Felicity Jones

DVD/Stream of the Week: THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING – things gets complicated for Mr. and Mrs. Genius

by

Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

The Theory of Everything is based on the book by the woman who married Stephen Hawking – and this is important. While the story of Stephen Hawking – a generational genius who becomes physically disabled but continues his groundbreaking work – is pretty amazing, the story of the two of them facing this journey together brings more depth and texture to the tale. And, since everybody is somewhat familiar with the arc of Stephen Hawking’s career, the added focus on Jane Hawking brings some unpredictability to the plot.

The role of Stephen is one that many actors would kill for, and Eddie Redmayne delivers an exceptionally good performance. You may remember Redmayne’s solid turn in a good movie, My Week with Marilyn, and that he was one of the few highlights in the otherwise dreadful Les Miserables.

Felicity Jones’s performance as Jane stands up to Redmayne’s. She masks her profound inner strength with adorability. She was very good in Like Crazy, a romance that I really liked, although NONE of my readers did.

It’s worth mentioning that The Theory of Everything was directed by James Marsh, because he’s on a helluva storytelling run: the acclaimed documentaries Man on a Wire and Project Nim and last year’s overlooked thriller Shadow Dancer.

All told, The Theory of Everything has a compelling story with two fine performances, which adds up to a satisfying moviegoing experience.  It’s available on DVD from Netflix and streaming from Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, YouTube, Google Play and Xbox Video.

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING: things get complicated for Mr. and Mrs. Genius

by

Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne in THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

The Theory of Everything is based on the book by the woman who married Stephen Hawking – and this is important.  While the story of Stephen Hawking – a generational genius who becomes physically disabled but continues his groundbreaking work – is pretty amazing, the story of the two of them facing this journey together brings more depth and texture to the tale.  And, since everybody is somewhat familiar with the arc of Stephen Hawking’s career, the added focus on Jane Hawking brings some unpredictability to the plot.

The role of Stephen is one that many actors would kill for, and Eddie Redmayne  delivers an exceptionally good performance.  You may remember Redmayne’s solid turn in a good movie, My Week with Marilyn, and that he was one of the few highlights in the otherwise dreadful Les Miserables.

Felicity Jones’s performance as Jane stands up to Redmayne’s.  She masks her profound inner strength with adorability.  She was very good in Like Crazy, a romance that I really liked, although NONE of my readers did.

It’s worth mentioning that The Theory of Everything was directed by James Marsh, because he’s on a helluva storytelling run: the acclaimed documentaries Man on a Wire and Project Nim and last year’s overlooked thriller Shadow Dancer.

All told, The Theory of Everything has a compelling story with two fine performances, which adds up to a satisfying moviegoing experience.

Hysteria: a feminist lark

by

Hysteria is a breezy, feminist lark.  Victorian doctors are befuddled by all manner of female complaints, which they lump together into the diagnosis of hysteria.  One physician becomes popular when he pioneers pelvic massage as treatment.  Who knew that rubbing their clitorises (clitorii?) made them happy?

Thankfully, director Tanya Wexler keeps the whole thing light.  Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as a proto-feminist and High Dancy plays the doc who invented a proto-vibrator.  Rising star Felicity Jone (Like Crazy) pulls off a secondary role.

Like Crazy: romance, pure and not so simple

by

If you’re looking for a pure romance, this long distance love story is unadulterated by the irony and gross-out humor so prevalent today.  The girl and guy don’t meet cute.  She has a crush and acts on it; he falls for her.  They are separated by her unwise impulse to overstay her student visa.  Now the romance is complicated – as real life relationships are.  The ending is not contrived, and provokes questions about the pair’s future.

In tracing the initial falling-love-love, writer-director Drake Doremus rescues the film technique of montage from the schmaltzy chiches produced by lazier filmmakers.

The stars, Felicity Jones and AntonYelchin, are appealing, and I look forward to seeing them again.  As expected, Jennifer Lawrence is very good in a supporting role.

This was a big hit with the audience at Sundance, and I expected that it might became a huge word-of-mouth hit.  It won’t be that successful because, ultimately, it’s a good but not great movie.  Still, it brings some much needed intelligence and authenticity to the genre.

Page Eight: top rate spy movie on TV

by

PBS is featuring the excellent British spy drama Page Eight on this week’s Masterpiece Contemporary.  It’s top rate.

How do the British do this so well?  First, they cut out all of the explosions and chase scenes.  Then they get a high-brow screenwriter – here it is David Hare (The Reader, The Hours, Damage) – to write a character driven whodunit with plenty of paranoid political intrigue.  Finally, they deliver a first rate cast:  Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon, Rachel Weisz, Judy Davis, Ralph Fiennes, Ewen Bremner (Spud in Trainspotting) and Felicity Jones (starring in this week’s Like Crazy).

Page Eight is definitely worth a Tivo.  Look for it.