Being a genius is obviously taxing in more ways than one can imagine. One of the toughest is dealing with a sub par world around you. A world that is mediocre at best and yet seems to struggle less with life than the genius does. The warranted conciet of the genius soon snaps into a strange inferiority complex that soon overtakes as prominent social face. No genius comes without excess baggage -- the mind isn't made that way. This further fuels the inner antagonism within the genius. A form that lives in philosophy -- a nether world of its own -- and another that just spews unamicability. The two worlds often collide and for the outsider it is a matter of perception. You can learn to love the genius or you can learn to hate the social ineptitude or -- the worst -- you can recognize the genius and yet keep them at bay -- by recognizing more -- the frayed threads of sanity.

Unfortunately for us, Ron Howard, would rather have us be the third type and the characters in the film -- the second type, in a beautiful, poignant and weak picture -- The Beautiful Mind. The tragedy is that this film is much less about the mind and much more about the heart. The name not only belies the theme but it also belittle's Mr. Nash's effort to fight the deamons of his sub conscious.

The film is hurried and slow in turns. It can definitely make you feel the pain of schizophrenia unlike many other movies have. It can keep you glued to the seat bucking up Nash in his confused pursuit of intellect. It is a lot of fun to watch. It is definitely a well made movie. If it was only made about the right thing...

Russel Crowe is simply brilliant as the mad genius Dr. John Nash. His range of emotions and his ability to supress his physical prowess are clearly remarkable.

Jennifer Connelly is an overrated actress who nonetheless does a good job in this movie as the often broken and always lonely wife of a being both superious and inferior to her and often at the same time. Her pain is apparent and justifiable. The transformation the director or the screenplay seems to have forced upon her is trite.

Ultimately, it could have been the film about the work of the crazy prophet John Nash. In which case it wouldn't have been such a tea time debate and favorable opinion as it has turned out to be.

Then there is the school very angry that Mr. Howard decided to leave out Nash's homosexuality. This opens a whole new debate. The commitment a film-maker has to history when designing a historical project. I guess there is an answer hidden in that statement itself somewhere. It is anybody's guess and nobody's. Much like the life of John Nash.