One Life

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.

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?

The story of Nicholas Winton, who saved hundreds of children from the Nazis just before the start of WW2 by organising trains from Czechoslovakia to the UK, is very much a story worth telling, especially as he was essentially a modest hero, one who didn't even think he deserved recognition, which makes his story all the more moving as it unfolds in flashback from late 70s Britain as Winton, superbly portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, remembers the events of the late 1930s.

Of course, there have been so many WW2 dramas over the years, so I felt the pre-war scenes do somewhat lack tension and a certain freshness, but good direction and succinct writing do calmly and absorbingly set the scene, explaining those earlier events well, but we also follow the way that 40 years later the heroic efforts of Winton and his colleagues were finally revealed and celebrated, ultimately making it a truly moving and revealing film. Perhaps, considering how things look today, it's also a reminder of how good really can triumph over evil and cynicism, and it's finally a superb tribute to a remarkable man.

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.