The Theory of Everything Charms Universally

Rating:

The Theory of Everything Movie Review

As a viewer, you might have heard a lot or nothing about Stephen Hawking, and yet at the end that doesn’t matter. You are going to love The Theory of Everything anyway. I have seen it twice already, and if I can watch it for the third time, I will not hesitate. As I went into the movie, I was a little skeptical as I had read about it not conforming to the actual events that took place in Stephen Hawking’s life. After the movie, I wasn’t concerned if director James Marsh had got everything exactly as it happened in real life as long as it kept me interested, and by George, it did!

There has been a lot of talk about Eddie Redmayne portraying one of the greatest scientific minds of our times on celluloid, and as I walked out of the theater, I was left mesmerized by Eddie Redmayne’s performance just like everyone else. The way in which he embodies Stephen Hawking’s personality, and yet doesn’t overwhelm you even for a moment, is astonishing.

As the saying goes, behind every successful man is a woman, so it is in this case. Stephen Hawking has said that it was his wife, Jane, who helped him out of depression after he learned that he had the debilitating motor neuron disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Felicity Jones, who portrays the real-life Jane Hawking, pulls off a brilliant performance matching Eddie Redmayne, so to say. As we see these two actors frame after frame, it is a sheer feast for the eyes.

The narrative takes from Jane Hawking’s memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen adapted for the screen by Anthony McCarten. Keeping the science bit to a minimum with the focus firmly on the relationship between Stephen and Jane, the first half takes the viewer through the early part of Stephen’s life at Cambridge University where he meets Jane Wilde, his learning of the disease, their subsequent marriage, and having their first child. Both Charlie Cox, who plays Jonathan Hellyer Jones, the choirmaster, who briefly helps the Hawking family, and Maxine Peake, who plays the nurse, Elaine Mason, who goes on to play a much more significant role in Stephen’s life have small but significant parts in the movie. Hollywood A-lister Emily Watson, who plays Jane’s mother, adds weight to the cast. All have done a commendable job. The music by Jóhann Jóhannsson, as well as the cinematography by Benoît Delhomme, are noteworthy.

The Theory of Everything, irrespective of how many Oscars it wins, will be cherished as a modern day masterpiece for a long time to come. It is the uplifting journey of a man, who with the support of his loving and tenacious wife, overcame all odds to do beautiful things. Do watch this fantastic work of art about one of the greatest scientists of our age.