Hadn't seen Theory Of Everything.
One of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen. It wasn't like an acting portrayal, it was like he became Hawking, inhabited his body in terms of body language, gestures, facial expressions. If I had seen this and Birdman pre-Oscar, I would have thought Keaton, as good as he was, had virtually no chance. I'm not sure the last time I've seen a performance that left such an impression?
If it matters, either way, good or bad, science was very light in the movie. Unless some absolutely hate science (Luddite demographic
), hard to imagine even disinterest in science getting in the way of appreciating the thrust of the narrative, his struggles and triumphs as a person as well as scientist, because he is such a compelling character of general interest. In many ways his story is inspiring, he should have been dead decades ago by all rights medically, not one of the greatest theoretical physicists of the second half of the 20th century. Despite a towering intellect, it is not an accident that he became internationally famous for his popular science non-fiction (not the likeliest material for such wide acclaim). I respect geniuses that can communicate complex ideas with simplicity and clarity to laypersons and the public at large, and he clearly had a gift. Check his answer at a public speech late in the movie, when asked to talk about his philosophy of life, coming from an atheist.