Rating- * * * * (4/5)
It seems that Russell Crowe has developed the Midas Syndrome; everything he touches turns to gold. Crowe and the films that feature him (with the exception of Proof of Life) have all cleaned up at the awards shows. His first two American films, L.A. Confidential and The Insider, were both nominated for Best Picture Oscars, and his most recent, Gladiator, won the award along with Best Actor for Crowe’s performance as the gladiator Maximus. It should be no surprise that his latest film has picked up four Oscars, including Best Picture, and got the most Golden Globe nominations of any film this year. A Beautiful Mind is the true story of the life and career of John Nash, a mathematical genius who develops a revolutionary economic theory and falls in love with one of his students, played by the very beautiful Jennifer Connelly. Problems start to arise for Nash when he breaks down with paranoid schizophrenia, which causes him to invent imaginary personalities that torment and confuse him. As he tries to overcome his delusions, Nash struggles to save his marriage and to find a place in the world that he can use his intellectual capacity again. The acting, although a little overdone at times, is very beautiful and touching and the writing is some of the best of the year. I’m reluctant to give this one the fifth star only because it still lacks that certain indescribable quality that makes a movie a true classic, and I wonder if it really deserves to be named the Best Picture of 2001. Perhaps it’s the narrow scope of the film or the lack of a really great, memorable line (they don’t sound like much but those things really matter). Nonetheless, this is some of Ron Howard’s best work to date and it definitely will not disappoint.