In ‘One Life,’ Anthony Hopkins delivers a powerful performance as Nicholas Winton, a hero who saved 669 children during WWII.

By Dana Barbuto/Boston Movie News

Two-time Academy-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins delivers a stirring performance as Nicholas Winton, an unsung hero of the Holocaust who became known as the “British Schindler.” Winton saved 669 children during World War II by arranging trains to transport the youngsters out of Prague as Hitler’s invasion looms. 

Written by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake, the film is based on a book by Winton’s daughter, Barbara Winton, “If It’s Not Impossible … the Life of Sir Nicholas Winton.” The film marks James Hawes’s feature directorial debut. Until now, he’s best known for helming the first season of the terrific Apple TV+ British spy series “Slow Horses.” Hawes navigates Winton’s story with a delicate balance of historical accuracy and emotional depth.

Johnny Flynn as the young Nicholas Winton in a scene from "One Life." (Bleecker Street)
Johnny Flynn as the young Nicholas Winton in a scene from “One Life.” (Bleecker Street)

The movie unfolds in two parts. Hopkins plays the older Winton, living in a well-appointed home in the English countryside, reflecting on his life, still haunted by the images of the children aboard the final train, the ninth, that never made it to London. Johnny Flynn (“The Outfit”) portrays the younger Winton, an affluent stockbroker orchestrating the daring rescue operation 50 years earlier.  

The film occasionally employs cliché techniques, such as the protagonist’s solemn walk through a refugee camp with a look of anguish on his face, uttering to himself, “Dear God,” as his eyes take in scenes of dirt-stained children, crying babies, and helpless parents. He hands out a few crumbs of food and is quickly surrounded. Immediately, he vows to help get the children out of Prague. These predictable beats, however, do not detract from the overall heft of the story. The narrative, on its merit, is just too compelling. By the end, you’ll need a whole box of tissues to get through the wallop of emotions to come.

Winton didn’t act alone; he’s the first to point that out. His mother, Babi Winton (Helena Bonham Carter), works the financing and banker red tape. Other support comes from the team in Prague, Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai), Trevor Chadwick (Alex Sharp), and Nina Gold (Matilda Thorpe), all ordinary people rising to extraordinary acts of compassion. Somehow—the film isn’t exactly clear—Winton manages the daunting task of securing passports and visas, rallying press coverage, and wrangling foster families to sponsor the children.

Anthony Hopkins as the older Nicholas Winton in a scene from "One Life." (Bleecker Street)
Anthony Hopkins as the older Nicholas Winton in a scene from “One Life.” (Bleecker Street)

Back in the present day, Winton is a packrat, a keeper of everything from old typewriters to lost buttons and rubber bands. Every drawer in his office is packed to the brim. His reminiscence begins because his wife, Grete (Lena Olin), orders him to declutter. “You have to let go for your own sake,” she says, meaning the physical items but also the lingering bad memories. The toughest drawer to purge contains a worn-out leather messenger bag that holds items the movie takes time to reveal. But you can have a guess and probably be right. 

Eventually, Winton’s longtime friend Martin (Jonathan Pryce) shows up for lunch, where the two old-timers spend hours talking bollocks about the old days. It’s a great scene between Pryce and Hopkins, both masterful actors who earned Oscar nominations for their roles in 2019’s “The Two Popes.”   

Another key figure, Elizabeth “Betty” Maxwell (Marthe Keller), enters the picture. Betty, a Holocaust researcher and the wife of infamous media magnate Robert Maxwell plays a pivotal role in sharing Winton’s story. Her efforts culminate in Winton’s appearance on a 1988 episode of the BBC show “That’s Life!,” the impact of which is best experienced without spoilers. Tears are shed, and hearts are moved in this emotional climatic scene, offering a timeless message of hope and humanity that resonates long after the credits roll.

‘One Life’

Rating: PG for thematic material, smoking, and some language.

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Lena Olin, Johnny Flynn, Helena Bonham Carter, Matilda Thorpe, Alex Sharp, Romola Garai, Jonathan Pryce

Director: James Hawes

Writers: Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake

Running time: 110 minutes

Where to watch: In theaters 

Grade: B+