Obviously Hollywood is on a roll with producing one film after another of those that are based on true stories. They've covered politicians, baseball players, football players, authors, actors, hikers, astronauts, and now painters are being covered in the form of "Big Eyes".
This is based on the true story of Walter Keane (Christoph Waltz), who was one of the most successful painters of the 1950's and early 1960's. The artist earned staggering notoriety by revolutionizing the commercialization and accessibility of popular art with his enigmatic paintings of waifs with big eyes. The truth would eventually be discovered though: Keane's art was actually not created by him at all, but by his wife, Margaret (Amy Adams). The Keanes, it seemed, had been living a lie that had grown to gigantic proportions. This film centers on Margaret's awakening as an artist, the phenomenal success of her paintings, and her tumultuous relationship with her husband, who was catapulted to international fame while taking credit for her work. This subsequently resulted in a huge legal battle in the mid 1960's in a controversial trial to beat none.
Others to round out the cast are Krysten Ritter as DeeAnn, a friend of Margaret's, Jason Schwartzman as Ruben, an art dealer, Danny Houston as Dick Nolan, an investigative reporter, Terence Stamp as John Canaday, an art critic, Jon Polito as Enrico Banducci, Elisabetta Fantone as Marta, James Saito as Judge, Guido Furlani as Dino Olivetti, Delaney Raye as Young Jane, and Madeleine Arthur as Older Jane, Margaret's daughter.
This was well paced and staged by director Tim Burton ("Pee-wee's Big Adventure" '85, "Beetlejuice" '88, "Batman" '89, "Edward Scissorhands" '90, "Batman Returns" '92, "Ed Wood" '94, "Mars Attacks!" '96, "Sleepy Hollow" '99, "Planet of the Apes" '01, "Big Fish" '03, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" '05, "Corpse Bride" '05, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" '07, "Alice in Wonderland" '10, "Dark Shadows" '12, "Frankenweenie" '12). What actually surprised me was that Burton directed this. As you peruse his resume, he typically doesn't direct this kind of film. He's more attached to the whimsical, dark, quirky, oddballish type of movie, but he really pulled this off. The way that these two characters slowly started to deteriorate before one's eyes was well executed. Of course, both Adams and Waltz are phenomenal actors, Burton's direction was spot on. It was written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and with the exception of a couple of places that were a bit jumpy, it was a tight, thought-out script.
If one is to see this, it will be more for Adams and Waltz's performances more than anything else. The way they clicked together was amazing. And the story? As you see Walter Keane slowly deteriorate, you see Margaret Keane slowly start realizing that she can be her own person and nobody else's. Definitely an interesting ride.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 106mins.
Survival films have always showcased a great source of material as far as Hollywood goes, and therefore reap many profits from audiences who love to see the underdog overcoming extreme obstacles. Look at "127 Hours" with James Franco-- portraying a real character of a hiker striving to survive in the elements. Now we have another hiker in dire straights in the form of "Wild".
With the dissolution of her marriage with Paul (Thomas Sadoski) and the death of her mother, Bobbi (Laura Dern) to cancer, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl backpacks 1,100 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. This story captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her. One of the elements which helps her keep her sanity are some of the people she encounters along the way, such as Frank (W. Earl Brown), Greg (Kevin Rankin), Ed (Cliff De Young) and Jonathan (Michiel Huisman).
Others to round out the cast are Keene McRae as Leif, Cheryl's younger brother, Gaby Hoffman as Aimee, friend of Cheryl's, Brian Van Holt as Ranger, and Mo McRae as Jimmy Carter (no relation).
After seeing "Dallas Buyers Club" with exquisite direction by Jean-Marc Vallee ("Los Locos" '97, "Loser Love" '99, "C.R.A.Z.Y." '05, "The Young Victoria" '09, "Café de Flore" '11, "Dallas Buyers Club" '13), I simply had to see this film, and after viewing it, my conclusion is that the direction was effortless--Witherspoon held her own easily and obviously worked closely with Vallee when it came to the emotion of this character as well as staging and pacing. It was written by Nick Hornby based on Cheryl Strayed's memoir, "Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail". I couldn't help but think of the film "127 Hours" with James Franco after seeing this-- I guess because it was about two hikers in potentially perilous situations. But I loved "127 Hours" so getting into this story wasn't a stretch. This character Witherspoon played was so full of issues and the fact that she even was able to make this trail (issues and all), was amazing in and of itself. There were a couple of choppy areas, but all in all, a well scripted screenplay. Witherspoon will undoubtedly garner an Oscar nod for her performance as will Vallee's direction.
