When I first heard that they had made a film about Stephen Hawking my first reaction was that I could skip it as I had already seen Benedict Cumberbatch nail Hawking in a 2004 BBC television movie.
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING
Director: James March
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, Harry Lloyd, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, Simon McBurney, Charlie Cox, Eileen Davies
Rating: (PG)
Five stars (out of five)
But as good as Cumberbatch was, Eddie Redmayne is a closer physical fit to Hawking, and he charts Hawking's physical demise with jaw-dropping diligence.
This film is more than a ''look at me I'm really acting'' wave to the Oscar committee.
Felicity Jones adds soul with her portrayal of Jane, a pretty young art student who becomes Hawking's unfailing support for 30 years of marriage.
As the movie is based on the book about Jane's life with Stephen, it should come as no surprise that she is central to the story, but by making Jane central to the story, The Theory of Everything (Rialto) brings Stephen into sharper focus.
Working on the basis that no man is a hero to his valet, or his exasperated wife, we start to see beyond the wizened wee man in the wheelchair to a person full of charm and faults.
There will be plenty who say ''I don't want to see a romance that I know ends with divorce'' but they are missing the point: sustained love over a long period is never just one thing.
Film is a pretty blunt instrument to examine the complexity of human relationships but The Theory of Everything manages to achieve more shades of grey by taking a well-known story and rework it by changing the focus.
- Christine Powley
