Utterly charming

Rating: 8/10 (29 January 2015)

Within the first 5 minutes of THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, I realized that I was thoroughly charmed by the two lead characters. With that knowledge firmly in mind, I sat back to enjoy the love story that was set to unfold.
And unfold it did...very well, indeed.
TOE tells the story of the relationship between famed Physicist Stephen Hawking and his wife, Jane. As portrayed by Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones (both Oscar nominated) these two people are charming, loving, selfish, angry, happy, sad. In other words, they are HUMANS.
Redmayne, in particular, does a remarkable job of creating a real person despite the handicap of not being able to use much physicality in his role. What Redmayne is able to convey with his eyes is astonishing and I would be just fine with him winning the Oscar this year. The movie is, in essence, a "two-hander" and Jones more than holds her own as Hawking's wife Jane, and it was gratifying to watch two strong performances on the screen together.
The story is told strongly by Director James Marsh while the cinematography brings strong, interesting visuals to a picture that could have been bland. It was a welcome addition to a good story.
I cannot leave this review without mention of Professor Lupin himself, David Thewlis as Hawking's mentor, Dennis Sciama. It is always welcome to see Thewlis on the screen but I was distracted at the first moments of seeing him in his Professor's robes at an old London University. I had Harry Potter flashbacks.
But I digress...
If you're looking for a bang, bang action flick - check out one of the myriad of Liam Neeson flicks, if you want to watch good acting, good direction and a strong love story about two charming people, check out THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING.
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)