TIFF 2023: One Life Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

The power of Anthony Hopkins should not be underestimated. One of the finest actors of all time, he continues to show why in One Life. On a turn of a time, he can turn on his magic and cue the waterworks within most audiences and that is what he does here. A highlight of the film for sure, he is merely a part of it. A biopic of British stockbroker Nicholas Winton, a man who visited Prague in 1939 and played a role in helping legions of Jewish children escape the clutches of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi regime as part of a volunteer operation pre-WWII, the story took place in the past (Flynn) and the present (Hopkins) as the older Winton found himself reflecting on his past. While a heavy film at times, it is also an important one that shines a light on a true story and a man that many may not have heard of before. Balancing multiple timelines over the course of the film could be a tough act but it in this case, the most compelling material came from the past though once the film turns to Hopkins to bring it home, he delivers.

Now far removed from his past, with age came wisdom and a humbleness for Winton, living in the 1980s with his wife Grete (Olin). Forced to clean up his office, his records of the names of the children he saved brought back memories of his past. The younger Winton, watching the news from Eastern Europe and feeling helpless, joined a friend’s humanitarian operation in Prague to help the facilitation of Jewish children fleeing Germany for the U.K. all while the country itself slowly fell under the clutches of Hitler and the Nazis. A dangerous operation for sure, it is one that changed not only Winton’s life but also that of the children he saved. However, the memories of those he couldn’t still weighed heavily on him. Working from the U.K. and abroad, he fought for the children to ensure their safety. As the present-day Winton and his efforts received were recognized, the resounding emotion coming from the normally reserved stockbroker will take most audiences by surprise and cue the waterworks in a moment that was earned.

The best part of One Life was Hopkins’ performance as present Winton for that moment alone, the conclusion of a compelling arc. Hopkins’ charm and charisma continue to shine through and his ability to harness emotion in any scene is unmatched. Meanwhile, Flynn does admirable work, capturing the mannerisms of Hopkins while bringing the younger Winton much of the same charm and energy as he was put through the ringer in the middle of a warzone.

In the end, One Life is a powerful yet somewhat formulaic biopic that knows how to harness emotion and the biggest part in that was Anthony Hopkins. 

*still courtesy of TIFF*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.