By: Fides Linga

“While there is life, there is hope”

You’ve probably heard of this movie. But if you haven’t, or never bothered to see it, let me enlighten you.

I had the pleasure to watch this movie before it was released in theatres. I went in with decent expectations, afraid that I would go out disappointed. But this movie absolutely delivered. The Theory of Everything is not just a story about Hawking’s scientific endeavours. It also explores the romance that sparked between Stephen (Eddie Redmayne) and Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones). A romance that I didn’t know about. It begins when he was still in his college years; hopeful and awkward like the most of us, but brilliant as you’d expect him to be. As the years pass, Jane and Stephen’s lives are changed phenomenally in profound and heart-wrenching ways. It was a moving experience from start to finish; one minute you’re tearing up, and then find yourself smiling immediately after.  The movie also doesn’t steer away from showing just how complex Stephen and Jane were. We get to see Stephen’s behind the scenes, as opposed to just his ‘highlight reel’; to see him as a person, as opposed to a figure. You could imagine how eye opening it was to watch Hawking grow and become the iconic physicist that he is today.

Of course, this couldn’t have been done without the brilliant casting and story writing. Eddie Redmayne (now an Oscar Winner for Best Actor) absolutely delivered. Even Hawking himself said that at times, he felt that he was watching himself on screen. It’s guaranteed to satisfy the critic in all of us. I tried to nitpick at any flaw I could, but I couldn’t find much to bash on. Seriously, just go and watch this movie. If anything, it’ll make you feel smarter.