A poignant depiction of the life of a genius

Rating: 8/10 (2 January 2016)

The life of the most famous physicist of our time, Professor Stephen Hawking, is given the biopic treatment in the poignant and outstandingly acted 'The Theory of Everything' which won Eddie Redmayne an Oscar in 2015.
Detailing Hawking's physical decline upon diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease and his struggle to maintain a marriage, career and legacy, this film is a touching but occasionally difficult to watch portrayal of a genius defying the odds.
The acting on show from the cast is truly outstanding and Redmayne's interpretation of Hawking at the various stages of his life is extraordinary and worthy of his Oscar recognition. The wide eyed wonder he portrays when finding love with Jane (a brilliant Felicity Jones) feels as genuine as his physical acting performance in dramatizing Hawking's diagnosis and subsequent collapse with his illness. It is a multi-layered performance that captures a range of emotions in a way that can engender feelings of empathy and repulsion in the audience.
The biopic seeks to walk a tightrope between the personal drama and the context of the cosmology theories and interplay between characters in the University of Cambridge setting. The complexity of the scientific interplay is not particularly accessible to the uninitiated and the opening acts are somewhat difficult to wade through. However, Hawking's personal journey is a compelling narrative that takes a raw and honest look at the issue of disability and its impact on a person and their loved ones.
Particularly praiseworthy is the depiction of Hawking's wife's flirtation with an affair and the moral quandary this places her in whilst the Professor's physical condition deteriorates and his relationship with his carer grows increasingly complex. The result of both scenarios is depicted in such a way that the film negates judgement on the rights and wrongs of the situation. The final scene of the movie between Hawking and his wife is genuinely beautiful and wraps up the drama with a moment of reflection on the human experience, rather than cosmological science, of time and creation.
The Theory of Everything is not likely to be top of any date movie lists but it is a compelling drama featuring a cast delivering outstanding performances, none more so than Eddie Redmayne. The film does have a whiff of Oscar-bait in both its script and cinematography but there is much substance to admire in the production and it is well worth a watch.