As stated above, if you liked "127 Hours", you will definitely love this. It, like 'Hours', is a great character study of determination, strength, survival and ultimately redemption.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 115mins.
Without sounding like a broken record, Hollywood is fascinated with films based on true stories, because so much of the time, truth is and can be more effective, more interesting, more powerful than pure fiction. As with the case of "Unbroken", these adjectives truly fit this film and more.
After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis 'Louie' Zamperini (Jack O'Donnell) spends a harrowing 47 days in a life raft with two fellow crewmen, Phil and Mac (Domhnall Gleeson and Finn Wittrock) respectively, before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp lead by the ruthless, heartless Watanabe (Takamasa Ishihara).
During the length of time these men were in that camp, they were beaten, humiliated, tortured, malnourished with only scraps to live on...they were broken, however Zamperini knew that if he could take it, he could make it--to quote his brother Pete (John D'Leo) from their early years. He also told God, while in that raft, that if God gets him through all this, he would give his life to God. So with God, his brother's words and his fellow prisoners help, he made it, because he became unbroken.
Others to round out the cast are Garrett Hedlund as Fitzgerald, a fellow prisoner, Jai Courtney as Cup, Maddalena Ischiale as Louise, Vincenzo Amato as Anthony, John Magaro as Tinker, Luke Treadaway as Miller, Louis McIntosh as Harris, Ross Anderson as Blackie, Alex Russell as Pete (Older), C.J. Valleroy as Louie (Young) and Jordan Patrick Smith as Clift.
This was brilliantly directed by Angelina Jolie ("A Place in Time" (Documentary) '07, "In the Land of Blood and Honey" '11) and with the upcoming "By the Sea". The pacing, staging, the way she obviously worked with the editors to represent continuity and clarity was simply spot on. This has been nominated for several Golden Globe Awards and will undoubtedly be noticed come Oscar time. As I stated with "The Homesman" directed by Tommy Lee Jones, if Jolie ever wanted to retire from acting, she could enter the directing avenue full time and excel well. It was equally well written by Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Richard LaGravenese and William Nicholson based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand. Typically when a film has this number of writers attached to, it has a great propensity of getting bogged down, lacking cohesiveness, and just getting lost in script, however with great writers as the Coen Brothers, this film could only soar. The writing was tight, cohesive, orderly and depicted true humanity and the redemption especially when there is such hardship--lessons we can all learn from. Kudos to all involved in this production.
Certainly if you like films based on true stories, this will hit home big time, however everyone loves to see the proverbial underdog and how that underdog becomes the victor in spite of the incredible odds against him.
Out of 4 Stars: 4 Rated: PG-13 137mins.
Musicals of late have incrementally made a comeback compared to those back decades ago. We've seen many including "Chicago", "Nine", "Burlesque", "Moulin Rouge", even "Rock of Ages", and the audiences keep coming back for more. Now with "Into the Woods" in the offing, I believe musicals are going to be around for a while.
This story is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales in a musical format that follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack (Daniel Huttlestone) and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel (Mackenzie Mauzy)-- all tied together by an original story involving a Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them. The witch requires the Baker and his wife to obtain four different objects-- all that come from the four different fairy tales in order to reverse the curse within three days when there is then a blue moon.
Others to round out the cast are Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince, Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother, Christine Baranski as Stepmother, Johnny Depp as Wolf, Tammy Blanchard as Florinda, Lucy Punch as Lucinda, Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince, Joanna Riding as Cinderella's Mother, Simon Russell Beale as Baker's Father and Frances de la Tour as Giant.
