Galaxy Nexus

I’m stoked to finally get my Samsung Galaxy Nexus! Ever since its unveiling I’ve been contemplating a switch to the Android OS. I personally think this is a good time to try out the Android OS because Apple has stagnated with the Iphone 4S and Windows Phone is still struggling to capture the smartphone market share. I’m also keen to integrate Google+ and my other google apps with my phone.

A local telco offered the Galaxy Nexus on its plan starting from the 13th of January. Nevertheless, I was skeptical whether it would be available here, on Borneo of all places.  But a quick trip to the nearest and only Samsung Elite Partner (SEP) revealed that the Galaxy Necus would indeed be arriving on the 14th.

Some quick thoughts on the Galaxy Nexus:
1. The screen is gorgeous – but battery sapping. Thankfully the phone seems self aware of this, and will conserve screen display as much as possible. The widgets and homescreen are fantastic and definitely provide more functionality compared to the Windows Metro system and iOS. The live wallpapers are a delight to behold. And hooray for customization.

2. I’m enjoying the google integration already. Calendar and Gmail work great. There’s a whole host of google apps such as Google Translate and Google Goggles in the Android Market.

3.  Call quality is good so far. Furthermore the volume bug appears to have been fixed.

4. The camera is as swift as advertised, but good luck stabilizing the photo. Overall camera quality was decent, but lags behind the Iphone4S

5. Bluetooth, transferring apps, docs and music is so easy with the Android. It made me realize how uncomfortable the Itunes program makes me feel.

6. There are a few blips here and there that you seldom see on the iOS or Windows Phone 7, such as programs suddenly shutting down.

In a nutshell, the Galaxy Nexus is a powerful pocket machine that doesn’t dumb down the user experience. I’m most happy with my purchase and hope I can utilize the phone to its fullest potential.

-KL

Eyeing new stuff

Recently my laptop informed me that its battery is reaching the end of its life. It was almost 2 years ago that I first got my Dell Studio XPS 16 and it has served me well for the most part. I still like its subtle backlit keyboard, wide screen and decent graphics. But where to go from here? Gaming laptops are notorious for being neither mobile nor graphic intensive especially when compared to a desktop of equivalent price. But as a student who gets around, I realized that mobility is not a luxury, but a necessity.

I’ve looked through some of the possible candidates for my new laptop. I wanted to get a notebook with Class 1 graphics this time e.g the best graphics that a laptop can offer. In addition, SSD is the rage these days and I’m looking forward to lightning fast boot speeds. A good screen is also important as I watch a cornucopia of TV shows and movies on my laptop. Finally I’d like a laptop that offers Blu-Ray support so that I can see what all the fuss is about.

Three brands have grabbed my attention thus far;
1. Alienware
2. Asus
3. MSI

Initially I thought Alienware would be the most expensive of the lot, and on closer look I found its design to be jarring and immature. But MSI’s higher range gaming laptops eclipsed even the Alienware juggernauts. Overall I preferred Asus’ G series notebooks which even offered 3D functionality on its screen and were priced decently.

Intel Core i7-2670QM (4 core)-2.0GHz (Turbo up to 2.9)
– Intel® HM65 Express Chipset
– Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 Bit)
– 17.3′ FHD Color Shine ( LED / 3D )
– 8GB DDR3 1333 MHz SDRAM,
– 640GB  + 640GB 5400rpm Hard Disk Drive
– NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX560M with 3GB GDDR5 VRAM
– Blue-Ray DVD Writer
– 3-in-1 card reader ( SD/ MS/ MMC)
– webcam 2.0 camera
– Integrated 802.11 b/g/n
– Built-in Bluetooth™ V2.1+EDR
– 10/100/1000 Base T
– 1 x Microphone-in jack
1 x Line-in Jack
1 x VGA port/Mini D-sub 15-pin for external monitor
1 x USB 3.0 port(s)
3 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
1 x HDMI
– 8 Cells Battery : 5200mAh
– 32.5 x 42.0 x 2.09 ~6.20 cm (WxDxH)
– 4.28 kg (with 8 cell battery)
– color : Black Rubber Painting design

