The Theory of Everything (6/10): A conventional biopic that tries to cover too much

“Your glasses are always dirty.”

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed with James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything as I found the love story a bit bland and the biopic in general very conventional and safe. It is well produced and banks on a strong lead performance from Eddie Redmayne, but there is not really much else to the story. Marsh focuses on Hawking’s relationship with his wife and the battle they faced together with his illness, but there is not much more to it and by the end I didn’t feel I had learned anything new about this brilliant man. Marsh has made some interesting documentaries in the past (Project Nim and the far superior Man on Wire), and in a way this film seemed liked one covering one fact after another, but it lacked personality. I never believed the romance at the beginning of the movie; it was all rushed. The film’s greatest flaw is that it tries to cover too long a period in Hawking’s life. It goes from one memorable event in his life to the next without digging under the surface of who this brilliant man really was. I never felt connected with these characters despite their inspirational story. I wasn’t moved by scenes or events in Hawking’s life that should’ve moved me and I think it’s because Marsh was focused on trying to cover all the important moments in his life. The greatest thing about this film is Redmayne’s strong performance who deserves the recognition he has received, but I don’t think there is anything else to it.

I’m still surprised that Anthony McCarten’s adapted screenplay was nominated for the Academy Awards, because I found everything about it very conventional. The screenplay was adapted from Jane Hawking’s autobiographical book, so the film focuses more on their relationship than on Stephen’s accomplishments (although we still get a scene where he receives a standing ovation from his scholars). We are told the story through Jane’s point of view and despite loving this man very much she gets weary of him through the years since he doesn’t accept help from anyone else. Some of my personal conclusions from this film are that his family isn’t portrayed too well (they don’t seem to do anything to help Stephen through his illness) and Stephen himself never seems to be grateful for what Jane is doing for him. Perhaps two reasons why the marriage didn’t work out in the end.

If there is one reason why I would recommend this film to anyone it’s for Eddie Redmayne’s performance alone. It is impressive how well he manages to portray Stephen’s mannerisms, his facial expressions, and his movements. It is a physically demanding performance and Redmayne actually makes you believe he is battling through ALS. It may not be my favorite performance of the year (probably because I wanted to like this character more and get to know who he really was), but it is an incredible one nonetheless. Redmayne will forever be remembered for his role here. Felicity Jones has also received a lot of praise for her performance as Jane. It isn’t nearly as showy as Redmayne’s performance was, but she delivers a strong role. She is a talented actress, but I think she has been better in other films and is being a bit overhyped for her performance here. The rest of the cast only appear as characters in a series of events with very little personality so there wasn’t much Harry Lloyd, David Thewlis, Emily Watson, or Simon McBurney could bring to the film. Redmayne overpowers everyone here and this becomes his movie. He is the only reason why I am recommending this movie which to be honest I found quite boring otherwise. 

Breathe In (5/10): It works while the characters drive the film instead of the narrative

 “My uncle used to say, don't let fear become your profession.”

Drake Doremus’s follow up to his 2011 acclaimed film, Like Crazy, is thematically similar in tone and style as the premise focuses on the complexities of relationships once again. I was a huge fan of Like Crazy and admired how the characters were given such depth while avoiding the typical romantic cliches. This time around I felt like the familiar premise began with some promise, but ultimately unraveled at the end. The plot centers on a foreign exchange student who arrives at a small New York town hosted by a married couple and their teenage daughter. We’ve seen this premise played out many times in films as the new guest disrupts the apparent balance in the marriage and we can easily predict where the story is heading. Despite the familiarity of the premise, Doremus managed to center on the characters and let them be the driving force of the film which worked very well for the first two acts. Unfortunately the third act shifts gears and instead of centering on the characters, the familiar narrative drives the film. There is a specific scene as we approach the climax of the film where a coincidence takes place making the action feel forced and disrupting the naturalism of the narrative. Once the characters take a back seat and the familiar narrative becomes the driving force of the film the magic runs dry and we can’t help but feel we’ve seen it all played out before. It is a shame because Doremus had established the tension so well up to that singular moment with extreme close up shots on the actors’ faces and a soft accompanying score. Even the score which I was really enjoying up to that point began to feel intrusive and loud during the final third act manipulating our emotions as opposed to the actors who were doing it so well up to that moment. The tension dissipated and the predictability took control delivering an unsatisfactory ending.

The strongest and most engaging thing about Breathe In is the solid cast. Felicity Jones is back in the lead role opposite Guy Pearce. The chemistry between the two is strong and the sexual tension is slowly built. I enjoyed the subtle and restrained moments between them and was also glad that Doremus took his time to build that tension. It wasn’t something that just escalated out of nowhere, but it actually felt authentic as Pearce’s character begins to question some of the decisions he has made in his past. He sees her as someone who he can relate to and who actually understands what music is really about. Doremus is authentically concerned about studying these relationships and showing how fragile they can be. He took his time at introducing the family and portraying their relationship as a solid one until Jones’s character arrives in the picture and disrupts this apparent balance. Amy Ryan does a fantastic job playing the wife, but her character isn’t really developed very much as the main focus of the film centers on Pearce and Jones. But her quiet performance and her glance say a lot more than words could ever say. Mackenzie Davis plays the teenage daughter who also happens to be the weakest and most cliched character in this film. She never really did much to build the realism that Doremus was aiming for because her character is placed only to move the narrative forward. Despite the film’s flaws, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce’s strong performances make this an engaging watch. Having enjoyed Like Crazy so much I couldn’t help but feel disappointed at Doremus’s latest effort however.   

