The Theory of Everything

This film has been very highly acclaimed from the very beginning, and so when going to see it, it's natural that anyone would have high expectations. I can safely say that The Theory of Everything surpassed all expectations, even with all the hype.

I went expecting a biopic about Stephen Hawking, and was sort of wrong. The film focuses on Stephen and Jane's relationship but of course also shows Hawking's life, theories and the development of his Motor Neurone Disease. But I wouldn't say that was a disappointment at all. It works incredibly well, even for people who don't like the "love story" side of cinema so much (me).

Eddie Redmayne, after having irritated me in "Les Miserables", gave an exceptional performance. And I really mean that. I could even say that it is the best performance by anyone that I have ever seen in any film. I know. Bold statement. But seriously. He grasps Hawking's personality so perfectly as well as not only understanding the stages of the disease intricately but how they affected Hawking specifically. He absolutely nails it, giving an emotional, clever and Oscar worthy performance.

But it wasn't just about him. Felicity Jones was also exceptional for all the same reasons. Together with incredible scripting which brought all of the relevant themes forward at all the right times as well as showing the lives of Stephen and Jane in a gripping, heart-warming way, the humanity of the film is created. The direction was beautifully done, with a simple yet effective soundtrack to add to the reality of the film as well as to its poetic nature.

The Theory of Everything has to be one of the best films I've ever seen for so many reasons. Quick, go and see it before its run ends!

10/10

The Crash of Hennington

Patrick Ness' debut novel is hefty like the rhinos which feature within it. That was my very first impression. And my next impression was "gosh, this typeface along with the slightly yellow pages in this brand new book make it seem really old." And then "Gosh, this is a bit inappropriate". And then "What's actually supposed to be happening here?". And eventually "wow."

It turns out that it wasn't just the typeface and the pages that made this story seem old. The whole thing was strangely allegorical of something. It was an odd set up. A subversive society (much like our own) where rhinos walk the streets because they always have done. And that's literally all that starts this story. The rest just happens at a natural pace. A frighteningly realistic pace, actually. That's the thing about this book. Despite the rhinos and the brothel golf clubs and the strange drug habits and traditions, Hennington is all too familiar. And it's quite powerful.

As the novel begins, we see the lives of a whole host of different characters. Some are connected, some aren't. And then the novel quite honestly snowballs. One things leads to the next, and everything gradually comes together, speeds up and gets all the more powerful. The characters are so perfectly realised and the ideas are truly imaginative.

By the end, you realise that there's plenty that could be analysed. One thing I'm still working on is why no speech marks are used. That was a bit annoying. But perhaps there's a reason. Maybe it shows how people's external voices just seem like a list (hence the dashes before people speak) of internal voices all happening at the same time. That might be the case, and you do get into it after a while. It does make some sections quite hard to read, though.

That said, this novel was so different to Ness' other books, but equally as inventive, thought provoking and gripping. There's so much going on to keep your attention through the multitude of pages, with realistic, hateable and likeable characters. It's basically like the original "The Casual Vacancy" but better. And with rhinos.

9/10

Thanks to Agent Leo for the book as a birthday present. I will soon be reading "Topics About Which I Know Nothing", the only Patrick Ness book I haven't read so far.