Enormously engaging and solidly appealing, Farhad Safinia tells a story of words, friendship, and redemption in "The Professor and the Madman." It is a film crafted with soulful performances, satisfying attention to detail, and a grand focus on universal themes.
Taking place in late 19th century England, "The Professor and the Madman" recounts the relationship between Professor James Murray, the linguist compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, and Dr. William Minor, an institutionalized murderer whose work assists Murray's Herculean task. It is a layered, history-based story that pays equal attention to the bonds of its characters and the events-dictated plot.
The richness of its story is matched by the richness of its cinema as Safinia constructs an evenly paced work that…