It's one of those situations where you just have to keep going when there’s an important job to finish. That’s what happened in 1938, when a committed English stockbroker put his own life on hold to help 669 children—most of them Jewish—escape from Prague shortly after the Third Reich took control of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland region, which was the first move toward Germany’s invasion and eventually World War II. Nicholas Winton (played by Anthony Hopkins), who had German Jewish roots, along with people involved in the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia, both working on the ground and in London, worked very hard against what seemed like impossible challenges to get these young people safely away. The film shows how Winton’s younger self (Johnny Flynn) and his determined mother (Helena Bonham Carter) fought a hesitant government system, prejudice, and problems crossing borders to arrange for trains that would take the children across Europe to safety. Despite all that Winton achieved, he felt bad about not being able to do even more, especially when he reflected on what he’d done decades later. Fortunately, his efforts weren't forgotten; he finally received recognition and thanks from those who survived and from a grateful country, essentially becoming the UK's equivalent of Oskar Schindler. Director James Hawes has crafted an interesting story with this first film he directed, but the way it was made could have been better, particularly in the slow-moving, overly conversational, and sometimes unfocused beginning. The latter part of the movie does a lot to make up for these flaws, bringing out real, heartfelt emotions that would have made for a stronger film if they’d been used more consistently from the start. This is thanks in large part to the strong performances by Hopkins, Flynn, Bonham Carter, and many others, as well as the high-quality production design of the period setting. “One Life” shares a message we could all benefit from hearing again—not just when it comes to big projects like this one, but also about being generous with ourselves in general, no matter how large or small our actions might be. The world would be better if more people acted that way—and for the Nicholas Wintons who live inside each of us.

Source on TMDB