I LOVED THIS FILM !!!! For me, it's Ron Howard's crowning achievement. It's Russell Crowes crowning achievement. Most good film"s take 30-45 minutes to build momentum to the pay-off 2nd. & 3rd. Act. "Mind," held my attention from reel-one. ( And, the film's about a mathematician suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. Not exactly compelling cinema) I thought going in that Crowe was going to play "Bud White" Dork. His performance could have easily have been over-the-top, & silly, but Crowe makes you care about his character. I knew the film's premise going in so I was basically trying to figure out what was real for John Nash, & what was illusion. Howard was so good at disguising that that I thought that Josh Lucas, Adam Goldberg, & Christopher Plummer were imaginary. ( maybe, Jennifer Connelly. ) Speaking of Connelly, she was delicious, & totally believable as Alicia Nash. Great chemistry between she & Crowe. When Nash had to blow-off Marcee, & his old, ( imaginary ) friend "Charles," I actually found it heartbreaking. A beautiful Mind, " is in my opinion, A beautiful film.
Review of A Beautiful Mind
