Sorry to say, it is driver problem. As is mentioned in the ReadMe file. Be glad you dont have a ATI GPU, they are having even worser/bigger problems with this game. The only thing I recommend is going over to Tech Support over at the Infogrames Support website, or toughing it out with the 41.09 drivers, or waiting for a patch for the game. Trust Me, this game needs one.
BTW Do other games crash when you use the 41.09 drivers? Have a read of
THIS thread, courtesy of the Guru.
Just having a quick look over that thread I can see that people who are using the 41.03 drivers are playing this game with no pronlems. You might like to try those. They can be found in the downloads of the
GURU site.
BTWx2 You dont have EAX Enabled in the options menu of Unreal 2? Try disabling it if you do. EAX causes this game to crash very often.