01.26.02-11:13 p.m.>

Upon viewing various trailers and/or commercials for "A Beautiful Mind" I immediately wrote it off for a number of reasons...

1-Russell Crowe, who just seems to have this ego that kind of follows him around. I dont know, there are just some actors we like,(for me, John Cusack,Luke Wilson,Sean Penn,Ewan McGregor,Jack Black,Jon Favreau,Christopher Meloni,Tim Robbins,blah blah blah yakkity shmakkity") and some conversely which we dislike (Tom Cruise,Russell Crowe,Joaquin Phoenix, Crowe,John Travolta,etc,etc,etc), get it ? Probably not.

2-It seemed like the kind of movie that was making a pretty big deal about itself. Like hooo hooo snoooty toooty Beautiful Mind bleh bleh bleh.

3-Did I mention the whole me hating Russell Crow thing ?

Now, for my opinion on this movie which people are buzzing about as Best Picture Material....

I enjoyed this movie for the simple fact that its portrayal of Mental Illness was very first person. In the sense that the Protagonist's Reality is your reality, because you have no reason to believe otherwise. When a story is well structured and the acting is strong, a director can pull these things off. This movie made me think about how we are all really putty in the hands of a director and that is why film can move us. That is why and how we invest ourselves emotionally. Its incredibly fascinating.

But sooooometimes, it just does not work. As was the case with Vanilla Sky, where personally I think Cameron Crowe spent a little too much time trying to be painfully relevant and it all fell apart on him. Apparently alot of people liked this movie, so I'll be quiet.

Back to the subject at hand, Beautiful Mind, it was a moving film,but in reference to pacing, it was a little slow at points. Mr. Gladiator himself was actually quite good in this role. Just an incredibly sad frumpled little man.People are giving it all the Oscar Hype, and it really is an Oscar Friendly Movie. I'll say that much.

In summation, it doesnt go in the favorites drawer,but it was a good movie.