Tuesday 3 March 2015

Week 9: The Theory Of Everything


Director: James Marsh
Writer: Anthony McCarten (screenplay) based on Jane Hawking’s book
Seen: Sunday 1st March 2015
Venue: IMC Galway
Snacks: Minstrels 
Mood: Inspirational 


The Theory of Everything is the extraordinary story of one of the most recognisable men in the world and also regarded by many as one of the smartest.

Eddie Redmayne plays Professor Stephen Hawking with precision, subtlety and consideration and while it is an Oscar bait performance it is hard to argue who could have deserved it more out of the other four contenders. Felicity Jones plays Jane Hawking and does a decent portrayal.

It is directed by James Marsh who also made two of the most acclaimed documentaries of the last few years Project Nim (2011) and the widely celebrated Man on Wire (2008). Quite honestly I would have preferred to see Marsh tackle the Stephen Hawking story in documentary format rather than the narrative form.  

While the story of Stephen Hawking is inspirational, truly unique and remarkable. The fact that he was given two years to live but is now in his 70’s with three grandchildren and is a ground breaking theorist, makes his life certainly worthy of a biopic. However, the amazing story of the real man didn’t stand up in cinematic terms. While the main performances were impressive I couldn’t help but think I have seen this film a thousand times before.

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