Review of A Beautiful Mind (2001) by Jordan E — 04 Sep 2018

5 stars isn't a rating I give often for a few reasons, the top of which is the fact that this is my 4th review and I've really only felt inclined to review movies I thought were bad or that I enjoyed on some level. 5 stars to me doesn't mean that the movie is perfect but that the movie does its best in every category and in some way finds itself clever.

A quick synopsis. John Nash is a genius dreaming of originality and recognition in the work that he does. A sudden discovery of mental illness and the world-crashing affects it can have on those around such an illness is shown in its brutality. We live out this hero's tale every step of the way.

Now to touch on a few things, the story telling in a Beautiful Mind was superb, I found myself wanting the delusions to be true (purely on the interesting nature of the illusion itself) The character of John Nash completes its hero's journey with poise, a hungry beginning full of trial and the need to do something great. A crashing realization that shakes the character to their roots, and the moment of truth, choosing the harder and more rewarding road. Alicia Nash is strong in her resolve and shows how supporting someone in such a mental state can be just as taxing as having schizophrenia. She is the rock of John Nash and really is the only reason he probably got through what he did. Alicia is clever, smart, strong, and loving. She's independent and could've easily left John but choose the harder road and overcame this mental antagonist with John every step of the way.

The acting was not only on par with the leads but with supporting actors as well, and in the end we come full circle to one of the most satisfying endings to a movie that I've seen since Cinderella Man, which had the same actor, who woulda thought.

I don't think the movie is perfect but I find myself having trouble grabbing onto anything substantial that distracted from the story-telling shown here.

Yes I would watch this movie again, I would recommend it to a friend, and I feel that I am a better person coming out of this story than I was going into it. What more could I ask for?