Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, Helena Bonham Carter, Lena Olin, Romola Garai
Anthony Hopkins stars as the late British humanitarian Nicholas Winton – whose actions helped save Jewish children from a horrific fate on the eve of World War II – in James Hawes’ feature debut, a sweeping, handsomely produced drama.
A young stockbroker, born in London to Jewish parents, Winton (played in youth by Johnny Flynn) helps rescue 669 children from the Nazis ahead of their invasion into Prague, bringing them to safety in England via an ambitious Kindertransport project with the help of his firebrand mother (Helena Bonham-Carter) and a tight-knit band of volunteers. But 50 years later, Winton is still haunted by the fate of those he couldn’t save. It’s not until a live TV show surprises him with the surviving children, now adults, seated around him, that he is finally able to approach making peace with the guilt and grief of his past.
With an all-star cast including Romola Garai, Lena Olin and Jonathan Pryce, One Life promises to be a nuanced, beautifully performed study of a remarkable life, as well as a timely reminder of the need to help those fleeing persecution and the power of individual acts in defence of human rights, even when all seems lost.