One Life

Hanky, please, for the humanitarian the U.K. press dubbed the “British Schindler.”

A less-than-extraordinary film that is nevertheless heartwarming.

We don’t get many movies of this sort in today’s climate so, although One Life isn’t the best thing to come along thus far in 2024, its arrival is nevertheless welcome.

“One Life” is a slow burn, slowly establishing Winton’s modest character as a younger and older man, but when it cracks open, it is a deeply moving portrait of true human goodness.

As we continue to grapple with today’s issues of war, refugee crisis and growing antisemitism, the film’s relevance is so troubling that you cannot fail to be moved by it.

The emotional payoff takes a while to arrive, but once it does in the last act of this film, you’ll have a hard time forgetting Hopkins’ face.

One Life comes across like a well-crafted, but modest TV movie, which you might remember for its story, rather than how the story is told.

Winton’s determination was indeed amazing, but as the drama shows, his efforts depended on many people who did what they could to help -- many drops in an ocean of good.

"One Life” has superior production values and is rich with visual and historical detail. Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn are extraordinary, and they are supported by a terrific cast. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by what happens.



The unfussy film-making lets Hopkins do his thing. This is an actor who can summon crushing sorrow from just stillness and silence.