R.I.P. Johan Johansson (1969-2018)

Johan Johansson

On February 9, 2018, composer Johan Johansson passed away at the age of 48 in Berlin, Germany. To some, he was known as an Icelandic musician who composed a mix of traditional music with electronic accompaniment. To the world of film, he was known for his work on films like The Theory of Everything, and several Denis Villeneuve movies such as Prisoners, Sicario, and Arrival. He received two Oscar nominations for his work, which managed to mix the ethereal with classical compositions in a way that captured the mood of the film. He was considered to be one of the best modern composers and leaves behind an enviable body of work. In his short legacy, he leaves behind an incredible body of work that shows the power of music in film better than most people.

Birthday Take: Eddie Redmayne in "The Theory of Everything" (2014)

Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Review: "The Theory of Everything" Excels in Greatness Despite Conventional Structure

Left to right: Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones

This is a movie that shouldn't work. Everything about it is heavily documented and the zeitgeist-heavy presence of Stephen Hawking gives us every detail that we need. The famed scientist, played here by Eddie Redmayne, overcame a lot of obstacles, fell in love and won the hearts of scientists internationally. Still, with his Lou Gherig's Disease, there's something deeper in the character. There is something more refined and fascinating that keeps director James Marsh's The Theory of Everything from being a sentimental, disposable biopic in which nothing particularly shocking happens. True, everything down to the iconic voice box gets explored in the film. However, like the best of biopics, the struggles and stories are all surface level for a more universal subtext with something that compels. In this case, it is the balance between work and love, health and sanity, even science and religion. For a protagonist who is bound to a wheelchair for most of the two hour running time, the film manages to capture something more powerful about how we perceive our world.

"The Theory of Everything" Joins the Oscar Race After Successful Debut at TIFF

Left to right: Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones

Here's the truth. When I initially saw a trailer for director James Marsh's The Theory of Everything, I wasn't impressed. It looked like a cheap biopic of Stephen Hawking that wasn't really called for. In fact, the trailer was kind of cliche and boring. Even if Eddie Redmayne was solid in Les Miserables, he wasn't my favorite part. Yet I have been mistaken and this has become quickly a film to watch out for. After premiering at Toronto International Film Festival, the Oscar Buzz is sparking again with a surprise, out of nowhere candidate.