Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

One Life Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 26, 2024

“One Life” is based on the true story of “Nicky’s Children,” following the experiences of Nicholas Winton and his efforts to rescue Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia before the outbreak of World War II. Why this tale may be of some familiarity is due to the spread of a viral video on social media channels, which provided a clip from the British show “That’s Life,” where the real Nichloas Winton was surprised to find himself sitting in an audience mostly comprised of the now-grown children he helped to save. It’s an emotional moment, perfect for bite-sized media consumption, and now it’s a feature-length film. Director James Hawes and screenwriters Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake endeavor to inspect the tale in “One Life,” looking to understand what drove Nicholas to commit his life to the quest, and how he deals with memories of the time, caught up in recollections of what occurred and could’ve been during a grim period in world history.

In 1987, Nicholas (Anthony Hopkins) is a senior citizen who has trouble letting go of things, allowing the home he shares with his wife, Grete (Lena Olin), to fill up with files and machinery. When Grete heads off on a trip, Nicholas is determined to do something about the clutter, uncovering a special briefcase during the cleaning process, which contains a scrapbook with information concerning children being prepared for movement out of Czechoslovakia. In 1938, Nicholas (Johnny Flynn) is a Londoner paying attention to the Munich Agreement, learning that Jewish families are looking to escape the area, only to be blocked at the border. Recognizing his ability to do something about this situation, Nicholas teams with the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia, joining Doreen (Romola Garai) and Trevor (Alex Sharp) as they create a plan to match children with temporary foster parents in England. Faced with the challenges of paperwork and travel, Nicholas pushes to save as many young people as possible before Germany escalates their war plans.

In many ways, “One Life” is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg’s “Schindler’s List,” with both features examining the drive of businessmen recognizing the atrocities coming for the world around them with the rise of the Nazis. Spielberg created a disturbing, austere understanding of violence. Hawes (making his directorial debut) offers a gentler understanding of horror, taking a BBC Film route of comfort moviemaking to best reach his audience. “One Life” certainly doesn’t ignore the brutality of the moment, but the PG-rated effort is mostly about Nicholas and his experiences with organization and interaction with the children in need. There’s also the story of the senior citizen getting back in touch with his emotions after finding the briefcase, returning to memories he’s buried long ago, inspiring a fresh plan to gift the scrapbook to an organization that could display such information to the public.

“One Life” jumps between the two time periods, creating an understanding of motivation for Nicholas, who grows alarmed over developments in Czechoslovakia, visiting the area to see what needs to be done. He meets children in need and parents growing increasingly desperate to keep them safe, connecting Nicholas to Doreen and Trevor. “One Life” follows the formation of an escape plan, which requires an enormous effort to find visas and homes, with Nicholas’s mother, Babi (Helena Bonham Carter), joining the mission in England, driven by her own family’s quest for freedom long ago. It’s a herculean task for young Nicholas, who grows bolder with his plans as more lives are at stake, watching as the Nazis tighten their grip on Czechoslovakia, complicating the evacuation. It’s not the stuff of suspense, but Hawes finds some sense of urgency for the feature as time runs out for Nicholas.

One Life Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.20:1 aspect ratio) presentation struggles a bit with compression issues, finding banding periodic. Clarity is generally strong, exploring the concerned faces of the characters and their differences in age. Costuming is also fibrous, examining heavier period clothing. Interiors show off a decent amount of decorative additions, helping to define the change in time and settings. Exteriors retain compelling depth. Color is sharp, contrasting the greenery and brighter primaries of Nicholas's old age with the cooler palette of wartime activities. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory.

One Life Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix offers more of a frontal listening experience, with crisp dialogue exchanges handling a variety of accents and acting styles. Scoring delivers clear instrumentation, with warmer orchestral moments to delicate piano themes. Musical moods offer some surround immersion, joined by mild atmospherics. Low-end isn't challenged here, but some weight is felt with railroad travel.

One Life Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (1:21, HD) is a quick overview of story and production, featuring interviews with director James Hawes and actors Anthony Hopkins, Johnny Flynn, and Helena Bonham Carter.

• "Stories from the Heart" (1:17, HD) is a short appreciation of the Nicholas Winton experience, featuring interviews with director James Hawes and actors Anthony Hopkins, Romola Garai, Johnny Flynn, and Helena Bonham Carter.

• "That's Life" (1:31, HD) is a brief peek at the creation of the television broadcast sequence, featuring interviews with director James Hawes and actors Anthony Hopkins and Helena Bonham Carter.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

One Life Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The 1987 side of "One Life" is quieter, following Nicholas to meetings concerning the scrapbook, also enjoying a reunion with an old colleague (Jonathan Pryce), admitting that he's grown curious about the Czechoslovakian children. What occurs in the final act of the movie follows the backstory of the viral clip, also taking a closer look at Nicholas in his autumnal years, processing all that's happened, which includes heavy regret for what couldn't be done. Hopkins is the right actor for the part, turning his usual doddering old man routine into something sharper when feelings crash into Nicholas, finally taking in all that's happened. It's some beautiful acting, giving "One Life" hits of raw emotion in an otherwise safe and accessible examination of wartime heroism.