An inconsistent painful bore

Rating: 3/10 (19 February 2015)

The Theory of Everything is a misleading title. However, that's not the most misleading thing about this film. The cinematography and score give the impression you are about to watch a heart-felt, inspirational tale where love conquers all. If we didn't already know we were about to watch a film based on the life of Stephen Hawking, we might think we were watching a romantic comedy set in a fantasy world.
When it's revealed the main character has motor neurone disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the look and tone of the film stay bright and uplifting, despite the dark and depressing things we are watching unfold on-screen. Scenes shift between painfully heart-wrenching to light, fluffy melodrama better suited for a daytime soap. The Oscar bait clichés are at an all-time high here, you start to wonder if during the credits they will resort to bloopers. At this point, the whole idea of the film seems in bad taste.
While The Theory of Everything has some great performances, the look and execution are more suited for an A&E movie of the week. It's more interested in romanticizing a failed marriage rather than celebrating the work of a man with a brilliant mind. The result is an inconsistent, uninspired, painful bore.