While “The Theory of Everything” didn’t win as best picture in this year’s Oscar race, its star Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for his brilliant performance as renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. The film, based on Jane Hawking’s memoir “Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen,” was directed by Academy Award winner James Marsh (“Man on Wire”) and tells the amazing story of Hawking’s ability to survive against all odds.
While “The Theory of Everything” didn’t win as best picture in this year’s Oscar race, its star Eddie Redmayne won an Oscar for his brilliant performance as renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. The film, based on Jane Hawking’s memoir “Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen,” was directed by Academy Award winner James Marsh (“Man on Wire”) and tells the amazing story of Hawking’s ability to survive against all odds.
Hawking, while still a student at Cambridge, was only 21 years old when he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease. His life expectancy at that point was just two years at most. The news, while devastating, did not keep his college sweetheart Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones, best actress nominee) from loving him.
They eventually decide to marry and enjoy whatever time he has left, and to the amazement of all their friends and family they were able to have three children together. Life was not easy as the disease progressed, robbing him of his ability to walk, but even as his physical body deteriorated, his genius never waned.
Redmayne’s performance is excellent. In the beginning of the film he is young, playful and brilliant in the classroom. Then in subtle ways he changes from a healthy young man into an individual confined to a variety of wheelchairs. And when he can no longer speak in his natural voice he talks to us through his facial expressions.
Felicity Jones is equally believable as his wife who loves him through good times and bad. With Jane by his side, Hawking continued to write and research. Together they defied impossible odds, breaking new ground in both medicine and science. His most significant research has been the study of time–and speaking of time, he is still alive today, more than fifty years after being told he had only two years to live.
Bonus features include deleted scenes, feature commentary with director James Marsh and “Becoming the Hawkings.” Rated PG-13.
*
Once again Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal as the witch in Disney’s “Into the Woods,” based on the Stephen Sondheim musical. The film, directed by Rob Marshall (director of “Chicago” and producer of “Wicked.”), gives a new twist to beloved fairytale classics like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzell who all come together when they venture into the woods.
Emily Blunt (nominated for her role as the butcher’s wife), James Corden (the butcher), Anna Kendrick (Cinderella), Chris Pine (the prince) and Johnny Depp (the big, bad wolf) also star in this thought provoking, clever musical, rated PG.
The Blu-ray comes with plenty of bonus features that include: “The Cast as Good as Gold”–the stars share their musical journey, “Deeper Into The Woods”–four pieces on the making of the film, filmmaker commentary and more.
**
“Gone Girl,” the dark thriller based on Gillian Flynn’s novel, deals with the mysterious disappearance of Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike, a best actress nominee). Police suspect her husband, Nick (Ben Affleck), but is she dead? There is blood in their home, but no murder victim. At least not at the moment. As police search for clues, so does her husband. Is Amy playing some kind of morbid game? Or is Nick?
The screenplay, by author Flynn, uses flashbacks to introduce us to Amy and Nick. They meet at a party and woo each other with word games. It’s love at first flirt. They seem meant for each other, but are they?
The film, directed by David Fincher (“Social Network,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Fight Club”) deals with game playing, manipulation and some pretty creepy behavior. Tyler Perry plays Nick’s lawyer and Neil Patrick Harris is a former admirer of Amy who has never stopped loving her. “Gone Girl,” now on DVD, is rated R.
