Directed by:
James HawesScreenplay:
Lucinda CoxonCinematography:
Zac NicholsonComposer:
Volker BertelmannCast:
Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Lena Olin, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, Romola Garai, Alex Sharp, Marthe Keller, Samuel Finzi, Michael Gould (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
One Life tells the inspiring true story of Sir Nicholas ‘Nicky’ Winton, whose unsung endeavours on the eve of World War II saved more than 600 children from their doom at the hands of the Nazis. Nicky considered himself a banker, not a humanitarian. Yet when he visited a recently annexed Prague in 1938 and saw the state of the fleeing Jewish refugees, he did what he believed was the right thing to do - the thing that anyone would do - and dedicated himself to the cause. War was approaching, and it was a race against time. How many children could he liberate before it ran out?
Fifty years later, it’s 1988 and Nicky is haunted by the fate of the children he wasn’t able to help. And so it’s not until he’s surprised by the survivors on live television that he can accept that when facing devastating atrocities, saving even one life is a victory, and the British public learn the truth about the hero hidden in their midst.
(Transmission Films)
Reviews (2)
With films like One Life, it is often difficult to separate the importance of the story from the art of getting it right. Here, however, I don't have much of a problem with that. The film doesn't aim for the easy stuff, it presents things in a complex way, and when it hits the emotional notes with all the force it deserves. Moreover, when Anthony Hopkins' character is confronted with the agonizing truth about the fate of the people he failed to save, he doesn't launch into a heartfelt self-pitying monologue, he doesn't try to cheaply impress the viewer, instead he walks to the window and gazes out at the landscape. Nuance plays a role. Hopkins reaffirms his reputation as one of the finest actors working today, and he's also excellent and captivating, even if he only has half the film at his disposal. And Johnny Flynn ably seconds him. It's just that the Czech actors stick out like a sore thumb at times with their performances. I deliberately put that aside.
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Who doesn't know the story of Nicholas Winton, who, in collaboration with other determined people, managed to save the lives of 669 children? One Life is essentially a simple film in terms of story, with a clear structure that purposefully alternates between two time periods separated by half a century, but it is that story that makes the film an incredibly powerful and moving experience, enhanced by convincing performances and a spot-on cast. Czech viewers will appreciate, among other things, the Prague locations and the many Czech phrases heard in the film. In the end, the film may seem a bit melodramatic, but it barely underlines the modesty of an "ordinary" man who did extraordinary things.
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