This year’s A Beautiful Mind (minus the intrigue/personality disorder)/ Good Will Hunting (minus the douchebag), The Man Who Knew Infinity raises some important questions like

Why are genius films mostly about Math? Can anyone prove, once and for all, that Dev Patel is the most likeable actor this generation? What is up with South Asian mothers-in-law, man?

Plot Summary

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a lowly, math-obsessed clerk (Dev Patel) in Madras, India, has a theory. But he has no qualifications, no proofs, just formulas that come to him, and they’re good. So good that he’s invited to Cambridge to work on them with leading mathematician professor G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons). In India he is a poor man with nothing but his love for numbers and his love for his wife; In England he is a poor man with nothing in his life besides his math. Plus, he’s an obvious outsider in snotty Cambridge, that’s a trial in itself, nevermind the circus that is academia and publishing.

Likeable, believable cast

Dev Patel is adorable, whether he’s geeking out about math in a Cambridge lecture or in awe of the mathematical beauty of sand on a beach in India, he has an earnestness and sincerity that makes him an easy character to root for. Newcomer Devika Bhise, playing his wife, Janaki, is a gem too, irrepressibly pure and virtuous, an ideal of a woman loving from afar. Sweet, docile, and long-suffering, Janaki tolerates living with his mother in Ramanujan’s absence, a bitter, uncharitable woman who clearly doesn’t like her daughter-in-law very much.

Jeremy Irons’ H.G. Hardy can barely make eye contact with Ramanujan, not at first, which makes him totally believable as a reclusive academic. His colleagues Littlewood (Toby Jones) and Bertrand Russell (Jeremy Northam) were thoroughly enjoyable as Ramanujan’s occasional champions. Irons’ reserved performance resonates well, and adds a dimension of sadness, loss and regret to a solid, inspirational drama.

Verdict – a simple, visually interesting film with heart

A well-paced with solid story telling. Cutting back and from between England and India, it allows audiences to soak up the delicious contrast in colour and location between the two ends of the empire, effectively conveying the stark difference between the worlds – the lovers are truly worlds apart.

The Man Who Knew Infinity explores rich themes like destiny, religion, love, perseverance and self-belief. It invites audiences to bask in some kind of wonderment, at the magic and beauty of math. It is a story of longing and self-belief, and sacrifice for what you love. There really is only space for one big love in your life. You must be ready to give up everything for it, because that may be what is asked of you.

Let us know if you enjoyed The Man Who Knew Infinity as much as we did! Get your tickets on Popcorn!