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The Man Who Knew Infinity
2016 108 min United Kingdom, United States of America PG-13 18+
★7.0
Drama, History
Director: Matt Brown
📖 Based on the novel
«The Man Who Knew Infinity»
byRobert Kanigel
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Growing up poor in Madras, India, Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar earns admittance to Cambridge University during WWI, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories with the guidance of his professor, G.H. Hardy.
US Gross:
$3.87M
Worldwide:
$11.47M
Starring
Dev Patel
Actor
Jeremy Irons
Actor
Malcolm Sinclair
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2017
— Best Blu-ray/DVD Edition
Key opinion
The Man Who Knew Infinity is a sincere, well-acted biographical drama that successfully humanizes the abstract world of mathematics. While some critics feel it lacks the narrative punch of comparable films like The Imitation Game, it is generally praised for its respectful tone, authentic period atmosphere, and the powerful chemistry between its leads.
| Acting | Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons deliver powerful, nuanced performances that anchor the film's emotional core. | |
| Accessibility | The film succeeds in making complex mathematical concepts accessible and engaging by framing them as a form of artistic, spiritual expression. | |
| Direction | Director Matt Brown captures an authentic early 20th-century British scientific atmosphere while avoiding the kitsch often found in the biopic genre. | |
| Theme | The narrative strikes a strong chord by highlighting themes of cultural prejudice, scholarly envy, and the personal cost of pursuing genius. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the storytelling approach are split: some find the contemplative, wave-like pacing to be hypnotic and sincere, while others feel the plot is too simple or inferior to more dramatic counterparts like A Beautiful Mind. |