I love biography movies, there my favorite next to horror movies. Big difference! I love to learn about the life that they led up to their big moment in time if they are still alive. I loved movies like MY LEFT FOOT, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, HARVEY and classics like YANKEE DOODLE DANDY the life of George M. Cohan, THE MAN WITH A THOUSAND FACES the life of Lon Chaney, and one of my favorite THE KINGS SPEECH. Yesterday I went to see, THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING the life of Stephen Hawking. It is truly a remarkable motion picture and one that I feel will be nominated for several academy award nominations especially for Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables} who portrays Stephen Hawking. An unbelievable performance he acts and looks exactly like Stephen Hawking. He will probably be nominated for best actor for his performance. This is one movie I highly recommended. See it! With so many mediocre films being released each year, its refreshing to see a picture that values good storytelling, strong character development, and a meaningful theme over the standard cop-outs of violence, profanity, and little left to the imagination. The Theory of Everything may lack the typical blockbuster trappings, but it more than makes up for it with its incredibly beautiful and bittersweetly uplifting story, handled with great subtlety and sensitivity by director James Marsh. Adapted from Jane Hawkings memoirs of her life with her husband Stephen Hawking, the film chronicles their triumphs and struggles together following his diagnosis at age 21 of a debilitating motor-neuron disease (ALS), which doctors predicted would kill him in two years. Much in the spirit of The Kings Speech, it is a story of going up against the odds, no matter how high they are stacked against you, and still emerging victorious. Neither a straight-forward biopic nor strictly a love story, the result is something that gives a somewhat deeper portrait of its subjects than most films based on the lives of real people show. Anthony McCartens excellent script is bolstered by the two very capable leads of Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as his wife Jane. Jones is a powerhouse, bringing a strength and determination not typically seen in female roles. She does credit to her real-life counterpart, a young woman who single-handedly saw to it that nothing would stand in the way of her husbands reaching his full potential, both in his career and his life; and ably matches Redmayne in sincerity and emotion (A pivotal moment where Hawking has lost the ability to speak and literally cant find the words is made all the more heartbreaking by the strength of their combined talents). In a role that is almost impossibly challenging on its own, Eddie Redmayne, who happens to be a dead-ringer for the famed physicist, is given the additional responsibility of portraying someone who is still living. Regardless, he gives a fearless turn as Stephen Hawking. His performance is neither affected nor clownish, and at all times deeply moving. He emulates the effects of the disease so convincingly its hard to believe it is just an act. As Hawkings ALS progresses, his motor function becomes more and more limited, yet Redmayne never lets you forget the brilliant mind inside. He allows Hawkings indomitable spirit and quirky sense of humor to shine through; merely a sly smile, a twist of the head, a glance, and youd swear you were looking at the man himself. Being of someone so young you have to see his performance to believe him. I know its a tired cliché to say that actors who play disabled characters deserve all the awards, but if anyone has earned a Best Actor Oscar this year, its him. I found myself profoundly impressed by The Theory of Everything for many reasons. In an era where we can so easily lose our perspective on life and whats important, it makes you genuinely count your blessings and be grateful for what you have, as it could be much worse. It also serves as an inspiration to believe that anything is possible, especially in view of the fact that Hawking continues, fifty-odd years after his diagnosis, to defy all odds. I feel it will be an important film not only in an artistic sense, but also for bringing to the public consciousness the inner life of one of our centurys greatest minds. If only a handful of people go out of the theatre understanding Stephen Hawking as more than a man in a wheelchair, then I believe it will have accomplished at least some of its purpose. With that being said, it isnt a film for everyone. For those used to quick cuts and continuous action, the powerfully character-driven storyline and lengthy close-ups with stretches of little to no dialogue may make it seem overlong; but if you appreciate a well-crafted film that gets you to think and feel as only a good film can, then dont hesitate to appreciate this film for all it has to offer. Go and see this movie Redmaynes performance is so lifelike to Stephen Hawking and he is also amazing.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 14:29:21 +0000
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