In reality, the movie was more than that, but just barely. The whole beginning is gauzy and over-romanticized. This may seem cold or superficial of me, but they didn't convincingly sell the attraction between Steven and his wife. You have Eddie Redmayne playing an utterly goofy, uncoordinated kitten (I couldn't see him as anything other than a clumsy kitten for some reason) and this gorgeous woman spots him across a crowded room and wants to know more about him? Then you think that he will win her over with his intelligence but instead of clicking right away they have awkward conversation and disagree about religion, which seems fairly important to her. So why are they a fated pair, exactly? I know it's a real story, but somehow they didn't make me feel it.
Once the film digs into the realities of his disease and the full scope of her level of commitment, the story becomes more than just sentimental. I enjoyed the way they explored the balance between commitment and burden in their relationship and celebrated the strength of character required of these two people to build an amazing life together (and apart) despite impossible odds.
The acting is great throughout (kitten Eddie, notwithstanding), the film making choices are solid and even though the music seemed heavy handed in the early part of the film, I grew to like the score. I was impressed by a solid ending, something that seems so difficult to achieve in a biopic. Maybe it was easier to end, because it didn't have to handle his death. It is a fine film, but not the best picture, for me.
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