There’s always a level of filtration, or Hollywoodization, that happens in reality-based films. There’s no getting around it, really. It’s storytelling, and the truth can always be embellished and beautified, or uglied and undermined, depending on the writer/director’s whims. True Story is indeed a true story, but it isn’t the stranger-than-fiction elements of the narrative that detract from how good the film could have been. Instead what distracts from an essentially intriguing cat-and-mouse tale is the poor casting and obviously narcissistic angle the film is presented from. An ironic criticism, I know, in that a film based on a memoir (Michael Finkel’s True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa) would seem the most forgiven for a certain level of narcissism. But director Rupert Goold (known for his theatrical direction and making his film directorial debut) can’t seem to detach from Finkel’s egocentric intentions.

The true story of True Story lies in the tale of Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill), a high-rising and adventurous journalist with The New York Times Magazine, or at least up until 2001 when it came to light that Mike had fabricated the bulk of a cover article he wrote for the magazine, leading to his dismissal and being blacklisted in his industry. He’s deep in the throes of depression from this momentous career failure, retreating to his home in Montana with his girlfriend Jill (Felicity Jones), when he receives a call from a small-time reporter in rural Oregon. A man, Christian Longo (James Franco), has been taken in and accused of murdering his wife and three children. He had been traveling under the name Michael Finkel, claiming to be the journalist. Intrigued by anyone who would want to take on his identity, especially at a time when his name feels so entirely sullied, Mike reaches out to Longo. The two begin to meet and a friendship of sorts ignites.

Finkel is drawn to Longo’s resistance to be forthright with the truth, seeing him as a journalistic challenge. Longo finds Finkel to be inspiring and draws on his writing skills and insights as he navigates his path toward trial. Perhaps the two seek affirmation and possible redemption in one another? Finkel starts work on a book about Longo and their relationship, thinking that if he truly devotes himself to the pursuit of truth he can somehow find his way back to credibility. Longo continues to string Finkel on, eventually getting to trial where his side of the story finally comes out and inevitabilities are revealed.

Hill tries to imbue Finkel with a certain amount of innocence, which feels disingenuous based on the existence of Finkel’s memoir and this film. A competitive journalist doesn’t seem very likely to have been so taken in by a small-town sociopath, thus the performance just doesn’t quite add up. His ego may have blinded him in real life, but Hill’s portrayal implies it as more related to Finkel’s personal road to atonement.

Franco, who I’d normally call chameleonic with his ability to meld into most genres, is actually more unbelievable in this role than Hill is for the opposite reason. Whereas Hill puts too much innocence into Finkel, Franco could use a heavy dose of it for Longo, who he never plays as remotely virtuous—even falsely so—in a way that might garner the trust of the audience. This just makes us question further the believability of Mike holding any hope in the truth of what Longo tells him. It makes it hard not to expect Hill and Franco to jump into their usual on-screen fare and crack a few jokes just to see them do something together that makes more sense.

Felicity Jones makes up 75 percent of the reason to see the film. Her role is minimal but adds the only real hint of true emotion and genuine reaction in the film. She gets one scene face-to-face with Franco and somehow manages to steal the entire show with it. She’s an absolute wonder.

Goold seems to have fallen prey to the charms of Mr. Finkel, falling for the story rather than the facts. The story of a journalist uncovering the layers of an accused murderer while finding his own way back to what truth really is would be interesting. But that’s not what True Story is. It’s one man’s continued search for affirmation and attention, a man who ultimately meets someone just like himself who plays the same game, only against him. So he writes a book and gets the final word. It’s na-na-nah-boo-boo with adults. You can almost see Finkel put his thumbs in his ears, wave his fingers around and stick out his tongue mischievously.

So, what ultimately makes True Story an interesting watch is the viewer being allowed to pass detached judgement, not just on a murderer, but on a man egotistical enough to think that being taken advantage of makes him unique or entitles him to anything. A man entirely blind to his own hubris. There’s a certain satisfaction in passing judgement on someone who claims that “truth is always important,” when what he obviously means is “the story is always important.”

