Courtesy of TIFF
Anthony Hopkins is one of our greatest treasures. The two-time Oscar winner regularly dazzles on screen, burrowing himself into his characters, allowing his very recognizable face to disappear behind the people he embodies. In One Life, by director James Hawes, Hopkins plays one of history’s most impressive figures: Sir Nicolas ‘Nicky’ Winton.
Though Hopkins isn’t the only one who plays Winton—the film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is broken into two distinct timelines, 1938 and 50 years later in 1988. Hopkins plays Winton in the latter timeline, which finds himself reflective of his past, but also haunted by it. Despite his staggering achievements—Winton was responsible for organizing the British kindertransport, which saved the lives of 669 children from the Nazis, taking them by train from Czechoslovakia to the United Kingdom. Later in life, Nicky lives largely anonymously, with only the people closest to him aware of his past.
But when his wife Grete (Lena Olin) pushes him to clear out the clutter in their home, Nicky comes across a book filled with documents, including the photographs and names of all the children he was responsible for. This sparks him to try and get his story out in the world, believing that his experiences would make for valuable lessons—he couldn’t have been more right.