This was directed by the musical king, Rob Marshall ("Annie" (TV movie) '99, "Chicago" '02, "Memoirs of a Geisha" '05, "Nine" '09, "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" '11). When Marshall directed "Chicago", he may have sabotaged himself, because since then, what he has directed has been good, solid productions, however not the greatness that he was able to accomplish with "Chicago" He simply nailed the direction on that. The pacing, the stage numbers were executed with perfection. With this, it was solid, but the pacing and staging was just a bit off--like I said, he raised the bar a bit too high, so anything subsequent is not quite as polished. This was written by James Lapine based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim and Lapine. Connecting four different fairy tales is certainly original and fresh, but there were some places that were a bit too slow, so a bit long-in-the-tooth. Otherwise, the translation from stage play to the movie screen was executed well. As production values go, one couldn't expect any more: the photography by Dion Beebe, acs/asc ("Chicago") and costumes designed by the incomparable Colleen Atwood ("Alice in Wonderland") were amazing and will probably be looking at Oscar nods come that time. And, of course, what can I say about the music? The best part of this has got to be the music and lyrics by legendary Stephen Sondheim.
As films go, this being a whimsical comedy/fantasy production, being able to go into a theater and escape into total fantasy and adventure is what we all need to get us through that thing called life!
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG 124mins.
Of all the films based on an original premise, "Annie" has probably the oldest or certainly one of the oldest origins, dating back to 1894 when "Little Orphan Annie" was first published. There has been several incarnations since then in print, other films and plays. When "Little Orphan Annie" published its last comic strip back in 1968, there was a while where this little girl wasn't popularized until much later.
This is the retelling of the story about Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis), a young, happy foster kid who's also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they'd be back for her someday, it's been a hard knock life ever since her mean foster mom, Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz) had been raising her. But everything's about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx)-- advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale)-- makes a thinly veiled campaign move and takes her in after he saved her from being hit by a van. Stacks believes he's her guardian angel, but Annie's self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it's the other way around.
Others to round out the cast are Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Nash, head of security, David Zayas as Lou, Zoe Margaret Colletti as Tessie, Nicolette Pierini as Mia, Eden Duncan-Smith as Isabella, Amanda Troya as Pepper, Dorian Missick as Annie's "dad", Tracie Thoms as Annie's "mom" and Mike Birbiglia as Social Services Inspector.
This was effectively and adequately directed by Will Gluck ("Fired Up! '09, "Easy A" '10, "Friends with Benefits" '11, "Iceland" (TV movie) '11). For a filmmaker that, first of all, doesn't have a ton of directing experience under his belt and secondly, has never directed a musical, scored big time, because directing musicals as opposed to comedies is incredibly different. In musicals, the timing is so different as is the pacing--there's choreography. This had to be quite a feat for Gluck to endeavor and he pulled it off expertly. It was written by Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna based on the stage play book by Thomas Meehan which is based on the comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" as stated above by Harold Gray. For an updated version of a very old comic strip, this modern version was well conveyed in that a lot of audiences could identify with the different characters in this--seeing them going through some of the same things we all go through today. Of course, as with the musical, "Annie" with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Martin Charnin, this gives the film the lightness a lot of audiences will like, especially families, at a time of year that we all want to feel good right where we're at.
As musicals go, no this is no "Les Miserables", but this is certainly a fun-filled comedy for one and all to enjoy during this Christmas season when we all want that warm and fuzzy feeling when we go to the multiplex.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG 118mins.
As franchises go, what "Raiders of the Lost Ark" did for that franchise in the adventure realm, "Night at the Museum" has done for this franchise in the comedy realm. Every time you go to see one of these films, one realizes that you can count on it being funny, adventurous, fun, and rollicking which is why we have been offered a third installment entitled "Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb".
When an Egyptian tablet, which gives life to the museum exhibits, begins to fade, Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) rallies his friends (the exhibits) including Teddy Roosevelt (Robin Williams), Jedediah (Owen Wilson), Octavius (Steve Coogan), Attila the Hun (Patrick Gallagher), Ahkmenrah (Rami Malek) and Ahkmenrah's father, Merenkahre (Ben Kingsley) in order to find the cause of the tablet deteriorating. They span the globe to Egypt and London where Larry enlists help from his counterpart, security guard of that museum, Tilly (Rebel Wilson). Question of the day is: Can these friends find the source of the deteriorating tablet and how to repair it before it's too late?
