By JIM LUKSIC
The Progress
The new Holocaust-related drama One Life is a true story (aren’t they all?) chronicled in the book If It’s Not Impossible: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton, written by the hero’s daughter Barbara.
This isn’t a contrived depiction of Nazi-infested Europe: In fact, the focus of director James Hawes and co-screenwriters Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake – like that of its source material – is London-based broker Nicholas Winton, who found a higher calling in Prague circa 1938.
Anthony Hopkins portrays the savior as a senior, shown living with dutiful wife Grete (Lena Olin), who advises Winton to “let go of the past for your sake.” She refers to the pack rat’s countless boxes, files, and well-traveled briefcase, the last of which contains the names and photos of European children separated from family members by Hitler’s foot soldiers.
As Grete suddenly takes a solo trip, Winton stays home and – while clearing the clutter and burning old documents – reflects on his youth as an enterprising, energetic good samaritan.
That means it’s time for standard flashback sequences: Our protagonist (Johnny Flynn as the younger version of Winton) learns of the forlorn kids – many of whom are Jewish – and has an epiphany to pair them with parents in “safe” locations at the onset of World War II.
Meanwhile, the young man’s mother (Helena Bonham Carter) raises justifiable concerns about Nicholas’ fate in besieged Czechoslovakia, though she ultimately lends a hand. All told, Winton and his assistants saved the lives of more than 600 souls.
Most of One Life’s stock characters are fleshed-out to an adequate degree as time warrants; the picture’s economical 1 hour and 50 minutes saunter along, capped by its rewarding climax and bow-tied finale.
Hopkins, as is often the case with his refined dramas (foremost The Remains of the Day), was impeccably cast – to the point of Winton’s son reportedly saying the actor’s portrayal is spot-on.
Director James Hawes has lined up a deep bench of supporting players: Olin, the longtime Swedish character actress who made her mark in The Unbearable Lightness of Being; Carter, no stranger to British drama but also a favorite of whimsical filmmaker Tim Burton; and veteran Jonathan Pryce, whose one scene here serves as a reminder of how effortlessly valuable the actor can be.
The performers return the favor by imbuing their scenes with dignity and pathos, though the doting, reactionary wife often comes across as paper-thin.
Hawes and crew overdo it with tear-jerking bits and swelling musical cues, but One Life is a commendable tribute to a humanitarian mission – and its ties to modern-day world conflicts can’t be overstated.
