Cast: Eddie Redmayne is transformative, playing Stephen Hawking as his body falls apart. There's no denying that playing handicapped like this is Oscar-baity. That doesn't make it any less impressive. Redmayne goes through each phase of Hawking's deterioration naturally and believably. Still, all that is secondary and he is is also acting in a scene and delivering lines the whole time. Then there's Felicity Jones who I've had my eye on since seeing her in Like Crazy. She's every bit as good as Redmayne, as Stephen's wife who is with him from before his disease takes over. They are the main focus of the movie. The only other actor worth noting is Charlie Cox who is fine as a very close friend of the family that helps take care of Stephen.
Plot: This is the story of the relationship between Stephen and Jane Hawking. These are real and famous people so I don't feel bad spoiling anything that Wikipedia already does. The life of their relationship does not end with them together. The movie does a great job showing how they grow apart. There's not a right or wrong side or anything. It's the two of them navigating a very tricky situation and the story is very kind to both of them. My one qualm is that I felt oddly removed from the movie the whole time. I'm still trying to put my finger on why but I think it's the mix of it taking place over a lot of time and following two leads (Seriously, calling Jones a supporting character is ridiculous).
Elephant in the Room: What about the science? The Theory of Everything is about as unconcerned with the physics as A Beautiful Mind is with the math. It touches upon Hawking's theories enough to tie elements in thematically and I imagine that the things being discussed in presentations to other scientists are the equivalent of me discussing the ABCs with you when heard by people who actually study physics. Still, it works in the sense that it doesn't scare away the uninitiated.
To Sum Things Up:
This is a hard movie to walk in with the right expectations for it. I've been thoroughly conditioned to assume this would be entirely about Stephen Hawking's professional successes or how he overcame his disease. This is closer to the play I saw recently, The Last Five Years than anything else I can come up with. The performances are top notch and I really love how the script handles things between the two leads. I don't know if I'd call this one of my favorite movies this year, but it's certainly one that I won't be bothered by when it has a lot of Oscar buzz. Now if I could just stop mixing it up with The Imitation Game in my head.
Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend
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