Others to round out the cast are Ricky Gervais as Dr. McPhee, Dan Stevens as Sir Lancelot, Skyler Gisondo as Nick Daley, Larry's teenage son, Mizuo Peck as Sacajawea, Dick Van Dyke as Cecil, Mickey Rooney as Gus, Bill Cobbs as Reginald, Brad Garrett as Easter Island Head, Percy Hines-White as C.J. Fredericks, Brennan Elliott as Robert Fredericks and Crystal the Monkey as Dexter.
This was effectively directed by Shawn Levy ("Big Fat Liar" '02, "Just Married" '03, "Cheaper by the Dozen" '03, "The Pink Panther" '06, "Night at the Museum" '06, "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" '09, "Date Night" '10, "Real Steel" '11, "The Internship" '13, "This is Where I Leave You" '14) plus TV series and movies. By his very resume, this guy knows a thing or two about comedy-- his comic timing and pacing is basically second to none. As dysfunctional as most comedies are today--directing, writing, even acting, this pro will continue seeing more projects he can even handle. It was written by David Guion, and Michael Handelman based on a story by Mark Friedman, Guion and Handelman, which is based on characters created by Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant. Even though there were a ton of sources, it was remarkably written well. Obviously the original of this franchise was the best-- fresh and original, this still was able to hold its own as an avenue to see where this story could even go. The visual effects predominantly created by MPC (Moving Picture Company) and Digital Domain were absolutely seamless. Such as how did they show dinosaur bones running down a corridor?
I wish to dedicate this film to the memories of both Mickey Rooney and Robin Williams. Both gave us all a vast body of creative work that we will never forget. Rest in peace to you both.
The premise of this is solid: exhibits in a museum coming alive after dark until dawn is very clever, and one that has a never ending list of plots. So hold on to your hats, because another installment could come.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 97mins.
You know you're in the holiday movie season when a plethora of much awaited films have or going to be thrusted upon us very soon. Of course, with the Academy Award deadline date of 12-31 looming huge and coming quick, the number of these films are massive whether frothed with quality or ones to get the younger audiences in those theater seats. Ca-ching! So now we are being offered the last and final installation of The Hobbit series entitled "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies".
This brings to epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug (voice of Benedict Cumberbatch), the Company has unwittingly unleased a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo's frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan), the great army Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide-- unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.
Others to round out the cast are Luke Evans as Alkrid, Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, Ken Stott as Balin, Lee Pace as Galadriel, Ryan Gage as Alfrid, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Hugo Weaving as Elrond, Dean O'Gorman as Fili, Aidan Turner as Kili, Stephen Fry as Master of Lake-town, Ian Holm as Old Bilbo, and Manu Bennett as Azog.
Considering his vast experience in directing this genre, the directing by Peter Jackson ("Meet the Feebles" '89, "Heavenly Creature" '94, "The Frighteners" '96, "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" '01, '02, '03, "King Kong" '05, "The Lovely Bones" '09, the first two installments of "Hobbit" films '12, '13) it would seem that, after a point, he would just 'yawn' his way through this film, and in actuality, this installment was as fresh, if not fresher than its predecessors. Trust me, I'm not a huge fan of this or Lord of the Rings trilogy, but with all objectivity, this conclusion not only was amazingly directed and written well, but also wrapped up this epic story nicely. It was written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson and Guillermo del Toro. I believe that the only reason why this was an effective screenplay (with four screenwriters), was because it was the same team that wrote the other two installments, otherwise having all these 'hands in the pot' would've caused this story to be mired down in confusion and lack of cohesiveness as with so many other films with the same number of writers. I couldn't end this review without touting Weta Digital, Ltd. for their incredible visual effects and animation. This company was the same firm which created the visuals for the Lord of the Rings trilogy as well as the last two installments of this trilogy and it shows in spades. How do these guys do it?
If you plan on seeing this, you've got to see it on the large screen, lest it gets lost on a DVD. Trust me, after seeing this, you will walk away enjoying this nice tidy conclusion all in a 3D format too boot! Enjoy!
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 144mins.
