When I heard about the premise to a movie with Russell Crowe being released in December, 2001 (one of the best actors of modern cinema) playing a schizophrenic mathematician, I thought, "B.F.D." With acting from Crowe, powerful performances from Jennifer Connelly (whom was always easy for me to look at, but I didn't think she was THAT good), Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, Paul Bettany and others, I found myself so engulfed with it, I was wondering, "when's Russell going to go schizo?" Only after the first hour, I was amazed how Akiva Goldsman (and it IS the screenwriter who deserves credit as much as Ron Howard)told this story with such clever execution! (And he's no mathematician, either!) NOW THAT IS STORYTELLING!

But it was also the resilience of Jennifer Connelly's character that also gave me a sense of hope that there are still compassionate people in this world who still love others despite their flaws. Most people in society today would completely divorce themselves from a situation like that.

I'm pleased that the movie won Best Picture last year, but if it were released in May instead, we would probably of gotten something like "In the Bedroom" as the winner.

Timing's everything.