STARRING: Anthony Hopkins, Johny Flynn, Lena Olin, Romaola Garai, Alex Sharp, Jonathan Pryce and Helena Bonham Carter. Written by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake. Directed by James Hawes. Running time 110 minutes.
Jesus H. Christ that was an emotional start to the New Year. This drama charts the rescuing of 669 Jewish children from Prague just before the outbreak of the Second World War by the London stockbroker Nicholas Winton (Anthony Hopkins) and members of a charity set up to help refugees. The film cuts between Winton as an old man decluttering his home when he comes across an old briefcase with a scrapbook of memories, and him as a young man arriving in Prague and becoming obsessed with rescuing as many children as he can before the Nazis arrive.
While in 'present day' of 1987, Winton struggles with the guilt he feels for all those he couldn't save and charts how the truth of his actions came to be known to a stunned society in a truly wonderful scene during the filming of an episode of That's Life.
The cast is simply superb, led by Hopkins who brings so much emotion and empathy to the role that the whole film left me a sobbing wreck by the end. This is a truly life-affirming and uplifting film that still packs a deeply powerful emotional punch at the terrible fate that befell the many thousands of children he couldn't save. The film is very well directed and every aspect of this film is deeply satisfying.
There's nothing more to say, this was a great way to start the New Year and I'm not ashamed to say I wept.
Jesus H. Christ that was an emotional start to the New Year. This drama charts the rescuing of 669 Jewish children from Prague just before the outbreak of the Second World War by the London stockbroker Nicholas Winton (Anthony Hopkins) and members of a charity set up to help refugees. The film cuts between Winton as an old man decluttering his home when he comes across an old briefcase with a scrapbook of memories, and him as a young man arriving in Prague and becoming obsessed with rescuing as many children as he can before the Nazis arrive.
While in 'present day' of 1987, Winton struggles with the guilt he feels for all those he couldn't save and charts how the truth of his actions came to be known to a stunned society in a truly wonderful scene during the filming of an episode of That's Life.
The cast is simply superb, led by Hopkins who brings so much emotion and empathy to the role that the whole film left me a sobbing wreck by the end. This is a truly life-affirming and uplifting film that still packs a deeply powerful emotional punch at the terrible fate that befell the many thousands of children he couldn't save. The film is very well directed and every aspect of this film is deeply satisfying.
There's nothing more to say, this was a great way to start the New Year and I'm not ashamed to say I wept.
9/10
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