Of late, we have seen a plethora of biblically based films: "Son of Man", "Noah", "God's Not Dead", "Left Behind" and others. I'm not sure why all the interest in these types of films, except that it might be reflective of our problematic society: finances, crime, diseases out of control. Sometimes through our intense lives, something that's conveyed in a compassionate way to relieve us of our problems is just what the doctor ordered. With this, we have "Exodus: Gods and Kings" in the offing to turn to so as to cause us to think more about our lives.
The year is 1300 BCE. This epic adventure is the story of one man's daring courage to take on the might of an empire. This tells the story of the defiant, passionate leader Moses (Christian Bale) as he eventually rises up against the Egyptian Pharoah Ramses (Joel Edgerton), setting 600,000 Hebrew slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues-- frogs, blood, flies, locusts, hail.
To know how these men were at such odds with each other, one must go back into the past. You see, Moses was raised, as an infant, by Seti (John Turturro), along with Ramses, so they grew up as 'brothers'--depending on one another. Moses inadvertently meets Nun (Ben Kingsley) who tells Moses that a prophesy was made calling Moses the subsequent leader of the Jews to bring those out of slavery from the Egyptians. This perplexes Moses to the point where he starts to question where he actually came from, lineage-wise. This confrontation with Ramses simply fanned the fire and they soon were at odds with each other to a disastrous end.
Others to round out the cast are Aaron Paul as Joshua, Ben Mendelsohn as Viceroy Hegep, Maria Valverde as Zipporah, Sigourney Weaver as Tuya, Hiam Abbass as Bithia, Isaac Andrews as Malak, Ewen Bremner as Expert, Indira Varma as High Priestess and Tara Fitzgerald as Miriam.
This was effortlessly directed by Ridley Scott ("Alien" '79, "Blade Runner" '82, "Thelma & Louise" '91, "White Squall" '96, "Gladiator" 2000, "Black Hawk Down" '01, Matchstick Men" '03, "American Gangster" '07, "Body of Lies" '08, "Prometheus" '12, "The Counselor" '13) plus others. Like the old adage states: 'practice makes perfect', this guy has directed so many films that you know you're going to be faced with consummate talent and artistry. The emotion that his actors exude is so realistic and effective, that it almost looks like the actors aren't acting. It was equally well written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zailian. Considering the huge number of writers on this, it should have been incredibly convoluted-- too many hands in the pot, but it was actually crafted together in a comprehensive way. Mind you, there were some choppy areas, but all in all, a solid script. Also, the visual effects ,predominantly created by MPC (Moving Picture Company), Double Negative and Method Studios, were cleverly intertwined within the story by Scott, so the actors, story with the visuals worked effortlessly with each other, not to mention that the visuals were seamless, to boot.
This epic film is one that must be seen on the large screen, lest it gets lost in anything else smaller. You will be pulled into this incredible story of adventure, loss, redemption and bravery all in a very effective 3D format for all to enjoy.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: PG-13 150mins.
Through the years, the western genre has apparently had its overhaul, and I believe the change has sparked a new interest in these films as ever before. We've seen "No Country For Old Men" '07, "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" '05, "The Missing" '03, "Brokeback Mountain" '05, even "The Lone Ranger"'13, so why not add to that list by offering "The Homesman"?
Three women, Arabella Sours (Grace Gummer), Theoline Belknap (Miranda Otto), and Gro Svendsen (Sonja Richter) living on the edge of the American frontier are driven mad by the harsh pioneer life, and the task of saving them falls to the pious, independent-minded Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank). Transporting the women by a wood-covered wagon to Iowa, she is desperate for help on the daunting journey, and inadvertently comes across a low-life man who is in the process of being hung. To save his life, he, George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones) reluctantly agrees to help her with these women. The unlikely pair, the proverbial 'odd couple', and three troublesome women head east, where a waiting minister and his wife, Altha Carter (Meryl Streep) have offered to take the women in. But the group must first traverse the harsh Nebraska Territories marked by stark beauty, psychological peril and constant threat.
Others to round out the cast are Jo Harvey Allen as Mrs. Polhemus, Barry Corbin as Buster Shaver, David Dencik as Thor Svendsen, William Fichtner as Vester Belknap, Evan Jones as Bob Giffen, Caroline Lagerfelt as Netti, John Lithgow as Reverend Alfred Dowd, Tim Blake Nelson as The Freighter, Jesse Plemons as Garn Sours, James Spader as Aloysius Duffy, and Hailee Steinfeld as Tabitha Hutchinson.
