Oh the drums, the drums. Please god make them stop.
I would not have been half as irritated by this film if only the drums had stopped.
This is one of those occasions where I admire the craft but am untouched by the content. The extended shots through the corridors of the theatre are clearly well-planned and executed (to my untrained eye), but I couldn’t have cared less about any of the characters.
And the drums …
I love a film that has me wondering what the hell is happening from the very start, and this just does that. And because it doesn’t directly answer all the questions it prompts, I’m still thinking about it, which is a good thing.
Not one but two Jake Gyllenhaals find themselves face to face with each other, trying to work out how and why they are both identical. Tension obviously ensues. What’s brilliant though is that we’re never in any doubt as to which ‘Jake’ we’re with at any one time: even when one is impersonating the other. He is, as usual, outstanding.
For the first time in I can’t remember how long, I’m now actually going to read the book which inspired the film.
I’m trying not to define this film as ‘The Stephen Hawking biopic’, as it’s actually based on his wife Jane’s novel about their time together. The shame is that the film still ends up being more about him than her (or them), and lacks sufficient depth about her struggle, his illness or even his science, which would have made it more interesting. I just really wanted to know more about Jane.
It’s not that it’s a bad film, but it’s not particularly presenting anything new, when it had scope (and presumably insight) for so much more.
That being said, Eddie Redmayne is absolutely magnificent, and deserves all the awards that I imagine are heading his way.
