Are You Ready (again)?
April 7, 2016
A tangential tale to add to the new Star Wars verse. The first trailer dropped today!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
When the Stars Align
January 10, 2015
The Theory of Everything (2014).
D: James Marsh. W: Anthony McCarten. DP: Benoît Delhomme. Starring: Eddie Redmayne/Felicity Jones/Charlie Cox/David Thewlis/Emily Watson/Maxine Peake/Harry Lloyd/Simon McBurney. (based on Jane Hawking’s book, Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen)
This winter film season is flush with dealing with the dueling biopics. The Theory of Everything and The Imitation Game follow two great British minds who not only broke mathematical boundaries, but experienced incredibly challenges in their personal lives. The irony being that Benedict Cumberbatch already played Hawking, in a 2004 BBC television movie simply entitled Hawking. It is hard not to compare the two now, but in future years they are surely to develop singularity.
The Theory of Everything is adapted from Jane Hawking’s own book about her life with famous physicist Stephen Hawking. A biopic yes, but one that is structured around a relationship that would define and contribute to Hawking’s work. Crippled by ALS or Lou Ghehrig’s disease while a Cambridge PHD student, Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) is given two years to live. Regardless his work and relationship with Jane (Felicity Jones) continues to much success, though not with out painful challenges.
Redmayne, known mostly for 2012’s Les Miserables and 2011’s My Week With Marilyn, is unforgettable here. The manipulation and control of his body is impressive, but his sense of grace and humor allows the character to feel alive and three dimensional. His large eyes and mouth are advantageous here so that Stephen does not seem lost behind glasses or gadgets. Redmayne’s chemistry with Jane played by Felicity Jones (2013’s The Invisible Woman, 2011’s Like Crazy) draws the emotional palette of the film. Jones’ carries her character with poise that travels through the years of Jane’s life well. The duo is supported well by a nice turns by Charlie Cox as their friend Jonathan and Harry Lloyd as Hawking’s Cambridge chum.
Throughout the film director James Marsh and cinematographer Benoît Delhomme use a liberal amount of close ups. The inflections of Redmayne’s face are charted and gives the narrative an intensely intimate quality to it. A few times a sepia tone or filter is used giving some sequences the look of a home video, which is a unique touch. However, the sort of rehash or film in sixty seconds montage at the end is silly and reductive. Jóhann Jóhannsson’s score is incredibly beautiful, but maybe used a bit too heavily in some scenes.
The Theory of Everything is not about science or brilliance or perseverance or love, but rather that combination that generates hope. Although there is not anything game changing about the film as a whole, it’s certainly an engaging and moving story that is well acted.
This One’s Totally up to You
November 11, 2011
Like Crazy (2011).
D: Drake Doremus. DP: John Guleserian. W: Drake Doremus & Ben York Jones. Starring: Anton Yelchin/Felicity Jones/Jennifer Lawrence/Charlie Bewley/Alex Kingston/Oliver Muirhead.
Another Sundance Film Festival darling has gathered some steam and is hitting theaters right before award season. This year it is Drake Doremus’ Like Crazy. A film about young love, long distance turmoil, and the power of the British government.
I will say right off the bat that these modern anti-romantic comedy relationship films are oftentimes only as good as what you bring into the movie with you. Meaning that they can cause most audience members to become self-reflective about their own relationships and experiences. Every now and then a film can be more than that and actually deliver quality performances, unique story telling, and sometimes gut wrenching after effects (I’m looking at you Blue Valentine). Sadly, Like Crazy is not one of those films. However this does not mean it isn’t good or doesn’t work, it just isn’t as memorable.
The film mostly deals with the sparkle of young, new love, and how space and time can do so much damage to something so great. Even more specifically, the film reminds its audience of how hard it is to put something back together once it is been damaged or tested. Both Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones are adequate as the young lovers here. Jones’ Anna is given a bit more depth and character development than Yelchin’s Jacob. However, throughout watching the film you begin to not care who they are, but rather yearn for them to be happy and together (damn those pesky student visas).
With each frame you almost want to close your eyes and remember. Whatever stake you had in someone, whatever hope lit up your chest, whatever made you feel light and drunk with the knowledge that you weren’t alone. At times it was difficult to remember to watch the movie. I kept getting caught in my own head, in my own heart, wondering where all the pieces had ended up falling. The journey of the film is important here. The ups and downs. The questions. How do we untangle ourselves from something so raw? A feeling that unhinges us? What do we do when we find it? What if we don’t? What if we think we found it and remain high off those memories for years? When does the destruction start to overtake the good?
So, although not as heavy as last year’s Blue Valentine (which honestly left me reeling for days, so much so that I didn’t even write about it), Like Crazy still made me reflect. Will it make you? I can talk about the hand held camera work, the nice presence of Jones’ parents, the love of montages Doremus seems to have or I could simply say, you will get out of this one what you bring into it. It’s a crap shoot like most relationships are. But at least after this one you will be able to eat your dinner.