March DVDs: Hawking, Birdman & Big Hero 6
Posted on February 28, 2015 by bob in DVD
The Theory of Everything (PG-13)
After successfully avoiding most math and science courses throughout the discretionary years of my education, I’m not the most likely candidate for grasping the academic content of this fine biopic of megamind Stephen Hawking, covering the years from his graduate studies at Cambridge just before the onset of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) that eventually left him almost completely paralyzed and speechless to the present. His personality and journey are presented in a surprisingly engaging and accessible package, thanks mainly to the brilliant screenplay based on My Life with Stephen, by his wife, Jane, whom he met at school shortly before the symptoms began. Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones deliver award-worthy performances as the couple. Hawking’s dire 1963 prognosis of a two-year life expectancy has been wrong for 50 years, and counting.
What may surprise many who only know Hawking as the wheelchair-bound genius who can only speak electronically is the wit and charm that beat the tar out of standard physics-geek stereotyping. His scholastic purity and zeal are established by the fact that worldwide acclaim for his breakthrough calculations on black holes didn’t keep him from debunking that work as soon as he peeled back the next layer of understanding the nature of existence. We see the purity of his process contrasted with intellectual doubters and religious leaders who saw science as a potential either/or with their concept of God.
Even while appreciating how the math and science were easier to follow than in the latest hot space epic, Interstellar, the personal level of Stephen and Jane’s lives is even more compelling. Don’t let the brainiac subject deter those who appreciate fine tales well told. If you were moved by The King’s Speech, you’re likely to appreciate this one.
Birdman (R) 
If the title looks a bit off, it does double duty, setting the table for the disorienting dramedy that follows. Michael Keaton, famous largely for two epic turns as Batman, plays an aging movie star, fallen on hard times after his glory days as big-screen superhero, Birdman. Now he’s struggling to revive his career, scratch his way back to solvency, and finally gain respect as a legitimate actor by launching a rather turgid Broadway drama. The film covers the chaotic week of final preparations for opening night, in the face of a torrent of personal and professional clashes.
A key co-star craps out, causing a seemingly lucky upgrade in his replacement (Edward Norton), before he turns into a mixed blessing. Keaton’s far-from-loving daughter (Emma Stone) is hanging around as a production assistant, while working out plenty of her own issues. Stars notwithstanding, the viewing experience is dominated by pace and staging, as cameras follow the players through a maze of backstage passageways and rooms, and one conflict morphs into another. There’s sort of a cinema verite feel to the proceedings, as we struggle to keep track of the rises, falls, gains and losses swirling around the theater. The tale unfolds so weirdly that Zach Galifianakis, as Keaton’s staunchest ally and producer, plays the sanest one in the bunch! How’s that for a sentence his legions of fans never expected to read?
As problems pile up, Keaton seems constantly on the verge of losing his sanity, his investment, and maybe more. Moments of dark comedy keep us off balance with the ceaseless waves of petty spats, old grudges and major clashes that plague the production, and may exhaust many among its audience. Despite some shortcomings in the script, exceptional ensemble performances and deft direction in claustrophobic settings by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritub (who also shares credit for the screenplay) make this a unique experience that rewards those who make the effort to follow the travails of these troupers.
Big Hero 6 (PG)
This animated sci-fi comic adventure is a lot more fun and energetic that Frozen, but probably will not bring in anywhere near the huge box office of last year’s hit. It’s smarter and more socially hip, and that rarely outdraws princesses and Oscar-level songs, however derivative they may be. C’mon. Didn’t Let It Go and First Time in Forever sound a whole lot like a handful of ballads from previous Disney features?
This clash between good and evil features a brilliant young inventor who continues his brother’s work after a tragic event to save the day. His main asset is a gentle giant in the form of a fluffy white robot, built for medical and protective purposes, but adaptable to more arduous tasks in an emergency. One promptly arises. The plucky lad is joined by a few other young whizzes, who chip in with their own creations to form an ad hoc Marvel Comics’ Shield-type protective force using super brains, rather than superpowers. How nice that none of them needed a genetic mutation, radioactive spider bite, etc. to become exceptional.
The result is a high-octane adventure that deftly balances comedy and character development with the Valuable Lessons such films must convey. Disney’s animation is first-rate, as one expects, serving up plenty of colorful action, establishing marketable protagonists (also as one expects), and generating welcome prospects for sequels. That’s covering all the artistic and financial bases in style.
Mark Glass
Mark Glass is an officer and director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
