The Theory of Everything

Special Presentations

A mostly well rounded biopic that looks at the relationship between renowned scientific mastermind Stephen Hawking and his first wife Jane Wilde, The Theory of Everything marks a return to fictional filmmaking for James Marsh after his direction of Man on Wire and Project Nim.

Eddie Redmayne transforms himself completely for every stage of Hawking’s life, from an able bodied underachieving nerd at Cambridge in the early 1960s, through his gradual loss of mobility due to ALS. He’s outstanding, but Felicity Jones is just as great and transformative in showing the ups and downs of Jane’s struggles, as well. They’re definitely giving award season level performances.

The leads are great and Marsh does a surprisingly excellent job depicting disability and doing well by Hawking (which might be since the film comes based on Jane’s real life memoirs), but despite all the bells and whistles, the production uneasily shoots itself in the foot in the late going by not knowing how to reconcile the fact that Stephen and Jane’s marriage will end. And anyone who knows the true story of what happens after will know the ending is taking a truckload of liberties.

Still, overall thanks particularly to Redmayne and Marsh’s restraint from tugging at the heartstrings too much, it works. (Andrew Parker)

Screens

Sunday, September 7^th, 6:00pm, Princess of Wales (PREMIUM)

Monday, September 8^th, 3:00pm, Princess of Wales

Thanks to SPiN TORONTO for sponsoring our TIFF 2014 coverage.