MOVIE MONDAYS: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

Oh it does feel good to be releasing one of these again! And I thought seeing as this is the first MM post of the year I'd do it on the first film I watched this year, The Theory of Everything - believe it or not, I actually saw this today and cannot think of much else. I have been looking forward to watching this movie ever since I first found out about it and made up my mind not to see a single film this month until I managed to make my way to the cinema to see it. It was well worth the wait let me tell you.

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Source: Focus Features

I am a little shocked that the last Movie Mondays post was published on the 1st of December last year, hopefully I won't leave it so long again. Now, The Theory of Everything... What an intriguing title eh? I  fell under the spell of mathematics and science a long time ago so any film that highlights the brilliant minds behind some of the world's greatest scientific discoveries will always appeal to me. And although this film does not delve into the theories Stephen Hawking worked on in depth it still plants enough seeds in your mind to bear the fruit of curiosity regarding his work; at least that is what it did for me. 

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The Theory of Everything is a biographical film that tells a quite emotional story about the relationship between Stephen Hawking, an acclaimed physicist, and his wife, Jane Hawking. This beautiful film, which is said to be based on Jane Hawking's book 'Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen', was directed wonderfully by James Marsh (Shadow Dancer; Man on Wire; The King) and its script was written by Anthony McCarten (Death of a Superhero; Show of Hands). And I must state that I really liked it. I found it to be both funny and quite sad but above all, a very inspiring tale that subtly lays emphasis on the importance of making good use of the time we have been given .

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Source: Universal Pictures

I am sure I am not alone in thinking this, the actors in this film definitely gave truly remarkable performances. Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables; Birdsong; My Week With Marilyn) stars as the scientific genius, Stephen Hawking, and did not hold back as his depiction of Stephen Hawking's mannerisms is to be commended. The smart, strong and graceful Jane Hawking was portrayed splendidly by the talented Felicity Jones (The Amazing Spider-Man 2; The Invisible Woman; Chalet Girl). Their on-screen chemistry is such that it is very easy to immerse yourself in the story being told by this film but that came as no surprise to me as I am a huge fan of their work. The role of Stephen Hawking's loyal close friend and course mate, Brian was played by Harry Lloyd (The Fear; Jane Eyre; Robin Hood) - one of my favourite characters in this film. And David Thewlis (The Fifth Estate; War Horse; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) also stars in this movie as Stephen Hawking's professor and friend, Dr. Dennis Sciama. These are but a few characters in this movie that is sure to coax a few tears out of you at some point but will also make you smile and feel empowered to set out to achieve something. 

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I shan't say much more for fear of ruining it but I will say this, The Theory of Everything is a touching tale of two talented people whose paths crossed and intertwined and resulted in the creation of quite the interesting journey that involves science, hope, a bit of drama and the power of time. If you have not not seen this already and are looking for something to see at the cinema then I ask you to consider this one. And if you have seen it, thoughts?

Mo x