One Life

Anthony Hopkins excels in the lead role, showing he's still magnetic well into his 80s and he's ably supported by Johnny Flynn playing him as a younger man and it's good to see Lena Olin again on the screen, playing his wife.

It's a solid drama that will appeal to the same target audience that made The Great Escaper,Operation Mincemeat,Dirty Little Letters etc popular; the older generation- and there's nothing wrong with, at least their going to the movies!

I knew about the Kindertransport but not fully; this film dutifully tells the story and it has the same level of tension that Munich: The Edge of War had ,countries being invaded as a set up to tell humane stories.

The classic TV recreation on' This Life' was well done and moving.

The true story of Sir Nicholas Winton, who was responsible for evacuating over 600 children from Czechoslovakia, which was on the verge of Nazi invasion.

This is a truly outstanding film, one of the best I've seen in a while, for my shame I had no idea if Nicholas Winton's story until this film, it promoted me to dig deeper, what a fascinating, brave man.

Beautifully produced, and not just the visuals, of course it looked amazing, but the tone and feel of the movie was perfect. At times I honestly felt like I was watching something by Stephen Poliakoff, someone who truly does know how to move the viewers.

BBC films, proof that The BBC still has the ability to deliver incredible quality, when it focuses on actual storytelling, this was like something made from yesteryear.

Sir Anthony Hopkins delivers yet another masterclass, his scenes at the That's Life studio were incredible, Hopkins was matched by an equally captivating performance from Johnny Flynn, fabulous.

Intensely moving, I saw many tears at the cinema, a very powerful story, a true act of selfless bravery.

Wonderful.

10/10.

Set against the backdrop of the rising Nazi threat in 1938, "One Life" tells the true story of Nicholas Winton, a young British stockbroker who embarks on a daring mission. Driven by a sense of humanity, Winton orchestrates the Kindertransport, rescuing hundreds of Jewish children from Czechoslovakia and bringing them to safety in Britain. The film weaves through time, showcasing the immediate impact of Winton's actions on the rescued children as well as the decades of silence that followed as Winton kept his heroic deeds under wraps. (Bard AI)

One Life is an amazing story that I certainly had never heard about before. It's disappointing that it is told in such a conventional style. The story of Nicholas Winton follows a somewhat predictable trajectory, with occasional tropes we have seen in many wartime dramas. Despite this, Anthony Hopkins, who plays the older Nicholas Winton, and Helena Bonham Carter, who plays Babette Winton, both put in moving, nuanced performances that bring Winton's story alive.

As we know from other wartime stories, the power of individual action in the face of incredible adversity is staggering. The fear and desperation of the child refugees is effectively portrayed, along with heartwarming moments of hope and resilience. In a story like this, the moral ambiguities, the deep resources of courage, and the profound weight of responsibility gave me plenty to think about even after the credits rolled.

There were several things that detracted from the quality of the film. Pacing was a bit of a problem. Some parts of the story felt rushed, and other parts could have done with some tighter editing. The cinematography, while providing an evocative backdrop for the story, never really had the emotional weight needed for this sort of story. Some scenes bordered on being excessively sentimental, which, at times, diminished the authenticity of the movie. Some supporting characters could have done with some deeper development and backstories, and there needed to be a more balanced presentation of the story's two timelines so we could better understand the young and older versions of Winton.

While One Life isn't groundbreaking, it is well made and is a valuable reminder and tribute to an extraordinary man of courage. The strengths outweigh the flaws, making it worthwhile to watch for all ages (except very young children because of the mature themes). And Winton's story makes us question whether heroism is more about big deeds or small acts of bravery. One day, each of us may be called on to be heroic, and One Life provides us with an opportunity to think about how we might choose to act in those situations. Will we have the courage to help out in the small ways that can make a big difference?

All One Life has to do to honour its true story is tell it with care and competency and that's exactly what it does. This is a deeply affecting story of selfless people who did everything they could to save as many people as possible whilst others just ignored what was going on.

Anthony Hopkins is on terrific form here. He embodies the selflessness effortlessly and brings a heartbreaking sense of defeat, focusing on what he could've done rather than what he achieved. He's also one of the rare actors who can make you cry by bringing on the waterworks, when he cries you cry.

In the flashbacks Johnny Flynn is an extremely convincing younger version of Hopkins with that same desire to always do more. Helena Bonham Carter gets a loveable role supporting Flynn with a stern determination and refusal to take no for an answer.

James Hawes directs with a level of technical competency that's designed to go unnoticed. The production value is reminiscent of a high end BBC production, which is obviously very fitting and the pacing is really strong. Undoubtedly helped by spending the majority of the time in the flashbacks which are rife with tension.

I've been on a bit of a spree of Jewish themed films of late, trying to inject a bit of hope in between the inevitable darkness. Going from Shoah to Yentl and The Zone of Interest to One Life, which I think will likely bridge the horror with some lasting positivity... hopefully. I say this, as like many, I'm aware of Nicolas Winton from his appearance on That's Life! A stunning piece of television that will stick with anyone who remembers it being broadcast. I was very young though and I'm sure there's more to the story than I recall. Winton was a man who saw what the Nazis were up to, whilst many were covering their eyes and was moved to do something. That something was the Kindertransport or more accurately an extension of it. One Life is based on his true story and it doesn't shy on the details. We first meet an older Nicolas (Anthony Hopkins), doddering perhaps, slowing down a little but still motivated to help. Haunted by his past. You don't unsee the things he's seen. As he stares into a darkened window, we drift back to the 30s, where he's played by Johnny Flynn, trying to convince his mother (Helena Bonham Carter) that it's a good idea for him to travel to Czechoslovakia to help the refugees from the advancing Nazis. Flynn not only portrays Winton magnificently, he also feels perfectly in step with Hopkins. He's a bit of a chameleon. Nicolas though isn't on the surface. He's a well to do stockbroker. A desk man. Head in paperwork type. The harsh Prague winter is not what he was prepared for, but he learns quickly that without help, these displaced people have been forgotten by the system. The British government is not helping Czechoslovakians. When Nicolas is quizzed as to his motives, what skin he has in the game. His response is gripping. Heartfelt, unwavering, determined and spine tingling. The scenes of people saying goodbye at train stations, children with numbers on cardboard around their necks are intercut with the bureaucracy that Nicolas, friends and his mother navigate with steely determination as a score of thick string and piano laden melancholy fills the score. It's this drive/melancholy that defines Nicolas. The drive is his nature, the melancholy what he's left with when there's time think. It's this time that dictates older Nicolas's life. He realises there's sadly still a lesson to be learnt. This timeline isn't perhaps as fraught and terrifying, but it's what lead to that TV moment, this film and Anthony Hopkins reducing me to tears. The pace is kept up by jumping between Hopkins and Flynn in the eras of his life, where although some things have changed, the focus hasn't. It's not an easy watch, amazing as it is what they're doing, as Babi Winton (Bonham Carter) says "Nicky, you must know you can't save them all". What a world we live in. Where this happened and still the danger persists. Thank god for people like Nicolas Winton. A magnificent story brought about by the evil that people are capable of.