This film follows world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking from the beginning of his doctorate studies at Cambridge through his two marriages and up to his meeting with the Queen in 1989.

During this time, Professor Hawking gained his PhD, had three children and wrote and published A Brief History of Time, but the film focuses most closely on his relationship with his first wife, Jane.

Portraying Hawking’s disability could’ve gone very badly, but Eddie Redmayne expertly shows the rest of the world what Stephen’s loved-ones have seen all along, his cheeky smile, desire to make people laugh and emotional perceptiveness.

The director has captured the magic in the air as Stephen and those around him sensed big things were happening. The stoic buoyancy carried on by Stephen, Jane and their friends as life became more difficult for him is portrayed with a perfect balance of personal insight, true grit and sensitivity.

The personal lives of all involved are handled without sensationalism or fanfare, with the achievements of Professor Hawking and the support of Jane central to the story.

The Theory of Everything is a love letter to a brilliant mind and above all a story about two people who muddled through a most extraordinary period of time together.

Ashley Whittaker ?????