Studio: Decal Releasing/Bleecker Street
Release Date: 4/30/2024
Rating: PG
Film Grade: B
The Story: Nicholas “Nicky” Winton pages through an old scrapbook as he reflects on his earlier days, when he was drawn to the refuge problem in Czechoslovakia just prior to World War II. Hitler had demanded part of the region known as the Sudentenland and was unchallenged by Britain, France, and Italy, all thinking they could avoid war by doing so.
Jews fled from the Nazi threat to makeshift camps in Prague, but resources were scarce. Winton joined a team that quickly came up with a plan to start saving the thousands of threatened children. He returned to Great Britian to obtain funding, visas, and to find foster homes until they might be reunited someday with their parents.
As he contemplates becoming a grandfather, he decides he must do something with the scrapbook. He’s been unable to part with it until now, but it’s time to find a rightful home for it.
My Take: I feel that I should have liked this one more than I did. It had the feel of a TV movie, which may be due to this being director James Hawes’ first film; all his prior work was in television.
It’s really two in one, abruptly shifting back and forth between the 1930s and the 1980s, but those two periods don’t fit together very well. While both halves of the movie need to be told, simply dividing them or by using the 1980s as bookends would have offered the audience more consistency.
Instead, we’re plunged into the hectic attempt to rescue children from wretched fates for a segment, and then pulled out and placed into the rather mundane activities of Winton pruning the stuff in his over-packed office, or having dinner with a friend, all while ruminating about what to do with his scrapbook. While those slower scenes aren’t bad, they interrupt the urgency of the earlier events. Even worse, the tone of the two time periods are so drastically different that it ends up fracturing the story’s flow, leaving it feel disjointed.
The other effect is that it pulls focus from the people that he worked with. While the movie is centered around Winton, he didn’t work alone. The story abandons many of the others that were just as critical, leaving the audience to wonder what happened to them when the film shifts forward.
That said, the emotional culmination of the movie still works very well. It’s powerful without feeling manipulative, and brings home the theme of how one seemingly ordinary man can make a difference in the lives of others. It works as a fine tribute to his accomplishments.
Picking Anthony Hopkins for the elder Winton was an easy decision. He plays the part with an appropriate mix of regret, humility, and grace. Johnny Flynn is the younger Winton. While not imitating Hopkins, there are pieces of dialog or action that allow the audience to believe they’re both the same person. Winton of the 1930s is filled with enthusiasm and persistence, not accepting the world as it is, but doing what he can to change it. Helena Bonham Carter is young Nicky’s mother, who plays a vital role in getting those children saved. The entire cast does an admirable job of bringing this story to life.
Video: The movie was shot digitally and shows some signs of artificial grain or noise. The Czech Republic locations and multiple set pieces captured here do a fine job of taking the audience to the past. The frequent handheld camerawork gives both an intimate and documentary feel to the film. The overall look of the film is drab and earthy, with some occasional splashes of color, pairing well with the often-somber nature of the movie.
Audio: The 5.1 DTS HD MA score features a rich classical soundtrack that fits the film in a respectful and appropriate way. It’s not much for dramatic cues or sound effects, but it doesn’t need to be. Dialog is clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: These are a disappointment. There’s so much that could have been included here, but we only get brief fluff pieces. A BBC program referenced in the movie is easy to find on YouTube, so I recommend checking that out (but only after watching the movie). With this being a joint production with the BBC, it surprising that it wasn’t included. Given the impactful nature of the story, it certainly would have deserved more supplemental information.
That's Life - Featurette
Stories From the Heart - Featurette
Behind the Scenes
Final Verdict: I’m glad that I watched this movie, but not sure if it will make its way to our collection. There’s no doubt about the importance of the story, but it didn’t quite connect with me for the reasons mentioned above.
The cathartic element will likely suffer with subsequent views, but I could also see this being a good watch for the right group of people. Even though it deals with horrible events of the past, it tempers it by showing that even ordinary people can take a huge role in mitigating great evil.
Highly recommend as a watch, but it’s not a blind buy for everyone.
Fun Fact: Barbara Winton, Nicholas’ daughter and author of the book that the movie was based on, specifically requested that Anthony Hopkins portray her father.
For maximum effect, I advise
not watching the trailer for this one.
My Review System:JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
Elite Screens Sable Frame B2 117” Width with Infinitely Variable Height
Monolith by Monoprice HTP-1 16 Channel Processor with Dirac Live
Monolith by Monoprice 7x200 Watts Amp
Monolith by Monoprice 3x200 Watts + 6x100 Watts Amp
JBL Studio 590 for Left, Center, Right, Wides, and Rears
JBL Studio 580 for Side Surrounds
JBL Studio SCS 8 for Tops
JTR Captivator 1400 Subwoofer X 4
Panasonic DP-UB420 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
Oppo BDP-93
NVIDIA Shield Android TV - 4K
Xbox One X
HTPC Running madVR (work in progress)
Remote: URC MX-780
Mini DSP 2X4 HD controlling all subwoofers
APC S15 Power Conditioner with Battery Backup
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