When I walked into the cinema this morning, I was expecting to watch the story of one of the greatest minds of our lifetime. In my excitement, I had forgotten that the Theory of Everything, is based not on Stephen Hawking's life, but a rather moving memoir, written by his ex-wife Jane Hawking. So instead of a biopic that should have been about science and a man's miraculous and moving fight against a disease that should have killed him four decades ago, you end up with a love story.
What's disappointing is the fact that director James Marsh (famous for his Man on Wire documentary), refused to delineate the love story with any warmth or detail. The film unfolds like a calendar of events and while the performances of lead actors Eddie Redmayne playing Stephen Hawking and Felicity Jones as Jane Hawkings are beyond top-notch, they have little material to work with.
We meet Hawking in the long corridors of Oxford, where Hawking first meets Jane at a party, while he's still working on his PhD. They're soon in love, but it is at the same time that Hawking first comes face to face with the disease that he will continue to fight for the rest of his long life. The initial diagnosis of the motor-neuron disease that threatens to degenerate his body into a vegetable leaves him less than two years to live. Jane is undeterred and despite everyone's advice, she goes ahead and marries the boy genius. What is disturbing is that while Jane may have led a rather difficult life, dealing with the scientist's disease and raising three children all by herself, nothing is said of Hawking's own difficulties. The director makes no use of the visual medium to make at least a passing statement on the man's genius, completely removing him from the equation.
However, Redmayne is flawless in his portrayal of Hawking. From his impish and warm grin to his all-too-believable physical transformation, from his restrained emotional reactions to the drama unfolding within and around him, Redmayne has managed to pull off something very special with this film. Felicity Jones holds her own against Redmayne, as well. Her loyalty, confusion, dedication and her final act of walking away from a 30-year-long marriage; it's all pulled off with much grace.
However, great performances don't always make a great movie. Sit this one out, if you can.