 

– Intel Core i7–2670QM (4 core)-2.2GHz(Turbo up to 2.9)
– Genuine WIndows 7 Home Premium (64 Bit)
– 8GB(4GBx2) DDR3 1333MHz SDRAM
– 15.6′ HD Color Shine LED / 3D
– 640GB + 640GB SATA Hard Disk Drive
– NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M
– 2GB GDDR5 VRAM
– Blue-ray DVD Writer
– 5-in-1 card reader ( SDXC/ MS/ MS Pro/ MS Duo/ MMC)
– 2.0 Mega Pixel Fixed web camera
– Integrated 802.11 b/g/n
– Built-in Bluetooth V2.1+EDR
– 10/100/1000 Base T
1 x Microphone-in jack
1 x Headphone-out jack
1 x USB 3.0 port(s)
3 x USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x RJ45 LAN Jack for LAN insert
1 x HDMI
– 8 Cells Battery: 5200 mAh 74 Whrs
– 39.1 x 2.7 x 2.0 ~5.0 cm (WxDxH)
– 3.78 kg (with 8 cell battery)
– 2-year limited global hardware warranty.

Both Asus G series laptops offer NVIDIA Geforce GTX 560M which is a high range graphics card where notebooks are concerned. As mobility is a big issue for me, I’m leaning towards the Asus G53SX with its 15.6′ screen and lighter weight. But I suppose my preference is still subject to change as I research more models.

Fireworks to welcome 2012

I spent the first day of MMXII with a personal tradition of mine – watching the new year’s fireworks from the major cities all over the globe. In times of uncertainty there is yet some solace to be felt in the face of such aplomb and fanfare. And in its afterglow you realize just how unifying the celebrations are, whether you’re in Sydney, Dubai or New York.

Sydney

Dubai/Moscow

Taipei

London

New York

1. The Sydney fireworks were most spectacular and really hit home as I was there in Sydney harbour 6 months ago.
2. Dubai had a dazzling show of fireworks that spiralled out of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
3. I also saw Taiwan’s new year’s celebration which turned the Taipei 101 building into soft showers of sparkles.
4. This year’s Olympic host London threw a big party to welcome 2012 with the chiming of the Big Ben and fireworks lighting up the London Eye.
5. And finally no New Year’s celebration is complete without watching New York’s Times Square Ball Drop.

What can I look forward to in 2012?
1. I’ll be doing my finals after 5 years studying medicine. I’m hoping everything goes well there.
2. Well the Summer Olympics will be held in London this year
3. It’s already been designated Alan Turing Year, to commemorate the centenary of his birth on 23 June 1912
4. The Mayan calendar or Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar will complete a great cycle on December 21. Following which it will reset. If someone mentions the end of the world again….
5. Last but certainly not least, I have Season 2 of Game of Thrones to look forward to in April.

To put things into perspective here’s an excellent retrospective video of the 100 important moments of the last century.

End of a decade: A review of Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Severus Snape: “You have used me. I have spied for you, lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter’s son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter—

“Albus Dumbledore: “But this is touching, Severus. Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?“

I guess I should count myself as part of a generation of people that practically grew up with Harry Potter. As I recall, I was in Form 2 when Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone came out and I’m in the final year of my 5-year university course now. I opted not to refresh my memory on the books for this movie, to avoid the inevitable comparisons. And I chose to see it in 3D out of convenience because my nearest theatre was showing it (+1) at the earliest possible time (+1).

To my surprise, the theatre was not full even at midday on a Saturday. Perhaps most of the Potter enthusiasts caught it on the premiere day, I thought to myself. The opening scene sets the mood for the rest of the film – a somber march to a final conclusion. Even the giant Warner Bros. logo appears more ominous than usual.

