'A Beautful Mind' may be near perfection

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

Stars: Russell Crowe Director: Ron Howard Rated: PG-13, sex, violence Length: 135 minutes Stars: 4 out of 4

The true-life drama stars Russell Crowe in another great performance, as far removed as an actor can get from the muscular heroics of his Oscar-winning Gladiator.

Crowe portrays John Forbes Nash Jr., a troubled mathematical genius who overcame crippling schizophrenia to win the 1994 Nobel Prize.

The film opens in 1947 as Nash arrives -- a brilliant, oddball geek from West Virginia -- to begin graduate studies at Princeton.

Obsessed with mathematics, he spends every waking hour working on formulas, calculating the probabilities of everything (including his chances of picking up a girl at a college bar). He writes figures and formulas on anything available, from napkins to windowpanes.

Nash makes his mark with a groundbreaking game theory. It has far-reaching effects on economics and runs contrary to the long-established doctrines of Adam Smith, considered the father of modern economics.

Soon Nash is on to MIT, where Cold War research and Soviet code-breaking is under way. There he falls in love with Alicia Larde (Jennifer Connelly), a passionate physics student.

But Nash's brilliant mind short-circuits. His genius becomes increasingly clouded by the illusions and paranoia of schizophrenia.

The film then becomes a heroic adventure of the mind as Nash tries to apply logic even to the illogical, in an effort to combat his illness.

Director Howard and writer Akiva Goldsman demonstrate considerable brilliance of their own, constructing "A Beautiful Mind"" strictly from Nash's point of view.

We undergo the man's struggles with him, not knowing which of his experiences are real and which are deranged illusions. The mystery and suspense of the piece are heightened, along with our sympathy for the central character.

Howard directs with a maturity and subtle artistry we haven't yet seen from this long-capable, highly successful director. As daunting as it must have been to create riveting drama and excitement from a story of a mathematician, "A Beautiful Mind" offers those traits in spades.

Crowe, too, deserves credit; his portrayal presents a Nash of complex contradictions -- sometimes shy, sometimes cocky, sometimes assured, sometimes lost and nearly always in some degree of mental anguish.

Connelly offers first-rate support as Nash's patient, long-suffering wife, while Ed Harris and Paul Bettany bring two key associates vividly to life.

The technical work -- the period art direction, the muted cinematography, the supportive music score -- also are all near-perfect.

In a season of prestige film releases, this may be the best: "A Beautiful Mind" is a beautiful movie.