One Life

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/one-life-bfi-london-film-festival-review-a-must-watch-important-wwii-story/ "One Life is yet another important story from WWII that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Despite not breaking genre barriers, it unfolds its narrative in a captivating manner, packed with devastating, bittersweet moments, but also filled with wonderful depictions of altruism, humanitarian sacrifice, and hope, culminating in a powerfully cathartic ending that serves as an ideal tribute to Sir Nicholas Winton. The cast carries the weight of the responsibility of the rescue mission with grounded care, relying on the legendary Anthony Hopkins to bear the explosion of the accumulated emotion. Beautifully edited, tear-inducing score... simply a must-watch." Rating: A-

Johnny Flynn performs quite well here as the young stockbroker Nicholas Winton who arrives in Prague just as the Nazis annexe the Sudetenland. He is horrified by the child poverty that he sees and decides, perhaps naively, to work with his British Refugee Council colleagues to try and expedite their removal to a safer and altogether earthier environment. Fortunately, his mother Babette (Helena Bonham Carter), herself from immigrant stock, is no slouch when it comes to doorstepping officials in Whitehall and soon has convinced the authorities to agree a fast-track mechanism that will enable him to get the children back to the UK provided they have guaranteed foster homes and the fairly massive sum of £50 as a guarantee. He returns to London and a massive public awareness/fundraising campaign ensues - as do eight trains carrying over six hundred children to safety. We are told this story via a series of flashbacks from the modern day Winton (Sir Anthony Hopkins) who now lives peacefully with his wife Greta (Lena Olin) in Berkshire. He is perusing a scrapbook he has left in a drawer for forty-odd years in which he has photographs and details of many of those passengers on the "Kinder" trains. His friend from back then (Jonathan Pryce) manages to put him in touch with Betty Maxwell - the wife of the wealthy publisher Robert, and next thing he is on British television's most popular "That's Life" programme that regularly reached 18 million people on a Sunday evening. This appearance poignantly introduces him to one survivor, his next sees that snowball into some sixty or so who owed their life and liberty to the efforts of Winton and his colleagues - whom he is always very clear to ensure are never forgotten. I recall watching this programme back in the day and the dramatisation is no less moving than the original broadcast. Sir Anthony offers us a considered performance - demonstrating a shy family man who rejects the trappings of fuss and celebrity because he sees his behaviour as nothing special. Doing the right thing. His efforts are touching and understated and nicely dovetail with the rather pushy and forthright Bonham Carter fighting tooth and nail against red tape in 1939. As an insight to Nazi tyranny it also works subtly. We see very little actual violence, but we see a squalor and hopelessness that robs the soul of hope as depressingly as the situation robs their stomachs of food. The film looks good and is sparingly scripted allowing our own imagination to do much of the thinking here.

A touching picture featuring Anthony Hopkins. 'One Life' is 'Schindler's List'-esque, though perhaps more of a grounded portrayal of such events without the proper Hollywood-ness drama that that aforementioned flick holds; no hate on that sensational Steven Spielberg production by any means, it's a far better film in fact. This 2023 release is very hearty though, one of those movies where it is impossible not to care for the people onscreen. There are plenty of emotional scenes that touch the feels, with one involving Hopkins right at the end particularly hitting. That man is excellent throughout, as expected. Johnny Flynn impresses too, he is just as important here as the Welshman. Helena Bonham Carter is a little underused, especially given she's on the cover, but very good. Neat to see Jonathan Pryce appear, also. I actually remember seeing that real 'That's Life!' clip randomly on YouTube many years back and I didn't realise until just before it's portrayed here that it was reenacting that exact moment. Whether you watch this film or not, that video is truly a must-watch.

For some of us, there’s no stopping when it comes to seeing through on a mission of vital importance. So it was in 1938, when a dedicated English stockbroker selflessly enabled the successful escape of 669 children (mostly Jewish) from Prague not long after the Third Reich “annexed” Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland region, the first step toward Germany’s invasion of the country and the eventual onset of World War II. British-born Nicholas Winton (Anthony Hopkins), the descendant of German Jewish ancestors, and members of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia both on the ground and in London worked tirelessly against seemingly impossible odds to facilitate the youngsters’ flight to freedom. In particular, Winton’s younger self (Johnny Flynn) and his determined mother (Helena Bonham Carter) battled a reluctant British bureaucracy, intolerant prejudicial attitudes and border-crossing obstacles to arrange protective train transport across Europe to secure the safety of the young refugees. But, for all of Winton’s successes, he felt remorse that he was unable to do more, especially when he looked back on what he accomplished 40 years after the fact. Thankfully, his efforts didn’t go unnoticed, at last receiving the recognition for what he did, earning him the gratitude of the survivors and the honors of a grateful nation, in essence becoming the UK’s counterpart to Oskar Schindler. Director James Hawes tells a compelling story in his debut feature film, though the execution, regrettably, could use some shoring up, especially in the film’s sluggishly paced, overly talky and occasionally meandering opening half. The picture’s back end, however, considerably makes up for these deficiencies, evoking genuine, well-earned, heartfelt emotions, qualities that could have made for a better release overall if they had been employed more fully earlier on. This is largely made possible by the powerful performances of Hopkins, Flynn, Bonham Carter and a host of supporting players, along with fine period piece production values. “One Life” ultimately delivers a message that we could all stand to hear more often, not only in supporting monumental undertakings like those depicted here, but also in being giving of ourselves in general, no matter how great or small the efforts or ventures might be. The world would certainly be a better place for doing so – and for the work of the Nicholas Wintons that reside within all of us.