The film picks up directly after the events of its predecessor, where we find Harry Potter having just buried Dobby the elf. The first act is a thrilling break-in of the Gringotts bank by our trio with the help of the goblin Griphook. Here, Helena Bonham-Carter shines as she plays a nervous, polyjuiced Hermione in Bellatrix Lastrange’s form. After collecting the horcrux in the form of Helga Hufflepuff’s Cup from the vault, they escape via dragon.

We then get to meet Dumbledore’s brother Aberforth who rescues Harry. Ron and Hermione when they apparate into Hogsmeade and set off a Caterwauling charm alarm. We also get to see a portrait of the young Ariana Dumbledore which appears to be the centrepiece of the living room. But regretfully, we don’t get to see any of the backstory between the Dumbledore siblings or Grindelwaal which would have added tantalizing depth to the movie.

Harry sneaks into Hogwarts with the sole purpose of finding the remaining horcrux. Sensing this, Snape launches a crackdown on all Hogwarts students in the Great Hall before Harry reveals himself. He is swiftly pushed aside by the awesome HBIC Professor McGonagall. She forces his ouster in startling fashion following a fiery one-sided duel from her formidable wand. But there is little time to cheer as Voldemort sends a chilling message to Hogwarts to prepare for his arrival.

The Battle of Hogwarts ensues as Voldemort’s forces attack Hogwarts itself. For me, the highlight of the movie is the following part where we see Snape’s final showdown with Voldemort. The dark wizard is insecure that the Elder Wand is not under his command because he did not kill the previous owner (Albus Dumbledore). Thus he unleashes his pet snake Nagini on Snape (which was a little bit frightening for the little ones). Harry finds Snape in his dying minutes, only to retrieve a few drops of his tears for the pensieve.

We learn that Snape and Lily were childhood friends, and he could only watch as the woman he loved fell for the seemingly arrogant James Potter. When the Dark Lord rose for the first time, he begged him to spare Lily Potter. On that fateful night at Godric’s Hallow, Lily refused to step aside to the Dark Lord in order to protect her son, Harry. Voldemort unleashed a Killing Curse which rebounded on Harry as a result of his mother’s willing sacrifice. Snape is seen at the Potter home later, in grief at Lily’s death. He changes his allegiance to Dumbledore’s side in order to avenge Lily’s death and his true colours are revealed.

Dumbledore was in fact dying after inflicting himself with a horrible curse during his last horcrux adventure with Harry. He had ordered Snape to kill him in order to ostensibly show his loyalty to Voldemort. And as for Harry himself, Dumbledore knew that in order to defeat the Dark Lord, Harry must die. This horrified Snape who had sworn to protect Harry to honour Lily’s memory and sacrifice. Snape then reveals his patronus, the shape of a doe – the same as Lily’s. He still had feelings for her after all these years.

I think that the story of Snape, the half blooded prince, is the climax and tour de force of the movie. It is storyline most unexpected and that has been slowly revealed over the seven books – that Harry’s most disliked teacher was the one who was protecting him all along. The rest of the movie simply pales in comparison to the complexity, depth and emotion of Severus Snape and his relationship with Harry and Lily Potter.

Good things aside, there were some parts of the movie that were not well done. The epilogue was presented to us almost literally from the books and it was laughable. Harry, Ron and Hermione did NOT look 19 years older. Only Ginny could have passed for a mom. And there was little sense of emotion or nostalgia of any kind during this scene. It really kind of all fell flat for me. And don’t get me started on how they undermined Harry and Ron’s friendship in the movie to make way for Ron and Hermione’s “romance”. I had always imagined that the core trio’s relationships would be strongly developed, but Ronald Weasley’s role as Harry’s best friend was severely underestimated in this film. He didn’t even seem to flinch when Harry announced he was going to face Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest alone.

But all things aside, when the Pottermania subsides, Harry Potter will likely be the top grossing movie franchises of all time. And what is the future of Pottermania? Well, thankfully, JK Rowling is not going to stop with books and films. She’s created an online portal called Pottermania where her work lives on. And as a true thank you to her legions of fans, it will be available for free hopefully, for decades more to come.