This was grittily and eerily directed by Tommy Lee Jones ("The Good Old Boys" (TV movie) '95, "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada" '05, "The Sunset Limited" (TV movie) '11). If Jones ever decided to quit acting, he could certainly go into directing full time, because he knows just how to extract the correct emotions from his actors at just the right time. Obviously, being an actor himself has definitely served him as a director--it's easier to direct when you've walked in the same shoes as the actors. He gave this story the starkness, the eeriness which actually made it very non-western like. It was written by Jones, Kieran Fitzgerald and Wesley A. Oliver based on the novel, "The Homesman" by Glendon
Swarthout which made for a meaty source. The only possible flaw in this was that there were a few places of lack of continuity which could cause little confusion, but over all, this premise was amazing and the execution in script was both interesting and intriguing. Besides, Jones clearly gets better with age like a fine wine, and with his incredible talent as a director and writer, this makes him that much more consummate. Also, Swank simply shined here as the hard-nosed, independent Cuddy. This has got to be the best thing she's done since "Million Dollar Baby" '04.
Whether you like westerns or not, you'll like this for reasons of good acting, directing and writing and the fact that this is not your typical western, which, in my book, makes this a film that soars.
Out of 4 Stars: 3.5 Rated: R 122mins.
As many of the 'based on a true story' films that Hollywood produces, it's getting to be rarer to see films that are pure fiction anymore, hence the new film, "The Theory of Everything". This is a true story/biopic that looks at a particular individual through the eyes of his wife.
This is the extraordinary story of one of the world's greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde (Felicity Jones) back in the 60's. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) or as it was called at the time, Motor Neuron Disease, at 21 years of age. Even though he was given approximately two years to live, his wife still fought tirelessly by his side, while Stephen was to embark on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of--time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed.
Others to round out the cast are Charlie Cox as Jonathan Jones, Emily Watson as Beryl Wilde, Jane's mother, Simon McBurney as Frank Hawking, Stephen's father, David Thewlis as Dennis Sciama, Maxine Peake as Elaine Mason, Harry Lloyd as Brian, Alice Orr-Ewing as Diana King, Guy Oliver-Watts as George Wilde, Jane's father and Christian McKay as Roger Penrose.
This was crafted meticulously by director James Marsh ("John Cale" (TV movie documentary) '98, "Wisconsin Death Trip" '99, "The Team" (Documentary) '05, "The King" '05, "Man on Wire" (Documentary) '08, "Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980" (TV movie) '09, "Project Nim" (Documentary) '11, "Shadow Dancer" '12). The painstaking approach he took to showcase every nuance of Hawking and his mannerisms-- his smile, the way the body parts were deformed, his eyeglasses, etc. was amazing detail. Of course, Redmayne's performance of this scientist was near perfection and could possibly earn him an Oscar nod come that time. It was well written by Anthony McCarten based on the book, "Travelling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen" by Jane Hawking. This biopic, as seen through the eyes of Jane Hawking, dealt more with hers' and Stephen's relationship as dating, subsequently marrying and having to take care of Stephen as His ALS only progresses. Him being one that questions the reality of God and her being a member of the Church of England made some difficulties in their relationship, but, as the old adage says, "love conquers all" took over in their lives. Amazing that all of his theories seem to not include God, but considering that they are only theories, how can one dismiss another form of belief when your belief is based on theory? This was certainly an arena that was touched on, but since it was based on Jane's book, their relationship took precedence. There were a few places of confusions if one wasn't following along and it was just a bit long-in-the-tooth, otherwise an interesting script.
Look, whatever side of the fence you're on with Hawking's life beliefs, you are seeing this more for the acting and directing than anything else. It gives all something to think about, all with a good dose of fine acting thrown in for good measure.
Out of 4 Stars: 3 Rated: PG-13 123mins.
Obviously Hollywood is on a roll with producing one film after another of those that are based on true stories. They've covered politicians, baseball players, football players, authors, actors, hikers, astronauts, and now painters are being covered in the form of "Big Eyes". 