The film’s ending would suggest Finkel wasn’t altogether pleased with the way things played out—no one wants to be taken for a shmuck—but neither do audiences, and it’s not clear if Mr. Finkel understands that satisfaction from his memoir stems from seeing both he and Longo get the justice coming to them. And that’s why the movie isn’t a failure, and is even (maybe inadvertently) appealing. If Goold had thought to approach the self-serving subject matter with more awareness, the added layer may have made it so the film was in on the joke instead of being the punchline, but that’s the unpredictability of a true story, is it not?

Famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is an extraordinary man with monumental achievements, advancing our understanding of how the universe works while simultaneously battling a disease that left him nearly paralyzed and unable to speak. It’s a tragedy to us all that one of the most brilliant minds of our time lost the ability to communicate his thoughts with traditional methods due to Lou Gherig’s disease. But the story that most people don’t hear about is how he fell deeply in love with a fellow student at Cambridge, his first wife Jane Hawking, and how her encouragement and care allowed him to become one of the most revered minds of his field despite his physical obstacles. The Theory of Everything is an adaptation of Jane’s memoir “Traveling to Infinity: My Life With Stephen”, which recalls how the two met and the journey they faced early in their lives.

The Theory of Everything dabbles but doesn’t spend too much time on Hawking’s academic success or how he completely changed quantum mechanics as we know it. It’s frustrating not to be invited into the scientific side of this great man’s mind, but the film makes it clear this isn’t it’s focus. The true core of the film is a love story. A young Stephen (Eddie Redmayne) can’t seem to take his eyes off a dashing girl at a party. This lovely young woman, named Jane (Felicity Jones), returns his glances and before long falls head over heels for this ambitious man. A man determined to face the mind-numbing challenge of finding a unified equation that explains everything in the universe.

The film shows early signs that Stephen’s physical abilities are on the decline, the slightest of shadows of the tragedy that lies ahead. One day while walking on campus Stephen collapses to the ground and is knocked unconscious. Doctors tell him that he has a motor-neuron disease and that he has two years left to live. Stephen’s outlook is bleak, but Jane refuses to give up even as he faces the knowledge that even if his time isn’t as limited as the doctor’s suggest, the eventuality that he will lose control of his body and voice is impending. The two of them decide to marry in the midst of this news, and as the symptoms grow ever clearer, they start a family together while Jane’s duties get increasingly more difficult as caretaker.

There’s no denying that Eddie Redmayne puts on an absolute brilliant performance in the physically demanding role which requires an entirely different and difficult communication portrayal and very limited mobility.  It’s such a transformation that Redmayne is almost unrecognizable by the end. Any early Oscar buzz surrounding Redmayne is well deserved. Felicity Jones does a commendable job of being a fearless leader and an overworked mother, though, by no fault of her own, is rather overshadowed by Redmayne’s dazzling work.

The Theory of Everything is more than just a love story, it’s an uplifting story of ambition and hope. Sure, there are conventional storytelling and textbook biopic clichés, but damned if they’re not arranged in a spectacular way, all highlighting one of the best performances seen all year, with visuals that perfectly depict every very real struggle and joy.

James Marsh, who is best known for his documentaries (Man on Wire, Project Nim), is the perfect candidate to handle the difficult task of chronicling the crowning achievements and struggles of Professor Hawking in just two hours. The Theory of Everything received collective cheers, thunderous laughs, and in its final moments, the drop of a pin would be the loudest sound heard. I’m fairly sure no one left the theater with dry eyes.