A Review of Transformers: Dark of the Moon

There are some movies where you become drawn into a fictional reality, perhaps because of dynamic storytelling where we breathe the script vicariously through characters that borrow a part of our egoistical identities (They give it back at the end of the movie and we are left with just an empty popcorn box).  Well after the first two installments it’s safe to say that Transformers is no such a film. Nevertheless, I was a huge fan of the television series and owned many a transformer toy so I felt obliged to see the final film of the trilogy, named Transformers: Dark of the Moon. (Spoilers ahead)

The film opens with a clever montage that juxtapositions an alternate reality of actual historical events. In this case, we find out that the Apollo 11 mission sent to the moon in fact discovered not just moon rock but an alien ship belonging to who else but those enigmatic robots that just can’t keep their junk from falling into our solar system. We learn that the ship was piloted by Sentinel Prime, the previous leader of the Autobots and he was ferrying technology that would change the outcome of the battle in Cybertron for the Autobots. The ship of course is the mythical Ark of transformers canon, and Optimus Prime discovers that the Soviet attempted to use a fuel cell found in its wreck, resulting in the Chernobyl accident (continuing the theme of “yay let’s use historical events to make things cooler”).

We then find that our protaganist Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeouf) has ditched or should I say upgraded Mikaela (the recently fired Megan Fox) to an English girl, Carly Spencer (of authentic Transformers canon), played by the stunning Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whitely. Unfortunately this is the most appropriate description of Huntington-Whitely’s performance as she seems to have perfected the wide eyed, slack jawed effect and somehow gotten stuck with one expression. In fact, in the middle of a chaos in the climax of the film, there is a laughable scene where the camera pans towards her doing ONLY that for a good 15 seconds.

I can't really act so I'll just try to look pretty

Sam seems to have suffered from a post-Transformers life crisis where he struggles to find a job that would give him enough stimulation and meaning. He eventually finds work in a mail room under an OCPD boss by the name of Bruce (John Malkovich). His girlfriend however, works for Dylan Gould (Patrick Dempsey) who appears to be a wealthy business magnate with an interest in cars.

Meanwhile, Optimus is sulking (we know this because he uh, remains quiet in his trailer truck mode) at the news that the humans have withheld knowledge of the Ark on the dark side of the moon. He scrambles to put his massive metal foot on the moon to retrieve Sentinel Prime (voiced by Leonard Nimoy), who with tentacle bears bears a striking resemblance to Captain Barbosa. Using the matrix of leadership, he revives his former leader and has a talk with him apparently and awkwardly in the middle of the African savannah. Sentinel Prime reveals to the humans that he was carrying pillars to build a space bridge that would turn the tide of the Cybertronian War.

The Decepticons however, have been laying low, waiting for Sentinel Prime to be resurrected, presumably so that they can get in on this bridge thing. They are executing humans connected to the Russian and American space missions to the moon. One of them, Sam’s coworker Jerry Wang (Ken Jeong) manages to slip in information about “the dark side of the moon” before being assassinated by Laserbeak. With the help of the now eccentric former agent Seymour Simmons (John Turtturro), he uncovers evidence that the Decepticons were at the Ark way before Optimus and have the bulk of the space pillars. Next thing you know, Sam is alerting the Autobots that Sentinel Prime is in grave danger.

During the escort mission to get Sentinel Prime to safety, the former Autobot leader throws a curveball of his own, by revealing that he had made a pact to work with Megatron. He kills Ironhide point blank and runs away with the pillars. With Megatron at his side he activates a space bridge that transports hundreds of Decepticons that have been lying dormant on the dark side of the moon. His next plan is to transport Cybertron itself to Earth’s vicinity and enslave the human race as some sort of cheap labour force to gather resources.

