Oscars 2015: Ranking The Best Picture Nominees From Worst To Best

4. The Theory Of Everything

A biopic of Stephen Hawking detailing his first marriage and his well known physical affliction. Could The Theory Of Everything sound any more like a film conceived to be a big bother come awards season? However, that it's a quintessentially typical Oscar contender shouldn't let you overlook the simple fact that it's a brilliant movie; not only a celebration of the man who inspired it, the film is an engaging story with a point to make beyond "wasn't he great?" In the hands of James Marsh, who stands as one of Britain's most versatile filmmakers, having previously made affecting documentaries Man On Wire and Project Nim, as well as the underrated Shadow Dancer, the usual real-life adaptation/young romance tropes become something fresh and joyous, with the film never getting lazy and falling back onto the proficiency of the surprisingly subtle central performances. Like The Imitation Game, which also chronicles the professional and personal life of a British genius and thus can be treated as a companion piece, there's some divergences from the true events, but while there it felt like an attempt to downplay the more shocking elements, here it's to accentuate the broader themes of the difficulties of marriage and the malleability of love. In terms of its road to the Oscars, there's not much more to comment about The Theory Of Everything. It sounded like an Oscar movie and happily wound up being incredible - of course it was going to get recognition.