My Review: The Invisible Woman (6/10)

"Every human creature is a profound secret and mystery to every other."

In this follow up to his directorial debut, Coriolanus, Ralph Fiennes directs himself as Charles Dickens focusing on a specific period of his life rather than on a full blown biography. I am a huge fan of Dickens' work and have read many of his novels, but this film focuses on his later years after he had become a successful and respected writer. He was a very popular figure during the Victorian Age and we get glimpses of this here in The Invisible Woman as he struggles to hide his affection for a teenage stage actress he encounters named Nelly Ternan (played by Felicity Jones). Dickens is married, but he finds no fulfillment in his wife who doesn't understand his work. But since he's such a public figure, he must keep his affair a secret which is something Nelly finds hard to accept. This period piece stands out visually thanks to the beautiful costume design and setting which transports us to the Victorian Age. The Oscar nomination for achievement in costume design was well deserved although it lost out to The Great Gatsby. The performances from Felicity Jones and Ralph Fiennes were superb and the chemistry between them was strong, but the major issue with this film has to do with its slow pacing. The film is a little less than two hours long, but it feels like much more. However it's hard to resist this film due to the charm that Fiennes' Dickens evokes on the viewer. We have read his novels where he bears his soul about his troubled and difficult past (David Copperfield is my favorite work of his and it is his most autobiographical one), but I really never pictured him as this successful writer who enjoyed the spotlight and had such charisma. Its that very essence of Dickens that got me through the movie. 

The Invisible Woman was adapted by Abi Morgan from Claire Tomalin's book and it focuses on Dickens' affair from Nelly's point of view as she dealt with the pain of their secret relationship despite having a privileged life. Everything about this period piece looks beautiful, but still it feels like its missing something and I quite can't figure it out yet. I can't fully grasp the mystery as to why Nelly accepted to live this life while internally she despised herself for it. The film doesn't bear her soul, but only shows signs of this externally through her strong performance. She is troubled and despite her admiration for Dickens' work we don't see that same passion in her eyes that he shares for her. The supporting performances from Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Hollander, and Joanna Scanlan do lift the movie. Scanlan plays an important role as Dickens' wife as she comes to grasp the reality of her husband's affair. It's the poor way she's treated by Dickens that turns her off. However, Dickens is so charming that it's hard not to like him. Scott Thomas plays Nelly's mother and she is the one that convinces her to accept the life Dickens offers her. The film explores this complex relationship and it succeeds in most part thanks to the strong performances but it still fails to engage us more in their world. Just like Nelly's repressed emotions, the film at times feels repressed and doesn't quite manage to open up for the audience. 

My Review: Like Crazy (9/10)

¨I don't feel like I'm part of your life. I feel like I'm on vacation.¨

We all know that long distance relationships can be heartbreaking and difficult to bear, but at the same time when both parties reunite they make the best of the time they have with each other. That is sort of the premise behind this small romantic (or should I say anti-romantic?) indie film, Like Crazy. Director, Drake Doremus, has made one of the best romantic dramas I`ve seen in quite some time (perhaps since 2009`s 500 Days of Summer). I was really submersed into the story and found the love story to be authentic and real. The chemistry between Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin was incredible and the tension of them being separated was what made this movie work so well for me. The love story never felt forced and the dialogue felt so real, there wasn`t one cheesy moment in the entire film. This film might be a little slow and boring for some people, it is not your typical romantic chick flick. The pacing o the film is slow at times, but it really worked for me as I was interested in what was going to happen to these two characters. The script, written by Doremus himself and Ben York Jones, felt very authentic although they say most of the dialogues between Yelchin and Jones were improvised. I really enjoyed this movie and felt the love and heartaches these characters were dealing with; a very authentic and believable love story.

Jacob`s (Anton Yelchin) life changes forever when in his last year of college he meets Anna (Felicity Jones), a British student who has come to Los Angeles to study. Both fall in love immediately and the chemistry they share is unbelievable. When the year is about to end Jacob worries about their relationship since Anna has to return to England. She decides to stay during the summer despite her student visa expiring and after having gone to London for a week for a wedding she returns to the States only to find out that the Customs officer won`t allow her to enter for violating her previous student visa. Anna returns to London and is unable to fix her situation. She dreams of becoming a writer and lands a job as an assistant for a magazine editor in London, while Jacob works as a furniture designer in LA on his own. Both find the distance to be unbearable and despite Jacob`s visits to London it just doesn`t seem to work out for them. They enjoy their time together, but when it`s time to say their goodbyes everything goes sour. Eventually Jacob begins a relationship with Sam (Jennifer Lawrence), while Anna meets Simon (Charlie Bewley) in London. They both have trouble adapting to their new partners and don`t feel the same chemistry that they felt with each other. They don`t feel complete without each other and try to find the way to be together despite the distances.

Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are really superb in this movie. Yelchin has proved he can be a good actor and we`ve seen him before in many different films, but Jones came as a surprise to me. I had never seen her before and she was just amazing in this movie. She really does give a great performance and she is the heart and soul of Like Crazy. She is truly someone to keep an eye on in the future. Jennifer Lawrence is a great actress, but she really doesn’t get too much screen time in this film and her character isn`t really developed, but it was a nice addition to the story and it is always good to see her on film. The movie actually centers entirely on Yelchin and Jones so the rest of the secondary characters are practically nonexistent. Everything revolves around the two main characters, just like when two people are in love and all they can think about is each other; the rest of the world is practically nonexistent. The ending was abrupt, but I think it played out perfectly and I really fell in love with this story. One of the best romantic (anti-romantic) films I`ve seen in quite some time.

http://estebueno10.blogspot.com