Gould is revealed as a human Decepticon agent and he places a transforming spy probe-watch on Sam’s wrist to find out Optimus’ plans. The Autobots are condemned to exile and sent in a rocket into space, but not before it gets shot down by a Decepticon lying in wait. It appears the Decepticons and Sentinel Prime have full control of the Earth. They lay ruin to the city of Chicago and barricade it’s centre to make way for the space bridge. (For it would be much more dramatic than say going to Antartica).

Sigh...one can only hope that is a Protoss Carrier

To nobody’s surprise, the Autobots return (they were in the rocket boosters that fell off and returned to Earth) and save the day even though they are heavily outnumbered. This doesn’t stop Sentinel Prime from activating the space bridge and summoning Cybertron itself into full atmospheric view. Yes, for Michael Bay hopes that the awesome visuals will distract you long enough before you remember the laws of physics and realize that planets have gravitational fields. Also the titular “moon” is conspicuously nowhere to be seen during the epic appearance of Cybertron. You’d think it would be awesome for them to transport Cybertron to within Earth’s gravitational field only to have it collide with the moon.

Optimus is cornered by Sentinel Prime and has his arm amputated before Megatron comes to save his day. Yes you read that right. None other than Carly Spencer herself personally approaches the mangled tyrant (he’s still missing most of his robotic cranium) and whispered to him words that would make him jealous of Sentinel Prime’s position. An absurdly ridiculous scene. But anyways to cut the story short, Megatron distracts Sentinel Prime just enough so that the one-armed Optimus can kill them both.

So what exactly does Transformers bring to the table? It’s sort of like imagining what would happen if the actors in all your sitcoms played their roles in the nude. Transformers is almost pornographic in the way it presents action and violence. Sparks fly, robo-tentacles constrict buildings, and metal is shredded all over the place without discretion. (I now shudder at the thought of Michael Bay-directed porn). Sometimes I got the feeling that I was trapped in the scene witnessing pointless destruction. The chaotic climax of the film stretches so long that you wonder if you’re watching an unending CNN coverage of Chicago’s destruction by robot aliens instead.

I was waiting for "Optimus, I am your father"

The character development is extremely weak, save for Sam Witwicky. We know very little about the Autobots except that they preach freedom for all sentient beings. I could hardly see the purpose of including the Wreckers in this film as they disappeared from screen as quickly as they were called upon. The household sized Wheelie and Brains were poor comic relief and I found myself not caring what happened to them in the end.

There was minimal interaction between Bumblebee and Sam – one of the highlights of the first movie. The Decepticons including Soundwave and Shockwave are completely underdeveloped and reduced to unrecognizable and twisted metal hulks that speak jibberish (or don’t speak at all) and have weird spider mouths. I have to say it but most of them just look ugly.

Shockwave was upset he didn't get more of a speaking role

But at the end of the day, Transformers is not about characters or storytelling. It’s not even about the Autobots or Decepticons – they are merely the toys in the toybox. It seems to me that the mantra of this movie is about pushing the limits of special effects and porno-violence to thrill the audience. An this admittedly it does very well evidenced by the applause I heard at the end of the movie.

Pixar’s first truly rotten tomato

I have to be honest that when Pixar first announced that it would be making a sequel to 2006’s Cars I was dumbstruck. I thought it was easily the weakest out of Pixar’s stable of quality unconventional movies. So I was not the least surprised to learn that the early reviews are in and Pixar’s streak of 11 certified fresh movies on Rottentomatoes has been ended! Perhaps the studio was thinking about the merchandising prospects of Cars instead. So let’s take a look at Pixar’s run thus far:

1.Toy Story (1995)
RT rating: 100%
Box office: $361,958,736
– The one that started it all. I never treated my toys the same way again.

2. A Bug’s Life (1998)
RT Rating: 91%
Box Office: $363,398,565
– I remember that this movie warranted many repeats during my school days. Loved the insects.

3. Toy Story 2 (1999)
RT Rating: 100%
Box Office: $485,015,179
– Better than the first toy story. I remember more about this film than the first one.

4. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
RT Rating: 95%
Box Office: $525,366,597
– It was so good that I still wonder what happened to Boo to this day. A tantalizing sequel was initially announced, but it’s now confirmed to be a prequel instead…darn.

5. Finding Nemo (2003)
RT Rating: 98%
Box Office: $867,893,978
– I never got to see it until much later, but I didn’t get the hype about this film

6. The Incredibles (2004)
RT Rating 97%
Box Office: $631,442,092
– Thought it was good family fun, but way overrated

7. Cars (2006)
RT Rating: 74%
Box Office: $461,983,149
– Pixar’s first critical “flop” was still respectably “fresh” by RT standards. But as for me, I found the idea mostly uninspired and I didn’t even bother to watch it.

8. Ratatouille (2007)
RT Rating: 96%
Box Office: $623,722,818
– This film impressed me with its maturity…and also its delicious looking food

9. WALL-E (2008)
RT Rating: 96%
Box Office: $521,311,860
– An instant classic space opera which does not rely on dialogue

10. Up (2009)
RT Rating: 98%
Box Office: $731,342,744
– This film was a brilliant and heartfelt adventure with an unexpected pairing of leads

11. Toy Story 3 (2010)
RT Rating: 99%
Box Office: $1,063,171,911
– I really think this is the most nostalgic and emotional of all the Pixar films..that’s why it’s so awesome.

12. Cars 2 (2011)
RT Rating: 33% and dropping
– I think I will skip this as well.

It’s too hot

My forecastfox says that it is 33 degrees now with a heat index of 47 degrees. My body says it is dehydrated. My mind says its too busy worrying about the heat…

Rage and Serenity: The Dynamic of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr

I have to admit that the intensity of Xmen:First Class blew me away. It wasn’t the action sequences or special effects that captivated me. Rather, I was heavily impressed upon by the strong dynamic between the young Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr played brilliantly by James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender. This is a character driven movie. first and foremost.

They came from wildly different backgrounds. The young Charles as a boy grew up in a mansion in New York, while Erik came from the concentration camps of Auschwitz. It was there that Erik discovered that emotions, chiefly anger, activated his power of magnetism, but this came at a traumatic cost of losing his mother. Meanwhile, Charles discovered his own kind early on, in the form of Raven/Mystique, played by the stunning Jennifer Lawrence. They develop a sibling bond over the years.

We then see Charles at Oxford University, publishing his thesis on mutation. His only friend at the time appears to be Raven, and ironically despite his power of telepathy, his genetic jargon of a pickup line doesn’t work as well with the ladies. However, his promising research on mutation lands him the attention of the CIA, in the form of agent Moira McTaggert.

It is during a CIA operation to track down archvillain Sebastian Shaw that Charles and Erik finally meet. Charles, using his power of telepathy saves Erik from certain death by convincing him to give up Shaw. Xavier brings Lensherr to the CIA’s secret “Division X” facility. Charles is the more softspoken and naively kind one. Erik on the other hand, is sympathetically depicted as angsty and bent on avenging his mother and finding the people responsible for creating his mutation.

They go on a mission together to recruit mutants and their friendship thickens. There’s great chemistry here between McAvoy and Fassbender. It’s easy to feel why they developed such a close bond. Both have finally met someone they regard as an intellectual equal, and their emotional friendship inevitably follows. Charles teaches Erik to unlock the full potential of his powers by tapping into his deepest and most vulnerable memory. They engage in philosophical discussions on their mutantkind. Charles believes in using their powers to help mankind, while Erik believes mutants are the evolutionary superior beings. They are shown playing chess together in intimate environments. In one scene, they are sitting at the statue of Abraham Lincoln overseeing America’s most phallic structure. Suggestive imagery indeed. It’s a joy just to see them both so comfortable in each other’s company.

Charles Xavier: Listen to me very carefully my friend. Killing Shaw will not bring you peace.
Erik Lehnsherr: Peace was never an option.

