Creation
3/4
Starring: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Martha West, Jeremy Northam, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones
Rated PG-13 for Some Intense Thematic Material
"Creation," a film based on the life of Charles Darwin, is a mess, but it's a good mess. The film's plot is all over the place with constant flashbacks and dream sequences. And yet the film is never confusing. It may be a bit on the dull side at times and it's debatable that there's enough material presented to carry a feature film, but all in all, this is a fascinating yet uneven film.
Charles Darwin (Bettany) is in the middle of a personal crisis. His new theory that life is determined by natural selection and not the hand of God is almost certainly going to produce a shockwave around the world, but he's unsure he is willing to pay the price of possibly sacrificing his immortal soul. Nor is he willing to alienate his deeply religious wife, Emma (Connelly). The death of their eldest daughter Annie (West) has hit them hard, and they are dealing with it in different ways. Emma has found comfort in religion while Charles has found solace in science. However, the moral and theological quagmire that he has found himself in (not to mention the grief he is unable to deal with) has driven Charles to the point of complete breakdown. His health is deteriorating and he's having conversations with his dead daughter. How he deals with his demons to produce what has been called "the most important idea in the history of thought" forms the core of this movie.
Real-life husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly play Charles and Emma and do so quite well. Both are excellent actors and bring a natural chemistry to the screen. Intellectually and emotionally, they're both equals, but Annie's death has created a gulf between them that has turned into a war over Charles's book. Bettany does a fine job playing a man faced with unimaginable pain and an impossible choice. Connelly does a lot with an underwritten character, giving Emma a fierce intelligence and passion that prevents her from turning into a caricature. The other actor of note is Martha West, who plays Annie. Her role in the film is important, but unfortunately, it's only adequate. There are times when she is too cute and the impact that she had on her parents doesn't come across emotionally to the audience. Jeremy Northam, a pre-famous Benedict Cumberbatch, and Toby Jones have supporting performances.
The film was directed by Jon Amiel, a British filmmaker who doesn't get the credit he deserves (he directed "Copycat" and "Entrapment," for example). He brings a fantastic visual sense (it makes you wish it was released in the US on Blu Ray) and a deftness for character development, but not a well-written script. The film has a lot going on, but a more focused screenplay and direction would have given it a bigger punch.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, "Creation" had a difficult time finding a distributor in the US because of the creation/evolution controversy. I guess the thinking was that if Darwin was the subject, then it would be anti-Christian and anti-Creationism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity is treated with utmost respect; people of faith are kind, intelligent and articulate. If anything, it's Darwin himself who comes off the worst in the film, as he is shown to be petty and self-destructive.
"Creation" could have, and should have, been a lot better. But I think there's enough good stuff here to make it worth a rental.
Starring: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Martha West, Jeremy Northam, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones
Rated PG-13 for Some Intense Thematic Material
"Creation," a film based on the life of Charles Darwin, is a mess, but it's a good mess. The film's plot is all over the place with constant flashbacks and dream sequences. And yet the film is never confusing. It may be a bit on the dull side at times and it's debatable that there's enough material presented to carry a feature film, but all in all, this is a fascinating yet uneven film.
Charles Darwin (Bettany) is in the middle of a personal crisis. His new theory that life is determined by natural selection and not the hand of God is almost certainly going to produce a shockwave around the world, but he's unsure he is willing to pay the price of possibly sacrificing his immortal soul. Nor is he willing to alienate his deeply religious wife, Emma (Connelly). The death of their eldest daughter Annie (West) has hit them hard, and they are dealing with it in different ways. Emma has found comfort in religion while Charles has found solace in science. However, the moral and theological quagmire that he has found himself in (not to mention the grief he is unable to deal with) has driven Charles to the point of complete breakdown. His health is deteriorating and he's having conversations with his dead daughter. How he deals with his demons to produce what has been called "the most important idea in the history of thought" forms the core of this movie.
Real-life husband and wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly play Charles and Emma and do so quite well. Both are excellent actors and bring a natural chemistry to the screen. Intellectually and emotionally, they're both equals, but Annie's death has created a gulf between them that has turned into a war over Charles's book. Bettany does a fine job playing a man faced with unimaginable pain and an impossible choice. Connelly does a lot with an underwritten character, giving Emma a fierce intelligence and passion that prevents her from turning into a caricature. The other actor of note is Martha West, who plays Annie. Her role in the film is important, but unfortunately, it's only adequate. There are times when she is too cute and the impact that she had on her parents doesn't come across emotionally to the audience. Jeremy Northam, a pre-famous Benedict Cumberbatch, and Toby Jones have supporting performances.
The film was directed by Jon Amiel, a British filmmaker who doesn't get the credit he deserves (he directed "Copycat" and "Entrapment," for example). He brings a fantastic visual sense (it makes you wish it was released in the US on Blu Ray) and a deftness for character development, but not a well-written script. The film has a lot going on, but a more focused screenplay and direction would have given it a bigger punch.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, "Creation" had a difficult time finding a distributor in the US because of the creation/evolution controversy. I guess the thinking was that if Darwin was the subject, then it would be anti-Christian and anti-Creationism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity is treated with utmost respect; people of faith are kind, intelligent and articulate. If anything, it's Darwin himself who comes off the worst in the film, as he is shown to be petty and self-destructive.
"Creation" could have, and should have, been a lot better. But I think there's enough good stuff here to make it worth a rental.
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