7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Sir Nicholas 'Nicky' Winton, a young London broker who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued over 600 children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Jonathan Pryce, Adrian Rawlins, Romola GaraiBiography | 100% |
War | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
History | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.20:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.20:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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