This review was originally published on 9/9/14

Forget waiting for the weekend to bring in the heavy hitters, Mill Valley says “It’s Thursday. Let’s party!” And what better way to kick off an early weekend than with the stirring and emotionally sensational biopic of Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything. Already gaining significant accolade for his performance as Stephen Hawking, Eddie Redmayne was in attendance at the screening, and in the Q & A following the film was awarded the Mill Valley Award. The film comes to U.S. theaters November 7, and has already received our stamp of approval after seeing it at TIFF, but based on this early screening’s audience reaction, awards season competition should be plenty steep.

The Perfect Equation

[Ananda]

When the filmmaker of one of the best documentaries ever made, Man on Wire, decides to take on a narrative feature about one of the greatest minds of our time, viewers can breathe easy. There’s an appreciation for the full spectrum of a life story that a documentary director must possess, not to mention the patience that is requisite for such work. James Marsh does justice to not only Jane Hawking’s memoir, Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, but provides incredible insight into the mind of one of the consummate theoretical physicists and cosmologists in existence, while providing a stunning view into the life of an ALS survivor. You can keep your ice bucket challenges folks, just go see Theory of Everything and soak up the insight therein.

Eddie Redmayne is a pillar of disciplined acting, contorting his body, speaking with his eyebrows, and encapsulating the debonair nonchalance of pure genius. His Mill Valley award is well deserved and it’s practically a given he should expect more statues in the months to come. With an entirely different sort of performance that’s equally fantastic, Felicity Jones is the life and energy of many of the film’s scenes, depicting the determined young woman who fell in love with the mind of a genius and took on the challenge of ensuring he’d live long enough to continue his brilliance. It takes a special person to support a person of such intimidating intelligence. It takes a special person to care for someone with such a debilitating disease; it takes an extraordinary actor to depict all of that AND instill this person with true humanity and grace. Jones nails it.

This cast + this director + this story = an absolute success of a film. A perfect reminder of the limitlessness in all of us — those who are caretakers and those who suffer — and an ode to those who have the capacity for enormous thought in our society.

Long Distance Never Works

[Ananda]

It’s sort of hard to have sympathy for the relationship depicted in 10,000 Km after seeing a film like The Theory of Everything, where a couple is challenged by an absolutely crippling disease that will affect every day of their lives together. In Carlos Marques-Marcet‘s film the couple in question, Alex (Natalia Tena) and Sergi (David Verdaguer) are tested when Alex is offered a photography residency in LA, far from the couple’s established home in Barcelona. After much discussion, they decide the offer is too good to pass up, and it’s only for a year, so Alex heads to LA and the two maintain their relationship via the Internet.

The film made our Must See Indie list recently, and while Marques-Marcet proves his worth with some expertly crafted filmmaking — long takes with little editing, maintaining viewer interest for a movie that basically takes place in two apartments and the imagery of Google Maps — what the film lacks is some perspective. Alex and Sergi are clearly the passionate sort of couple who find their separation to be incredibly difficult based on the chemistry that has fueled their relationship (the film is bookended with some intense sex scenes). But that’s where the film goes astray. The implication of the film is that technology is an ineffective tool in maintaining a relationship — even one with years of history — and can indeed lead to further destruction when Facebook becomes a stalking mechanism and video sex isn’t personal enough. But in the case of this film it doesn’t seem that the technology is actually the destructive factor in Alex and Sergi’s relationship, instead its their own hubrises: Sergi’s controlling and insecure temperament and Alex’s inability to defend herself and communicate her wants. They end up where you’d expect, but not for the reasons the film tries to suggest.

Close Your Eyes And I’ll Kiss You

[Bernard]

Now, let’s brighten things up a bit after all that romantic tumult. A fun-loving road movie set on the beautiful coast of Spain in the ’60s, Living is Easy With Eyes Closed follows Antonio (Javier Cámara), an optimistic, compassionate school teacher on a quest to meet his hero, John Lennon, who’s reportedly filming a movie in Almeria. Winding down the picturesque coastal roads on his way to meet the Beatle he picks up two companions: Belén (Natalia de Molina), a pretty, pregnant twenty-something, and Juano (Francesc Colomer), a runaway teenager with a Beatles haircut. Together, the trio share good times as they make their way to a small village just outside the movie set, where the indomitable Antonio must figure out a way to infiltrate the set and meet Mr. Lennon.