The crux of the movie is Erik’s intention to destroy Shaw, the person who created his mutation. In their final mission set against the tense backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis, we see Charles and Erik working hand in hand to bring down the powerful villain mutant. Indeed, Erik even utilizes his powers to shield Charles from harm as the their plane goes down. But it is here that their ideologies clash again. Erik mercilessly kills Shaw while Charles protests in vain. When the human lives are at stake, Charles sides with them while Erik wants to vanquish them. Although, to be honest, you almost want to side with Erik at this point considering how the humans have treated the mutants (with missiles).

But at the climax of the movie, Charles is hit by the stray bullet that would paralyze him as Moira attempts to stop Erik from destroying the human warships. Erik rushes to Charles’ side and blames Moira. It’s a heartwrenching scene as Erik holds the wounded Charles in his arms and realizes they both do not have the same vision for the future of the mutants. And he realizes that they must go their separate ways as rivals. This leaves Erik with a “void” that he fills by recruiting other members into his team. Raven joins Erik, now known as Magneto, while Charles, Professor X, goes on to open a school for mutants.

I’ve always thought that Xmen had a remarkably mature theme on mutants and their differences with humans that can be applied to racial discrimination and the LGBT community. But what makes me like Xmen:First Class is that it highlights both the eclectic heights and devastating lows of friendship. Perhaps human beings secretly desire to find another human being as awesome and as powerful as their own selves – and it is fascinating to watch when it does happen. And as for our central characters; I’d say it’s a tragic love story of friendship gained and friendship lost.

Notice of Impending Activity

I’m rebooting my blog as my mood has improved since returning from Australia. Yay.

On the beautiful mind

The mind can be thought of as the subjective experience of our stream of consciousness. What happens when our mind tells us that we can see and hear things that aren’t there? What happens when we start to lose touch with reality? This is psychosis and one of the most debilitating psychotic disorders is schizophrenia. The film “A Beautiful Mind” offers us a glimpse of the devastating effects of schizophrenia and how a remarkable man rose to overcome it, eventually triumphant as he accepts a Nobel Prize.

It is the late 1940s, and John Forbes Nash, Jr (played by Russell Crowe), having won the prestigious Carnegie Prize for Mathematics, had just arrived at Princeton University as a graduate student. From the start, it appears that the introverted Nash is not a people person and is excruciatingly awkward with the opposite sex. Nevertheless, he confides in his newfound roommate Charles Herman.

Nash is not content with the mundane part of university life – classes, preferring to devote his time and energy into the completion of his thesis, which he hopes will be a masterpiece. He then finds the inspiration for his novel idea in a bar – as his friends fight over how to tackle a particular blonde. He calls his idea “governing dynamics” and it is now known as the Nash Equillibrium in his honour. Wikipedia summarizes this theory in a succinct manner:

Stated simply, Amy and Bill are in Nash equilibrium if Amy is making the best decision she can, taking into account Bill’s decision, and Bill is making the best decision he can, taking into account Amy’s decision.

With his graduate studies complete, Nash accepts a job at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. However, he is preoccupied with cracking numbers that he sees in newspapers and magazines in his office, causing him to neglect his teaching responsibilities. Despite this, he was able to fall in love with and eventually marry his student Alicia Larde (played by Jennifer Connelly).

He then believes that he was recruited by the Department of Defense in the Pentagon to decipher Soviet communication codes which are placed in the mass media. There, he encounters a shady man in a top hat, William Parcher who is later revealed to be a Pentagon official. Nash accepts his covert assignment and receives an implant in his forearm from the Department of Defense which allegedly functions as a listening device. Nash becomes increasingly fearful, especially after he believes he was chased by Russian operatives. His paranoid behaviour (turning off the lights, suspicion of people outside his house) alarms his wife. On his return to Princeton, he sees Charles Herman and his niece Marcee who is a young girl. As Nash is about to deliver a lecture, he is brought involuntarily into a psychiatric hospital.

