the third installment of brit bio-pics over this summer season
seen - c w turner (timothy spall) and alan turing (sir cumberbatch)
this one comes with some anticipation - gongs are already accumulating
a promise of an exemplary award-winning performance from eddie redmayne
stephen hawking amongst others suggesting he has captured the man's spirit
a surreal first scene with blurred images of some people in a large room
and then we see hawking as a young man in 1963 riding a bike
racing with a companion through the narrow streets of cambridge
the lads then in a pub in jovial form - and then at a university dance
the future mrs jane hawking (felicity jones) spotted and is approached
his first word - science - hers - arts - and some interplay about their choices
she is a devout christian - he as a cosmologist is required to be an atheist
or as he explains to her - cosmology is a religion for intelligent atheists
he stating his belief in the proof of being able to wind back the clock
they start dating, we meet the families and all is happy and fun-loving
some exposure to the intelligence of the man but fairly cursory really
before long there are signs of the disease and a well-filmed collapse
hawking crashing to a street in slow-mo and a violent head-bounce
scenes then of his diagnosis in the 1960's uk national health system
leading to an alone hawking being informed of his terminal illness
an emotionless - sorry old chap - nothing i can do - you have 2 years
motor neurone disease - explained in detail - and naturally shock sets in
hawking seen dismissing his family and friends - but jane - she sticks at it
soon enough they marry and the babies start arriving as his condition worsens
he persists with his studies and the determination to find the elusive formula
the so-called theory of everything - a single formula to explain the universe
his work leading to plaudits and the awarding of a phd - doctor hawking
jane is struggling with her own studies due to the pressure of family life
a widower music teacher befriends jane and soon is part of the family
he is befriended by hawking but most others suspect he is jane's lover
suggestions of some truth to that in a camping trip while hawking away
seen at a wagner concert in bordeaux but he collapses and is hospitalised
pneumonia - the doctors urge to take off the life support but jane defiant
the resultant operation leads to the loss of his voice but he recovers
and with that the introduction of the synonymous computer voice
this empowers him to communicate verbally and in written form
he writes his bestseller book - a brief history of time - fame follows
fascinating stuff - this film a great history lesson of a remarkable man
eddie redmayne's bodily contortions and facial expressions so accurate
agreeing with hawking - hard to believe what we see is actually an actor
but the film is a success on all levels and importantly including emotional
lovely to see stephen and jane's love story - heart-wrenching to see it dissolve
she does end up with jonathan and he travels abroad with his therapist elaine
but they remain close and jane accompanies stephen to buckingham palace
he is awarded a cbe by the queen - and with it the film's natural conclusion
her last hurrah as it is based on jane hawking's book of her life with stephen
we return to the opening surreal scenes - the family in a room in the palace
then the cleverest of endings - a fast rewind of scenes to the beginning
set to the haunting music of johann johannsson as heard throughout
and finally some facts of hawking in 2014 - still studying at age 72
jane married jonathan but no mention of stephen marrying elaine
a small reminder that this whole film is based on jane's book
let's not be picky - though - she does get a lot of screen time
and - hmmm - there's barely any scientific/academic stuff
certainly not much to hold the man in awe intellectually
maybe the film - a brief history of time - is imminent
now that would be a stunning legacy for the man
but for now we will settle for this bio-pic drama
the brits are certainly good at that genre...
