Dev Patel stars as a math genius who travels from his humble home in India to work with his mentor at Cambridge (Jeremy Irons). This true story is worth telling, but the film is relentlessly bleak. He struggles to overcome racism, the scorn of other academics and separation from his wife, but some brightness would have added much-needed contrast. Patel does a commendable job in his most demanding role to date. Irons is also fine. It’s just that the dismal suffering dominates the film and, despite some career success and ultimately respect, it’s an endlessly dreary biography.
(2.5 / 5)