![]() ![]() Like many ‘based on true events’ movies, The Man Who Knew Infinity puts words into characters’ mouths that they may never have spoken, and moves incidents around, for emphasis or artistic reasons. They are deep but simple formulae that relate infinite sums to products, and could well be part of the backdrop of mathematical equations on the movie poster! I first became aware of Ramanujan some twenty years ago, because of the Rogers-Ramanujan identities (and their generalisations) that play an important part in the exact solution of models in statistical mechanics and made their way into my PhD thesis. ![]() Find him online at /joshterryreviews.This movie is based on the book of the samename by Robert Kanigel (which I have read), and I think also the reminiscences of Hardy about Ramanujan (which I have not). Joshua Terry is a freelance writer and photojournalist who appears weekly on "The KJZZ Movie Show" and also teaches English composition for Salt Lake Community College. “The Man Who Knew Infinity” is rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and smoking running time: 108 minutes. Patel and Irons are well cast in their respective roles, and Toby Jones is also enjoyable as Professor Littlewood, one of Hardy’s longtime colleagues who is called away to serve in the military.Īt one point, Hardy observes that Ramanujan “has been alone in (his) mind (his) whole life.” It’s a fascinating idea to think about and an effective way to describe a real-life character who struggled to combine talent and hard work into a transcendent result. As it examines Ramanujan and Hardy’s relationship, “Infinity” works to reconcile the relationship of religion and science, rather than reduce it to an either-or fallacy. “Infinity” is not so much a film about good and evil as it is about flawed individuals learning to fill in the gaps of their own understanding. You wouldn’t expect a film about mathematics to wrestle so transparently with the nature or existence of God, yet director Matthew Brown (who also wrote the screenplay) has brought out the divinity in Ramanujan’s story. The sum of the effort is a sincere film that offers insight in surprising areas. And once war arrives in England, it casts a shadow over everything Ramanujan and his peers are trying to accomplish. Ramanujan’s mother has never supported his marriage to Janaki and interferes with their correspondence. But Ramanujan is young, impatient and idealistic and struggles to put in what he sees as busy work when God has given him such a natural gift. The professor is a cold and logical atheist, a veteran academic who insists that his understudy provide the proof behind his work to give it accountability. “Infinity’s” main conflict is built around the mentor-student relationship between Ramanujan and Hardy. His hope is to publish his groundbreaking work and eventually bring Janaki to England, but he quickly learns that talent alone is not enough to bring success. He struggles to earn enough money to support his young wife Janaki (Devika Bhise), and the seasoned academics he aspires to join in England are unwilling to trust the abilities of what they see as a lowly Indian.īut eventually Ramanujan secures passage to London and begins work under professor G.H. Ramanujan’s knack for advanced mathematics is uncanny, and his work is groundbreaking, yet it seems to come from pure inspiration.ĭespite his obvious talent, Ramanujan must overcome various cultural pressures to follow his passion. We join his story in the early 20th century, shortly before the outbreak of World War I. The young man is Srinivasa Ramanujan (Dev Patel), an uneducated math whiz in India. “Infinity” is a story about love, adversity and passion, and at its heart is a gifted young man who sees God and art in the most unlikely of subjects. But the discipline isn’t hidden in the background either. “Infinity” isn’t exactly two hours of someone writing formulas on a chalkboard. Math is seldom the most popular or exciting subject in school, yet “The Man Who Knew Infinity” has turned the life story of a real-life mathematician into a moving and touching drama. “THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY” - 3½ stars - Jeremy Irons, Dev Patel, Toby Jones, Stephen Fry, Jeremy Northam PG-13 (thematic elements and smoking) in general release ![]()
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