The Theory of Everything | Review | Film
January 14, 2015 James Michael Parry	Leave a comment
The universe is a fairly large thing to fit into a film. Filled with sciencey mumbo-jumbo or not, it's difficult to escape the fact that Stephen Hawking is one of the most respected and accomplished scientists Britain has to offer, but his story is not an easy one.
Despite the headline drama of Hawking being struck with motor neurone disease, the real story is the relationships he had, which is hardly a surprise given the film itself is based on his wife's autobiography rather than a dusty old textbook.
Leading man Eddie Redmayne completely loses himself in the character of Hawking, who is by no means exaggerated on screen, genuinely being in equal parts just as eccentric and brilliant in real life. It's not only Redmayne's physical transformation, as Hawking's disease takes hold, which is stunning, but the intensity and sensitivity he shows in even the early stages, establishing a character the audience can feel like they know. His Golden Globes win is surely a sign of future award successes to come.
Good to see some familiar yet often overlooked faces in the supporting cast too, such as Game of Thrones and Doctor Who alum Harry Lloyd, who makes a suitably preppy turn as Hawking's school chum Brian, and Harry Potter's David Thewlis (that's Lupin to you Pot-heads) commands respect as Professor Sciama.
It's Felicity Jones though, who plays Hawking's wife Jane, who you really feel for. To find yourself in her shoes could only be the most bittersweet of circumstances: falling in love with an adorable genius, only to watch him slowly waste away, despite his mind staying as sharp as ever.
The film follows Hawking from his university days through some of his greatest discoveries
No one would find such a situation a walk in the park, and the film does a good job of presenting the story without taking sides or casting judgement.
Much like The Imitation Game (an almost equally excellent journey), The Theory of Everything's pace is the area most likely to make some attention's drift, with a run time of just over two hours and slowing down at a few points, but really it would be unfair to mark down a filmmaking team giving such delicate moments a fair airing.
The important role of Hawking's family is central to the film
Director James Marsh crafts his audience's experience to the smallest detail, jumping you between the shoes of both Stephen and Jane, and ramping up the emotional impact gradually, almost without you noticing, until one critical dream sequence sees Hawking rise from his chair, as if cured, and scrape the knife across your heartstrings with expert care.
The film leaves you with an unshakable feeling of both consideration and inspiration, just as you imagine the man himself would approve of – not putting himself on a pedestal nor gushing with pity or undue tears. No amount of science can explain the impact such a against-all-odds tale can have.
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Game of Thrones: Episode 1 – Iron From Ice | Review | Gaming
People die. One fact anyone familiar with either the book or TV adaptations of Game of Thrones will already know. The real trick is, can a game trick you into caring about its characters as much as the ones fans of the show, in particular, know and love?
An episodic game, very much brought into the mainstream by Telltale themselves, this incarnation of Game of Thrones is very much part of the world, with the familiar characters (even voiced by their respective actors on the show) being positioned on the edges of its central narrative, rather than relying on them.
Ramsey Snow (or Bolton, as he becomes in Series 4 of the show at least) is a definite highlight, with Iwan Rheon relishing every syllable of his utterly contemptible character, and even new characters managing to make a good first impression.
Ramsey Snow has some fun, horrible horrible fun
Later episodes may dictate how significant some characters can be, since Telltale's talent for tailoring the path of story to every player's decisions is present and correct, but based solely on the opening chapter the narrative, and its protagonists, are interesting and diverse enough to leave us wanting more.
In action scenes the style creaks a little, with the slow motion quick-move-the-cursor moments proving frustrating at times when you ask yourself things like "Is he really only going to swing that sword twice?" Whether Telltale can keep the variety going through the rest of the series remains to be seen.
In all an ideal first stab, especially for fans, with plenty more blood left to spill.
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