Review of The Theory of Everything (2014) by Patrick C — 11 Jun 2015

James Marsh is most well-known for directing 2008's Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire. His first foray into feature film making is a superb first effort. Using the autobiographical book by Jane Hawking, Marsh explores the love life of one of our greatest scientists, Stephen Hawking. Around the time Hawking was a student studying relativity and black holes, he was stricken with the neuromuscular disorder which leaves him paralyzed and helpless today. But he had just met Jane who devotes her life to his care and builds a family with Stephen as his physical body succumbs, his intellect grows and his celebrity explodes.

Actually very little of the science of Stephen Hawking is in this film which was a bit of a letdown. Marsh focuses on the personal relationship between Stephen and Jane and the strain his circumstances place on their marriage. But the two leads sell the love story like gangbusters and curiosity remains throughout as Jane struggles with her desires for normal companionship while never giving up on her increasing famous and dependent husband.

Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables; My Week With Marilyn) gives a miracle performance as Stephen Hawking. Every mannerism and nuanced emotion is precise and never showy. It's a masterwork of mimicry. And Felicity Jones (Like Crazy; The Invisible Woman) matches him as the capable and devoted Jane, her powerful raw emotions drawing us into their unique world - tragic, beautiful, and uncompromising. They are both Oscar-bound, and the film should be an across the board contender in a number of major categories. The Theory of Everything may not be the most successful - or for some, compelling - biopic, but it's worth seeing for those amazing lead performances.