a beautiful mind

1

ABeautifulMind（美丽心灵）2001

Earnestthriller-cum-weepiestarringRusllCroweasamathsgeniuswholifeiswrackedby

dalloverwith'Hollywoodprestigeproject'andshoweredwithawards

RusllCrowegetsthechancetoacthisheartoutinRonHoward'ydoeshe

portrayamathsgenius(badonreallifeNobelPrize-winnerJohnForbesNashJr),heportraysamaths

ges47years!Heturnsinachunky,twitchyperformancewhich,

thoughnotonaparwithhismoresubtleturninTheInsider,mplementedbyaless

flashy,underwrittenturnfromJenniferConnelly.

Princeton,dbutarrogantJohnNasharrivesonamathsscholarship,determinedtocomeup

heringwithclass,heobssivelywritestheorem(plottingthemovements

ofpigeons,forexample).HisonlyfriendisraffishroommateCharles(Bettany),arichsourceof

wicracks-"Officer,Isawthedriverwhohitme-hisnamewasJohnnyWalker"-andmoralsupport.

Eventu'sherethathis

ghhemarriesbeautifulstudentAlicia(Connelly),thetop-cret

code-breakingworkheisapparentlydoingforthegovernment-reprentedbyEdHarris'mysterious

-blownparanoidschizophreniaeruptsandNashishospitalid,

ghthefilmleavesout

theedierelementsoftherealNash'slife(divorce,cottaging),itfashionsaloobiopicthatisbyturns

funny,exciting,ipt,byAkivaGoldsman,(whoalsowrotetheinexcusable

Batman&Robin),isriddledwithpithy,butoccasionallyclichéd,utterancesthatcapturetheshifting

tones:there'sNash'sdescriptionofhimlf:"I'mquitewellbalanced-Ihaveachiponbothshoulders"-or

thedescriptionhisdoctor,Ron(Plummer),laterustodescribeshisdiatohiswife:"Thenightmare

ofschizophreniaisnotknowingwhat'strue."

AlthoughitdallieswithColdWarthrillerelements,ABeautifulMindisultimatelyaformulaictaleof

humanperverance,andmeritscomparisonswithother,similaraward-showeredtales:

such,it'sanabove-averageweepie,aHollywoodprestigefilmthatpre-packagesthesufferingsofone

highthefilmitlf

isnotassmartasitimaginesitlftobe,it'scertainlyartful,withfinecameraworkbyRogerDeakins

(whoshottheCoens'stylishTheManWhoWasn'tThere),andsolid,thankstoHoward'ven-tempered

direction.

Verdict

,middle-browandworthy.