Today’s quick review: A Beautiful Mind. As a graduate student at Princeton, mathematician John Nash (Russell Crowe) labors to come up with a substantial contribution to the field. Eventually his efforts lead him to a breakthrough in game theory that earns him a position teaching at MIT. However, his life takes a dramatic turn when he’s contacted by William Parcher (Ed Harris), a shadowy government agent who wants to put Nash’s talents to use.
A Beautiful Mind is a biographical drama loosely based on the life of John Nash. A Beautiful Mind follows Nash from his difficult days at Princeton to the upheavals of his time at MIT to the challenges he faced thereafter. Russell Crowe delivers a multifaceted performance as an isolated man trying to put his talents to good use. Skillful acting, subtle emotional moments, and an exceptional soundtrack make A Beautiful Mind a captivating film.
The great strength of A Beautiful Mind is its ability to take the audience inside Nash’s struggles, often through his interactions with the supporting cast. His academic frustration comes to life through conversations with his roommate Charles Herman (Paul Bettany), his personal life develops through his relationship with Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), and his career is soon complicated by cloak-and-dagger code-breaking assignments for Parcher.
A Beautiful Mind’s other great strength is its subtlety. Contrary to Nash’s ambitions to leave his mark on the world, his story is deeply personal in nature. His mathematical accomplishments take a back seat to the more mundane struggles of his day-to-day life. These are by no means ordinary—Nash has a peculiar mind—but they do resonate well. The film has a knack for infusing seemingly trivial incidents with the weight they truly deserve.
A Beautiful Mind is a thematically gorgeous movie that tells its story with true skill. The biographical nature and relatively low-stakes story will put off some viewers, but those willing to engage with a pure drama will find it to be a rewarding experience.
For another biographical drama about a troubled mathematician, try The Imitation Game. For a fictional story of mathematical genius, check out Good Will Hunting. For a Cold War drama with more espionage, try The Good Shepherd. For a biographical drama about a brilliant but antisocial entrepreneur, try The Social Network. For a romantic drama that hits similar emotional notes, try The Notebook.
8.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.5 to 8.0 for a moving story and impressive craftsmanship.