There's a rumor I heard about this movie. Actually, to be more accurate, this movie is based on a true story, and I heard a rumor about "John Nash," the person who this movie is about. I don't know if this rumor is true or not, but if it IS true, it completely invalidates the movie for me. I was told the rumor before seeing it, but I'd completely forgotten about it. Then I heard the rumor again after I'd seen it. Because of the kind of rumor it is, having this HUGE piece of information left outta the movie is a crime, and it makes the movie seem like a lie. If you want me to tell you what the rumor is, E-Mail me and I'll tell you. But be warned, it may change your opinion of the movie. If it IS true, then this movie is a huge lie.
For the sake of this review, I'll write under the assumption that the rumor is false.
"A Beautiful Mind" is a true story about a guy who's a genius, but he's also slightly insane. I don't wanna give away any more than that, because I walked in knowing nothing, and the way the story unfolds was a complete surprise to me. It was very well done, and I highly recommend watching this movie knowing as little about it as possible. If you know too much, you miss out on some great moments. It's really strange how well-written it is considering the writer, but I'll get into that shortly.
The movie has a brilliant story, great acting, and despite being over two and a half hours long, it's fast-paced. The problem is that it's a frustrating movie to watch, mostly because there so many unanswered questions. I don't know how much ended up being left on the cutting room floor, but it seemed as though a lot was missing. That's the same complaint I have about another biopic I saw recently, "Ali." I would imagine that biopics are the toughest kinds of movies to make because there's often so much to cover, yet there's so little time to cover it in.
"A Beautiful Mind" is based on the book by Sylvia Nasar, but it was adapted into a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, a writer I don't like very much. Akiva Goldsman helped write the really bad "Batman Forever," and was the sole writer for the HORRIBLE "Batman and Robin." Unforgivable. Of course, I don't dislike Akiva Goldsman's work as much as I dislike the work of Andrew Marlowe ("End of Days," "Hollow Man"), but it's close. That being said, I gotta tellya, the screenplay for this movie is a good one. It's a very, very well told story. I gotta give credit where cedit is due, so great job, Akiva.
The director is the one-time actor, now well-respected director, Ron Howard. Other movies Ron Howard directed include "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "EdTV," "Ransom," "Apollo 13," "Backdraft," "Parenthood," "Willow," "Cocoon," and "Splash." Impressive list, right? I wouldn't say that "A Beautiful Mind" is my favorite Ron Howard movie (to me, that would have to go to either "Splash" or "Parenthood"), but it's more great work by a very talented director.
The acting is excellent. Russell Crowe, who plays "John Nash," is probably gonna get another Oscar nomination. He may even win it again, two years in a row, like when Tom Hanks did it for "Philadelphia" and "Forrest Gump." However, though Russell Crowe may deserve it for "A Beautiful Mind," I didn't think he deserved it last year for "Gladiator." Also, though he does a great acting job in "A Beautiful Mind," his accent is kinda weird. It got distracting at times. Jennifer Connelly plays his wife in the movie, and I think she's awesome. I really hope that she gets an Oscar nomination for her performance. She's been doing good work lately, and hopefully, she'll finally get noticed more for her acting than her looks. She really IS beautiful, but she can act, too. She turned the heads of critics recently in the dark, depressing movie, "Requiem for a Dream." She kicks ass.
"A Beautiful Mind" is really good, though it left me feeling a little unsatisfied because of the unanswered questions it raises. Still, it's an entertaining, fascinating movie, with great acting and exceptional writing. Maybe Akiva Goldsman has made up for those horrible "Batman" movies.
Nah, definitely not. It's still gonna take another couple of good movies.
Scale of 1-10: 8