophrenic days.

Well, after all, he did win Best Actor last year. It may be ironic to see the swarthy Australian Russell Crowe playing the socially maladroit and taciturn mathematician, but he does justice nonetheless to his Best Actor title here. Jennifer Connelly exerts a gutsy presence and, of course, Ed Harris doesn’t disappoint in bringing a mysterious aura to his Parcher character.

A Beautiful Mind is a worthy creation and, unless you detest omissions or misrepresentation of facts in real-life stories, it’s unlikely that you’ll dislike this film.

Drama, 12. ****