February 12, 2025

ONE LIFE (2023) – Saved by Anthony Hopkins

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

one life

This image released by Bleecker Street shows Anthony Hopkins in a scene from "One Life." (Peter Mountain/Bleecker Street via AP)

One Life tells the remarkable true story about Nicky Winton, a young British broker who was instrumental in successfully rescuing over 600 children from Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia during the months leading up to the start of World War 2. When the film begins, we see an already elderly Winton (played by Anthony Hopkins) some 40 years later living a quiet life in England. He is however still haunted by the memories of the war and the children, many of whom were Jews, that he failed to rescue in time.

The film soon shifts the narration to an extended flashback sequence that follows a young Winton (played by Johnny Flynn) who volunteer to help in Prague and find himself engulfed with a new sense of purpose. I have to admit that I had mixed feelings with the flashback. While this flashback was vital in telling us what happened during that time, it also meant taking away precious screentime from Anthony Hopkins! Johnny Flynn just didn’t have the charisma that Anthony had, and he just couldn’t make the young Winton come across very strongly. What could have easily been one of the film’s highlights. Instead, it was just presented without much finesse. Just when the yawns were beginning to emerge, we are thankfully brought back to the older Winton. How this quiet man who managed to conceal his remarkable achievement which eventually gets told to the world makes up the rest of this simple yet emotionally powerful story. Nicky Winton is the perfect example of a good samaritan who does not care to brag about his achievements. The Anthony Hopkins downplays this character with the calm demeanour that he is so easily capable of. He is aptly supported by Lena Olin as his wife, in a small but equally subtle act. As for Hopkins, you might say that this role was not challenging at all to the Academy Award winning talent. He brilliantly uses his understated performance that serves as a contrast to the emotionally charged moments during the film’s final act. This final act alone makes the whole film worth its weight in gold. Nary would there be any dry eyes by the time Hopkins is done with his performance.

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