It is then revealed that Nash had been living alone all the while at Princeton. His roommate Charles, his niece and even William Parcher were all hallucinations. Nash even tries to dig out the implant in his forearm with his bare hands, but fails as no such device was planted in the first place. His covert assignment about thwarting Soviet communications was only an elaborate delusion.

Nash is then subjected to a series of insulin shock therapies (which are no longer used today) and started on antipsychotics. His symptoms seem to subside and he is subsequently discharged, but nevertheless, problems soon arise at home. As a result of his antipsychotics, Nash feels his mind has become slow and he struggles with his calculations. He also loses his libido which strains his relationship with his wife. Nash decides to stop taking his pills, hoarding them in a desk drawer instead. Predictably, his paranoid symptoms and hallucinations return.

Nash’s relapse is finally realized by his wife when she noticed he had almost drowned their infant son. He then sees and hears William Parcher instructing him to kill her. She calls for his psychiatrist, but ultimately decides to live with his condition. Nash begins to gain insight that his hallucinations, especially the young Marcee, “never seem to get old”. He then starts to ignore his hallucinations even though they continued to haunt him.

In his later years, it appears that Nash is taking the “newer antipsychotics”. He accepts a teaching position back in Princeton, and in 1994 wins the Nobel Prize in Economics for his in “governing dynamics”, also known as game theory.

So, how accurate is the portrayal of schizophrenia in this film? As far as psychiatry is concerned, the film depicts Nash as having hallucinations (perceiving something through your 5 senses when there is nothing there) that are concurrently auditory and visual. These are actually rare, and the real Nash only heard voices (auditory hallucinations are the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia). He starts to have persecutory delusions (that the Soviet are out to get him) and delusions of reference (believing that there are special codes in the newspapers that only he can decipher). His behaviour becomes erratic and he withdraws socially. The hallucinations and delusions also affect his work and relationship with his wife.

As mentioned earlier, insulin shock therapy is no longer used today. It was once used to treat schizophrenia, by method of injecting large amounts of insulin to induce coma and seizures. This was phased out by the developlment of antipsychotics and electroconvulsive therapy. Typical antipsychotics such as Haloperidol are effective in treating the hallucinations and delusions of schizophrenia but do cause the cognitive impairment and sexual dysfunction depicted in the film. More commonly, they cause extrapyramidal side effects which are problems with muscle tone and coordination. Newer “atypical” antipsychotics are also used today and they have less extrapyramidal and cognitive side effects but can cause weight gain and lead to metabolic syndrome.

In real life, it appears that Nash never took the supposed “newer antipsychotics”, it was added because the screenwriters were worried that it could send the wrong message to the public on the medication compliance. In the past, schizophrenia was traditionally seen as a chronic deteriorating illness (Emil Kraepelin), but this view is now changing. It is now believed that up to 20% of schizophrenics who suffer from acute episodes recover completely. A further 20% have recurrent acute episodes and 40% have a chronic illness. With the advance of biopsychiatry, the prognosis of schizophrenia has improved. Furthermore, Nash most probably suffered from the paranoid schizophrenia subtype, with its relative absence of catatonic and negative symptoms. This is the subtype of schizophrenia with the best prognosis.

Finally, the impact of schizophrenia on the family is dramatically shown in the character of Alice Larde, Nash’s wife who has to live with the paranoia and abnormal behaviour of a schizophrenic. Although in the film she was portrayed as a supporting wife, the real Alicia Larde divorced Nash, only to remarry him when he won his Nobel Prize in 1994. That’s why supportive psychoeducation on schizophrenia and mental illness is crucial for the recovery of patients. Without good social support, schizophrenics are less likely to be compliant and more likely to relapse.

Mental illness is still seen as stigma in society which paralyzes its sufferers. I think that the film “A Beautiful Mind” is a rare film that is both powerful, inspirational and has great value in educating the public on mental illnesses such as schizophrenia in order to erode this stigma.