One Life

When it comes to fact-based, inspirational films of tremendous great deeds circa WWII, One Life is about as good as things get.

The tale of Sir Nicholas “Nicky” Winton’s instrumental role in getting over 600 children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia packs a terrific story, strong performances, and big emotional beats. But as is often the case when respectfully paying tribute to dire times in human history, there’s practically zero imagination to the filmmaking.

That’s not to say veteran TV director James Hawes (Black Mirror; Slow Horses) necessarily should have taken an experimental approach in dramatizing the key events of a man who’s essentially an English Oskar Schindler. Though such committed straightforward stylistic choices prevent One Life from rising above a wealth of similarly reserved period works.

Follow Hawes’ lead, the impressive cast — which counts Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, Lena Olin, Romola Garai (Atonement), and Alex Sharp (The Trial of the Chicago 7) in its ranks — delivers solid reverential performances. Yet charming as Anthony Hopkins is as adult Nicky in 1987, it's difficult to imagine Johnny Flynn's buttoned-up 20something version growing up into this quick-witted, chatty chap, and the jarring juxtaposition proves somewhat distracting.

However, the era-hopping friction ultimately doesn’t detract from the tear-jerking power of loving acts getting their due, so bring some tissues and revel in this little-known chapter of good triumphing over evil.

Grade: B. Rated PG. Now playing at Carolina Cinemark, the Fine Arts Theatre, and Regal Biltmore Grande.

(Photo: Bleecker Street)