The love of everything...

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2015)

Prior to the film, I feared that evaluating this would be very difficult , because:
a) I have always liked Eddie Redmayne, since his first film Like Minds, and he has later had various brave and complex roles, not suitable for many others
b) One of my favourite actors, Benedict Cumberbatch, starred in TV film Hawking in 2004 already - and he was wonderful there already
c) In 2015, they are both nominated for Academy Award within the same category - Best Actor.
Yeah...
Luckily, the films are different, the one in question is more focused on relation(ship)s, feelings, different kind of love (for people, science, history, etc.) - all events and scenes are subject to them. The plot is smooth, the tune warmhearted, but - unlike in Hawking - there is less attention on Hawking's intellectual inheritance, and some moments related to other people I had to review later from Wikipedia. Cinematography and music score are splendid as well, but the real gem is Redmayne: so distinct, I have to admit, and "better" than Cumberbatch due to far bigger likeness with real Hawking, above all. I was not so enraptured by Felicity Jones, well, she was really good, but so were all others in supporting roles.
Anyway, I am sure that The Theory of Everything will be rewarded with multiple Academy Awards. And I promise I will be happy for Redmayne if he wins as well - even at the expense of Cumberbatch for The Imitation Game. Pity that they have to compete in the same year...