Directed by Spanish filmmaker David Trueba, the film is exhilaratingly upbeat, a three-way buddy movie that doesn’t hesitate when it comes to being adorable. It would be a mistake to scoff at the film’s relentlessly positive energy; you must be willing to let go of pretension and open yourself up to the good vibes to get the fully appreciate the film’s message. Cámara, with his knowing smiles and gentle eyes, serves as the perfect tour guide for this sun-drenched Spanish adventure. Those expecting the film to be set to a playlist of Beatles songs will be slightly let down (this is an indie film, after all, and The Beatles equals big bucks), but may be surprised to find themselves having so much fun they won’t miss the Fab Four classics.

Get a glimpse inside the mind of a brilliant man, at the woman who loved him, and the body that let him down. Director James Marsh (Oscar-winner for the documentary Man on Wire) chronicles the fascinating life of theoretical physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, bringing the story back to Hawking’s time as an able-bodied young student at the University of Cambridge. Despite being diagnosed with motor neurone disease at 21 years old and being given a life expectancy of 2 years from that point, Hawking to this day delivers out highly influential findings on matters of spacetime and black holes.

Starring as the famed scientist is Eddie Redmayne (My Week with Marilyn, Les Miserables), whose physical transformation looks remarkable from the trailer alone. He stars alongside Felicity Jones (Like Crazy, a potential upcoming Black Cat spinoff from The Amazing Spider-Man 2) who plays Hawking’s first wife Jane Wilde. In real life, the couple divorced in 1995 (Hawking re-married later that year only to get divorced once again in 2006) but it’s unclear if The Theory of Everything will dive that far into Hawking’s present. Both performers have been regarded as potential Oscar nominees for their roles in this film.

The Theory of Everything will also star Emily Watson, David Thewlis and Charlie Cox. Check out the new trailer, released just today, below:

Movie Still from The Theory of Everything

Breathe In, Drake Doremus’s second indie romance since Like Crazy (2011), follows the story of disaffected high school music teacher and part-time concert cellist Keith Reynolds (Guy Pearce) and his family. Keith finds himself increasingly attracted to the talented foreign exchange student, Sophie (Felicity Jones), who will be spending a semester with his family. This reserved, soft-spoken narrative delves into love, fidelity and family dynamics, striving for the difficult-to-achieve balancing act that is “understated drama.” Unfortunately, it falls short of the mark.

To its credit, the film has a lot of things going for it–-a great score, beautiful shots, good performances from our two stars (particularly Mr. Pearce), and a wonderful sense of pacing and rhythm. Using its quietness in a fluent manner, the film keeps the narrative moving, never falling into the lethargy that can threaten such a restrained film. Mr. Doremus had allowed his actors in Like Crazy to improvise their own lines, following only a loosely outlined plot–-at places Breathe In uses the same technique, and its dialogue feels honest and straight-forward.

Thus the film’s great failing isn’t the performances or the execution, but the story itself. Without giving away too much, Breathe In follows the straightforward trope of a middle-aged man seduced by a younger woman, attracted to the open possibilities and “freedom” presented by such a relationship. Keith Reynolds is a man dissatisfied with his suburban life, resenting both his family and the world surrounding him when he thinks of the artistic life he gave up to settle down (apparently just as his musical career was beginning to pick up). You have quite a bit of sympathy for this man, dealing with an unsupportive wife, a lackluster daughter, and the desire for a much more creatively fulfilling life.

The attraction Keith feels towards Sophie, with her youth, positivity, and obvious talent, is a bit of a no-brainer. We watch the gradual buildup between the characters, setting the stage for what could have been an interesting and dynamic climax–the conflict between social/familial obligation and the escapist urge for “something more.”  But despite this phenomenal setup, the film putters through its crux with a half-hearted yelp. Rather than addressing the deep emotional underpinnings developed throughout, the film seems to blow through its final scenes with such brevity that we’re left scratching our heads, trying to figure out what happened.

