Anthony Hopkins heads a powerhouse cast in this dramatic retelling of the story of Nicholas Winton, the “British Schindler”, who helped rescue some 660 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia on the eve of World War II.
How to watch One Life in New Zealand
One Life is screening in New Zealand cinemas now.
One Life (2023)
What is One Life about?
Written by Nick Drake and Lucinda Coxon and directed by TV veteran James Hawes, One Life sees Hopkins as the aged Winton, reflecting on his 1930s exploits where he was a much sprightlier Johnny Flynn. Incredibly the entire story only came to light in 1988, when Winton’s wife Grete (Lena Olin) discovered an old scrapbook containing detailed accounts of his rescue work.
From there we bounce back in forth between the 1930s and the 1980s, following the original mission and Winton’s attempts to use his story to raise awareness of the ongoing plight of refugees in the modern era. The film is adapted from the biography If It’s Not Impossible…The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton by Barbara Winton, Nicholas’ daughter.
The cast of One Life
Along with Hopkins, Flynn, and Olin, Helena Bonham Carter is Babi Winton, Nicholas’ mother and a key part of the rescue operation. Jonathan Pryce, Ziggy Heath, Romola Garai, and Alex Sharp are on supporting duties; and Samantha Spiro plays Esther Rantzen, host of the BBC TV series That’s Life!, which first brought Winton’s achievements to wider recognition.
One Life trailer
What the critics are saying about One Life.
So far One Life has been getting solidly positive reviews, with a the general drift being that although Winton’s story is rather conventionally told, the strength of the true story shines through in every moment, largely due to sterling work from the impressive cast. There’s a definite chance of another Oscar nomination for Hopkins here, too.
