It’s blockbuster season on the movie scene, with high-rating films “John Wick” and “Gone Girl” scoring off-the-charts ratings, and “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I” well on its way to release. In the wake of action-filled, mainstream films, cinematic wonders like “The Theory of Everything” may fall into the backdrop. Don’t let it — this film’s brilliant crafting is well worth seeing.
The film follows the physical deterioration of Stephen Hawking, played by Eddie Redmayne, the great physicist responsible for rapid developments in general relativity, after he is diagnosed with a motor neuron disease at age 21. Gradually, Hawking loses control of his ability to walk, move, and even speak, eventually only communicating through a computer that speaks what he types.
The film, directed by Jane Marsh and developed by Hawking’s first wife, Jane Wilde, focuses on the strain that Hawking’s medical condition had on his relationships with family and friends.
His romance with Jane, played by Felicity Jones, takes the center stage of the film, beginning with their first meeting during Hawking’s graduate studies, and as his genius is discovered.
The profound passion of the two young lovers comes alive with the vibrantly colorful scenes of their life in the ’60s. Undoubtedly, one of the most breathtaking aspects of the film is the incredible imagery. Hawking and Wilde fall in love in an elaborate world of moving art. Even the simple mixing of Hawking’s coffee takes on the status as a work of art on its own.
It is hard not to lose yourself in their world, to truly breathe their romance, their humor, and their enthusiasm. Hawking in particular is portrayed as an endlessly witty individual, possessing the kind of magnitude that everyone is drawn to.
The filmmakers begin dropping small hints of Hawking’s impending struggles with the slightest of details — a stumble here, a knocked over teacup there. At the same time, we are faced with Hawking’s physical prowess– his leaps from his top bunk to his desk, his involvement in the rowing team, and the way he dances with Wilde on their first date. The physicality of Hawking’s life becomes ever so poignant with the knowledge of what is soon to come.
Even though most of us know of Hawking’s condition, the emotional pull of the film does not lose any of its vigor. It’s one thing to know about his illness and another to become immersed in the intense emotional struggle not only of Hawking himself, but of Wilde as she fights to take care of her husband and their three children.
Felicity Jones undoubtedly carries the emotional intensity in the film — her subtle expressions add a level of reality that is almost too much to watch. It is impossible to judge Wilde as she tries to cope with her growing romantic feelings for the man helping her take care of Hawking, Jonathan Jones (Charlie Cox).
Following the emotional rollercoaster of their story, you feel as though you are looking in on the lives of old friends. Your heart breaks for Hawking’s personable character, and you hang on desperately to every part of a journey that is intricately woven with the realities of Hawking’s research on time, as his own time supposedly becomes limited.
Despite all odds, Hawking survives for years beyond the original dictations of his doctors, and we see the full circle development of Hawking’s rise to fame, his intense faith, and the strength of relationships that live on even if “the weight of science is against you.”
Even if you know absolutely nothing about physics, this is the kind of film that makes you curious about the world around you, as well as making you appreciate what it means to experience the art that is cinema. Without a doubt, you’ll want to learn more about Hawking and his life, all the while immersing in a sensory experience that leaves you breathless.