L'Homme qui défiait l'infini

"The Man Who Knew Infinity" is a very unlikely film for me to love. After all, the film is about a brilliant Indian mathematician who I never heard about and lacks most of the usual story elements I look forward to seeing in a movie. And yet, inexplicably, I found myself loving the picture and recommend you give it a try. It's just debuted on DVD and is also available through Netflix.

The film begins in India just before WWI. A poor man with little education, Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel), has apparently taught himself advanced mathematics....and I am not just talking about Algebra and Geometry. It seems this man somehow naturally understood numbers in a way very, very have ever done and today he's seen as one of the foremost men in the field...ever! This film is about his life just before his work was discovered as well as his time spent at Cambridge, working with the famous mathematics professor, G.H. Hardy (Jeremy Irons). The film covers the prejudices Ramanujan encountered as well as the initial difficulty getting folks to even consider that he could be right when it came to his theories.

I know my very brief description sounds very dull...but somehow it isn't. Somehow, the writing, acting and the entire production screams quality and manages to be quite entertaining as well as uplifting. It's also nice to see Dev Patel in yet another excellent film, as this young man seems to have a real knack for picking film projects (such as his appearing in "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Chappie"). As for Irons, he is, as usual, amazing...as is Toby Jones. A very, very strange film....and I mean that in the most positive of ways. Do yourself a favor and give this one a try.

"The Man Who Knew Infinity" is a Biography - Drama movie in which we watch the true story of the Indian mathematician, Srinivasa Ramanujan. His story starts in Mandras a city in India where he makes his first steps in mathematics while searching for a job and goes until he arrives in Cambridge and starts working there. He faces many difficulties and makes some friendships such as with Professor G.H. Hardy who was also his mentor.

I liked this movie very much because it was a true story of a person who suffered a lot, facing any difficulties but eventually succeeded in his field. The direction which was made by Matt Brown was very good and I believe that the combination he made between the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan in India and what he sacrificed in order to go to England with the life that he was expecting before arriving in England and what he actually lived there was a very good idea. I enjoyed also the interpretation of Dev Patel who played as Srinivasa Ramanujan and for one more time, he was very good at it. Other interpretations that were very good and have to be mentioned are Jeremy Irons who played as Professor G.H. Hardy and Toby Jones who played as Littlewood.

To sum up, I believe that "The Man Who Knew Infinity" is a beautiful movie with a great plot based on an incredible person and pioneer in mathematics. I strongly recommend everyone to watch it because it's a life lesson from which everybody will gain something by watching it. Never stop dreaming and never stop fighting for something you love.

Just saw "The Man Who Knew Infinity" at The Sun Valley Film Festival. So happy to see quality films make their US premiere in Sun Valley. Kudos to the non profit group. Must see movie with outstanding story, production and casting led by J. Irons. Independent films like these deserve to be seen & noticed. Opens NY/LA late April. Superb direction from Matt Brown with incredible sets and locations, especially location at Trinity College. Thought about the diversity issue facing the Academy and after seeing this movie, realized it was an issue for a brilliant mind like the lead against the English back in the day. The effort it took to make this film on a tight budget with incredible locations is a credit to the entire crew!

An important film; cleverly mixing a love story with the equally deep themes of moral obligations on privilege to raise those without. At first I was concerned I would not be able to disassociate Dev Patel from the role on Marigold Hotel, but after a few lines which sounded too contemporary, he improved significantly.

Jeremy Irons was captivating and the other roles adequately developed. The direction, pace, setting, wardrobe, story, score -all hold the attention.

When I watched it, at the end, the audience applauded. In fact at the end of it, one wishes it could last longer - craving more.

It's amazing how much like mathematics this film is. It is strikingly formulaic and everything in it obeys strict laws and forms tight patterns. Ramanujan may have reached for the sky without due process but this film certainly doesn't. Still, his story is a great one and elements of a very human struggle remain. It's the usual stuff in terms of plot, characterization and emotional manipulation but one would be a hard nut indeed if one wasn't touched by it at all. Of the two main parts, though, it is Jeremy Irons' Professor Hardy (who fought against the paradoxically quite brainless prejudices of The University of Cambridge) who comes across most strongly. One warms, too, to Toby Jones' Littlewood