It’s a shame that such solid acting and production value couldn’t save the film from its poor and stifled conclusion. Perhaps Doremus became so enamored with his own understated aesthetic, he couldn’t let the film run its course, and never allowed his well-developed characters more room for expression? Whatever the cause, Breathe In leaves us in suspense without ever releasing its pent-up energy–we’re still stuck holding our breath, long after the credits roll.

Breathe In trailer

The Invisible Woman, Ralph Fiennes sophomore directorial effort (following up 2011’s Coriolanus), tells the true story of the love affair Charles Dickens (played by Fiennes) had with a much younger woman, actress Nelly Ternan (Felicity Jones), with a touch so delicate and soft it fails to leave a lasting impression. Though exquisitely designed and speckled with a handful of moments that are truly inspired, the central romance feels too cold-to-the-touch and blasé to deserve such a grand production.

The film opens years after Dickens’ death, with an older Nelly, now married, watching her teacher husband’s students rehearsing their production of “The Frozen Deep”, one of Dickens’ plays. Through the use of thinly-veiled expositional dialog, we learn that everyone with knowledge of her relationship with the author is under the impression that is was a platonic one (Dickens took the secret of their affair to the grave). We then flash back to the time to the beginning of their relationship to learn its true nature as we rifle through Nelly’s memories.

Charismatic, gregarious, and glamorous, Fiennes’ turn as Dickens is captivating. Following a theatrical performance, Dickens–45 years old and at this point an eminently beloved literary celebrity–meets an 18-year-old Nelly, her three sisters, and their mother Frances (Kristen Scott Thomas), all actresses. Of the sisters, Dickens feels a gravitation toward Nelly, whose meekness combined with the intimidation of Dickens’ advanced age and stature makes her weak in the knees. Frances, though not thrilled at the thought of the relationship, sees it as an opportunity for she and her girls to ride in more advantageous social circles.

Dickens is married to a heavy-set, regular-looking woman named Catherine (Joanna Scanlan), mother to his ten children. Now, you’re probably thinking, “I know what comes next! The big-headed Dickens, unfulfilled and suffocated by his marriage and home life, casts his ordinary wife aside in exchange for the young, beautiful mistress, resulting in a mountain of heartbreak and high drama!”

You’d be right, save for that last part about the heartbreak and high drama. Dickens does cast Catherine aside via a letter to the editor of the Times in which he announces their separation, and he does steal away with the beautiful Nelly. What’s strange and confusing is how everyone involved in the awful ordeal treats it like it’s a completely acceptable, no-big-deal “arrangement”. Everyone acts so apathetic and proper in their reaction to the affair that we as the audience can’t help but react apathetically as well.

The big surprise of the film is Scanlan, who has a couple terrific moments fueled by raw human emotion, each a welcome jolt that saves us from the sauntering, lifeless slog that is the rest of the film. Her reaction to the aforementioned Times letter is crushing, and a quiet conversation she shares with Nelly, in which she clears the air with utmost class and dignity, is unforgettable.

Fiennes does a good job as well, and Dickens’ work absolutely drips of his tongue as he recites it. It’s his scenes with Jones that leave a lot to be desired. There’s no clear indication or demonstration of why he loves this girl so much he’d leave his family behind for her. This is a crucial error, as this relationship is the prime focus of the film. And yet, on screen we feel nothing from them in the form of passion, longing, or chemistry. This is an empty romance, which consequently makes the film as a whole feel emotionally anemic.

The Period costume and set design is marvelous, with Fiennes doing a good job of capturing the finer details with his camera. In fact, I constantly found myself taking momentary vacations from the story to admire the elaborate furnishings, because whatever British ho-humming the characters on screen were doing was losing its grip on me.