One Life (2023) Dir: James Hawes
Instagram post:
The story of Nicholas Winton is an extraordinary one, which I was so pleased to see being told. I am certain a lot of you will know the very famous television clip which features Winton, even if you are not so familiar with the man. Thankfully, director James Hawes decided to dramatise the true story of the man and his compatriots.
The film is very composed and dignified, which aligned very well with its star. The pacing was pretty gentle, which I didn't mind, although the first twenty minutes were maybe a little too slow. I think that maybe that was a lot to do with the writing, which was a tad empty-feeling initially, although this was not a persistent issue.
One of the best components of the film was the use of the excellent soundtrack, composed by Volker Bertelmann, which elevated the emotion and allowed the performances of the actors to flourish that much more. I was especially impressed with the use of strings in the final thirty minutes - it was very effective, in conjunction with the climax of the film.
I think the narrative was well-constructed, and balanced the "past" and the "present" very nicely, which meant we got a good deal of each part of the story. I really appreciated that Hawes knew when to take his time, and when to speed things up a little, those opening minutes aside perhaps.
Sir Anthony Hopkins gave what felt like one of the most genuine and graceful performances of his legendary career. He brought tears to my eyes with the depth of emotion he was able to create. In short, I found him utterly transfixing. He gave the film a profound sense of humanity, and did a great service and justice to the man he was portraying.
I thought Johnny Flynn did very well to emulate some of the mannerisms of Hopkins, whilst also forging his own performance, which was unique enough to feel like him, without contradicting that of his older-self. I think the writing of his dialogue could have been a little stronger, but the performance of Flynn was sound.
The supporting cast had three very commendable performances in particular, namely those of the icon Helena Bonham Carter, Lena Olin and Alex Sharp. It should come as little surprise, to know that Bonham Carter was a highlight, considering her immense ability. I adored Olin and her character, I thought she was absolutely wonderful. As for Sharp, I think he is becoming something of an underrated actor - he was certainly well worth his minutes here.
I will also give very quick mentions to the likes of Jonathon Pryce, Romola Garai and Ziggy Heath, for their small but confident performances in the supporting cast. I was particularly happy to see Pryce, whose appearance was wonderfully composed.
Overall, this was a lovely first watch of the year, as well as a first trip to the cinema of the year. I found it to be remarkably heartwrenching at times, and the performance of Hopkins in particular was just magnificent. I was very happy to have watched this one - I think it was a very well-presented and told story.
댓글