The Theory of Everything gives us a brief history of a remarkable relationship, the story of Jane and Stephen Hawking, their triumphs and defeats. Stephen is known worldwide as one of the most brilliant scientists of his generation, The Theory of Everything depicts his rise to fame, as well as his fight against devastating Motor Neurone Disease, giving the audience a full picture of Hawking’s life.
Based on Jane’s book, Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen, The Theory of Everything gives us something remarkable, a biopic not of a man but of a couple, this required a remarkable Jane. Felicity Jones is brilliantly cast as the woman who married Stephen Hawking, giving a complex performance that proves Jane was so much more than that. Jones commands the screen, it doesn’t matter if she is an 18 year old school girl or a 40-something mother of 3, it is difficult to take your eyes off her. Every line is delivered with precision; warm and tender when she needs to be, but never anything less than fiercely intelligent and capable. It is a bold performance that refuses to be sidelined, thoroughly deserving of her academy award nomination for best Actress in a leading role.
Eddie Redmayne transforms before our eyes as Stephen, not just the voice and mannerisms, there is a physical transformation that is an incredible achievement worthy of recognition. As Stephen changes, so does Redmayne’s performance; awkwardly charming in those early Cambridge days, increasingly frustrated as the weight of his condition and science tie him down, finally inspiring as the Hawking that is known today. As the film progresses, Redmayne is almost acting through a mask, yet always we can read what is meant to be written on his face, be it pain or a wry smile.
While the central story focuses on Jane and Stephen, the supporting cast are equally excellent. Standing out in particular are Harry Lloyd and David Thewlis, Lloyd’s reaction to learning about Stephen’s condition was particularly moving, while Thewlis is perhaps as reassuring screen presence as there is. Charlie Cox could perhaps have had more development as the Hawking’s friend Johnathan, however the script keeps tightly focused on the points of view of Stephen and Jane, meaning supporting characters appear slightly unknowable at times.
The Theory of Everything’s is a very bright film, which can be appreciated to an extent because there is a trend of films being far too dark. At times the cinematography of Benoit Delhomme is perhaps too conspicuous; in one emotional scene in a church the lighting increases in intensity behind a stained-glass window bathing the characters in dappled light, not a controversial technique but slightly unnecessary. At its best, The Theory of Everything is visually arresting, one image of Stephen in his chair looking out to sea lasts only seconds but I will not be forgetting it anytime soon. Biopic films almost always necessitate montage sequences to cover years quickly, The Theory of Everything attempts to sell these montages as home video footage shot on old cameras - with all the sepia and screen tearing that involves. At first I wasn’t sold on the technique, however it fits in with the overall production design which is consistently convincing, transporting the action back to the 1970s complete with camper vans and patterned roll-mats (I actually think there is one very similar in my attic).
Watching The Theory of Everything, with its themes of the power of time and love, I was struck by a comparison with Christopher Nolan’s excellent Interstellar. In both films if there is an antagonist at all it is time, the inevitability of Stephen’s physical decline looms over the film like a ticking clock. Another common theme in both films is the power of love, okay not exactly breaking new cinematic ground, however both films seem to suggest love not as an abstract noun but as a real power. I would not presume to suggest that Stephen’s (or anyone else’s) fight against his Motor Neurone disease has been anything but hard work, however it is a powerful theme in the film that love can give characters extraordinary strength. It is the strength of these themes that elevates a story of ordinary people to an epic scale, and while Nolan’s protagonists solve their problems with black holes, the wonderfully British Theory of Everything highlights the virtues of a restorative cup of tea.
One more comparison before I’m done, I could not help but be reminded of Walk The Line. In the biopic of the country music legend, the rockstar disappears behind his sunglasses and likes to be called simply “Cash”. In The Theory of Everything, the focus is rightly upon Stephen, not Hawking. Of course the film charts his rise through the scientific ranks from the cloisters of Cambridge to a stage in front of thousands of admirers, however Stephen does not disappear behind the mask of Hawking, instead Redmayne and co give us a real glimpse into the man. This is perhaps the reason the film works so well, because it isn’t about the rockstar and his songs, its about the pain he goes through writing them. It is, like the book that inspired it, about life with Stephen.
Stephen has dedicated his professional life to finding a theory that explains everything; from the big ideas like the movement of the planets, to the smallest particles which we cannot see. The Theory of Everything is a film which explores the biggest themes, but does so through minute details, the little things like a cup of tea or a box of washing detergent, a pen falling from a table, a determined smile against all the odds. In the closing shots of the film, while Stephen does not yet have a theory for everything, there is a note of hope - that the things that mattered most to Stephen in the world could not be explained by any theory, save that the small things matter.
WHO: Mr and Mrs Hawking. Jones and Redmayne are superb.
WHAT: The sheer Britishness of the whole film.
WHY: If you are in need of inspiration.
WHEN: Here is a handy timetable from the excellent Cottage Road Cinema, go see it soon
http://www.cottageroad.co.uk/programme.php
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