'The Theory Of Everything' A Review

The Theory Of Everything is a romantic biopic about the lives of Jane and Stephen Hawking. The film opens on the night of their meeting at a party. Their courtship coincides not only with Stephen's Ph.D. thesis at Cambridge but also his diagnosis with Lou Gehrig's. As time passes Stephen wrestles with his work as a physicist and his worsening condition as Jane attempts to take care of him, their burgeoning family, and find some degree of normalcy and happiness.

The love story is relatively rote and Stephen's scientific theories(the reason he is famous and the story worth telling) are only briefly touched on, never really explained or explored. The leads give good performances however there doesn't appear to be much of a story to tell. They both struggle, they both sacrifice, they both find some measure of success and balance but it isn't enough. It hints at larger ideas of science, the universe, love, and commitment but never actually address them. The focus is spread so broadly many themes are touched on but none are developed.

The film feels too much like real life to be fairly described as cinema. Ultimately there is no message save perhaps- life is difficult.

No doubt the life and love of the Hawkings' is compelling however The Theory of Everything offers only sadness with little solace.

Don't See It.