Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Film i by so ballo
Eddie and Felicity’s ta
The romance at the heart of The Aeronauts may be a load of hot air, but film bosses are hoping the on-screen chemistry between Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones will win over audiences once more.
Eddie won an Oscar last time he starred with Felicity in another (almost) true-life tale, The Theory of Everything.
This time they reunite for the gripping tale of Victorian daredevil balloonists and their record-breaking flight to the edge of the atmosphere.
In the movie, the pair fall in love as they face disaster in the heavens.
But filmmakers are facing a barrage of criticism from historians. There was no groping in the gondola between the real adventurers, who were men.
The true hero has been airbrushed from history for the sake of romance.
The film is based on meteorologist James Glaisher who, on September 5, 1862, made a record-breaking balloon flight with balloonist Henry Coxwell.
Eddie, 37, plays Glaisher but Coxwell has been replaced by “lady adventurer” Amelia Wren, played by Felicity, 36.
Head of Collections at the Royal Society Keith Moore explains: “I think they just got rid of Coxwell because they wanted a romantic lead.
“They simply decided it would be a good idea to shoehorn in a romantic interest, which is a shame because in itself it’s a fabulous story.
“There are so many great stories of Victorian women scientists they could have written films about. It’s annoying.”
Keith says filmmakers have taken liberties with Eddie’s character too.
“Glaisher wasn’t a youngster. He was born in 1809 and the flight was in 1862, so he’d had a very long and active life.”
Keith is eager to pay homage to Coxwell’s achievements. “He had a really adventurous life that would be a great story,” he says. “He flew in locations in and around Europe and America.
“In 1847 a balloon got torn and he managed to convert what was left into something resembling a parachute, so they could come down to earth safely.
“He was someone who thought on his feet. That made him a good guy in an emergency.”
Disaster struck during the flight featured in the new film when Glaisher passed out and Coxwell had to save their lives by releasing a broken valve.
The balloon rose to 36,000ft… to 37,000ft… the mystery remains as the instruments failed in the