The Theory of Everything succeeds in spite of its flaws, thanks to being more than just a romantic film, or just a biopic about Stephen Hawking.
Led by powerful performances from Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones, it overcomes problems common to each genre, and provides a touching portrayal of a complex relationship. Those who are not interested in either aspect may wish to skip this one.
The Theory of Everything appears, at first, to be a film about the life of renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking. However, this is a movie about his relationship with Jane Wilde Hawking and how his crippling illness, more than his fame, affected their marriage.
Eddie Redmayne’s depiction of Stephen Hawking is easily the most powerful aspect of the movie.
Subtlety and respect are key when portraying a man crippled by such a debilitating disease, and never did I feel like the actor overdid any facet of his descent from perfect health to illness for the sake of a few more tears. In fact, this same feature is what made the script so strong. Every key, emotional moment comes across as genuine and tugs at your heart in just the right way. While it was based on the memoir of Jane, it treats both subjects fairly and shows how hard it is to make any relationship work.
I would be recommending this to everyone, if it was not for a few big flaws.
Like many romantic films that have preceded it, The Theory of Everything relies greatly on a soundtrack that is too heavy-handed at times. The direction is sharp enough that further emphasis on which scenes are emotional remains unnecessary. Also, for a film about a man known for his physical handicapped, not much detail goes in to how he has survived so long.
Along with dialogue that sounds cliche and forced at times, as well as an ending that appears to hold more meaning to the characters than the audience, The Theory of Everything keeps itself from being one of the best movies of the year, thanks to rookie mistakes.
I would still suggest seeing it if you are a sucker for a tearjerker, or biopics about famed scientists, but the blunders that plague this film keep me from recommending it to anyone else.
