The Theory of Everything

Rating: 7/10 (6 March 2017)

'The Theory of Everything' is James Marsh's biopic of scientific genius Stephen Hawking. Eddie Redmayne plays Hawking as we learn about his early days at university, his diagnosis of motor neuron disease, and the rise to his now iconic status. Marsh's direction is very good and he uses many point of view shots to create a huge sense of empathy for the main character. Marsh uses stunning visual effects in order to express Hawking's inner feelings and torment whilst highlighting his genius. The choice of music is also uplifting and echoes the key themes throughout the film.
The screenplay is a really interesting piece of work and tells the story in a funny yet intriguing way. However, it does seem to lack a certain something as it tries to alter the source material in order to create some very conventional scenes.
The performances in 'The Theory of Everything' are truly exceptional. Eddie Redmayne plays Stephen Hawking in a transformational and moving manner. You can barely recognise him as he highlights his illness with complete sincerity and plausibility. Felicity Jones plays his wife, Jane Wilde. I thought her role would be a simple one as she would work off of the powerhouse performance from Redmayne but the way she shows her strength and compassion is very moving and she does an excellent job.
Overall, 'The Theory of Everything' is a fascinating film about a genius as he deals with his dibilitating illness. The maturity of everyone involved in this make it a remarkable movie.