Review : The Theory of Everything

The Theory of Everything : is the story of the most brilliant and celebrated physicist of our time, Stephen Hawking. This film basically offers an insight into his life, the back story behind his motor neurone disease and his marriage with his first wife 'Jane Wilde' the arts student he fell in love with whilst studying at Cambridge in the 1960s. 

Little was expected from Stephen Hawking, a bright but shiftless student of cosmology, given just a two year life expectency following the diagnosis of a fatal illness at 21 years old. He became galvanized, however, every cloud has a silver lining in the terms of events that take place within the course of the film.

With the love and affections of fellow Cambridge student, Jane Wilde, he went on to be called the successor to Einstein, as well as a husband and father to their three children. Over the course of time Stephen's body collapsed and his academic renown soared, fault lines were exposed that tested the limitations of their relationship and dramatically altered the course of both of their lives. So much to an extent that they just drifted apart, and they became very different people.

If you ask me, I felt that the beginning was really rushed. Within moments of the film starting the two meet for the first time as if it were a matter of serendipity, and they create some rather intriguing dialogue by communicating with only short answers, which as a viewer confused me slightly, I wasn't too sure what was meant to be achieved by doing this. 

I think possibly it was done to create tension to the audience about their relationship to add excitement, it's very snappy and the relationship escalates quite quickly, just as fast as the hints towards Stephen becoming aware that he was deteriorating and becoming aware to the beginning of his illness.

However what the film does do very well indeed is it demonstrates the importance of ones other half. Jane and Stephen are an example of how one needs the other and how one person can benefit from the support that your other half provides. It's very clear in the performances from the two leading roles just how much these two people cared about each other and that of course provides sentimental value to the drama and emotionally interacts with the audience as they watch it.

I've never been in a cinema so quiet watching 'The Theory of Everything'. The tension was so enticing and gripping that it illustrates your interests in the facts of the relationship of Jane and Stephen and Stephen's Theories and Predicaments for things, this is an extraordinary man who went through a lot in his life and that is explored in this film. Again, this adds to drama and makes people want to be interested in watching it.

Though the film did cover a lot, it was very rushed in the way that the progression of the pacing was handled. It was all rush, rush, rush and the film was done and dusted. I would of liked it if the film was longer and had much more time to develop. I would of liked to have seen more of Stephen's life at Cambridge before he meant Jane so that there could be a comparison created of Stephen without Jane in his life and then she arrives at this party in 20-30 minutes in and then things in the relationship can set off on a more relaxed pace. So my point is the film was 30 minutes too short.

But it was wonderfully directed, great cast. Eddie Redmayne is superb. A truly inspired choice in what he chooses to deliver in his overall performance of the man behind Stephen Hawking, from the progression of Stephen at the start to Stephen at the end of the film.

Overall, this film is about the power of drama and how drama is achieved through sentimental and historical human interest. The perspective of Jane is very intriguing in the way the film was based off a book that she wrote from her point of view. "The incredible story of Jane and Stephen Hawking" 8/10.

NEXT : The Prince of Egypt.