Thirst

Director: Park Chan-wook
Starring: Song Kang-ho, Kim Ok-bin & Shin Ha-kyun

An interesting take on the vampire genre that involves some great moments of black humour and several interesting ideas but is unfortunately overlong which detracts from an otherwise good film.

Having mixed elements of horror into his previous revenge thrillers Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Old Boy and Lady Vengeance, Park Chan-wook now tackles horror more directly in this take on the vampire genre which not only adds his own unique slant on vampires but also reveals changing religious values in Korea. The resulting film, Thirst, is one filled with interesting ideas and themes as well as maintaining the director’s flair for black comedy but the film is unfortunately too long creating some pacing problems which detract from the better parts of the film.

When catholic priest Sang-hyun (Kang-ho) offers to participate in experiments to help find a cure for a deadly virus plaguing Korea, he finds himself having an unusual reaction after a blood transfusion that sees him make a full recovery from the disease after apparently dying from it. Sang-hyun soon discovers though that his continued health relies upon him drinking blood regularly and that he has gained abilities like that of a vampire complete with a vulnerability to sunlight. With many people also seeing him as a walking miracle following his recovery and coming to worship him, he leaves and goes to stay with an old childhood friend, Kang-woo (Ha-kyun) who suffers from illness and finds himself attracted to Kang-woo’s wife, Tae-ju (Ok-bin), who Sang-hyun also knew in childhood. Sang-hyun and Tae-ju then begin an affair which takes strange turns upon Tae-ju’s discovery of Sang-hyun’s condition and her willingness to be free from her husband no matter the cost which places Sang-hyun into difficult decisions which conflict with his religious beliefs.

Thirst is an interesting take on the vampire genre. Abandoning many of the familiar elements of vampire lore such as fangs, bats, vulnerability to holy water or crosses and really only maintaining the vulnerability to sunlight, thirst for blood and enhanced senses, Thirst instead chooses to focus on the moral questions surrounding the lifestyle of being a vampire. Having the main character be a priest, one who was devout and committed to helping others, become the vampire in the film allows Chan-wook to not only look at the moral questions surrounding the vampire’s need to take blood from the living to maintain their own survival and also the question of their own immortality but Chan-wook can also examine the rising influence of Catholicism in Korea. The themes of survival, of religion and of right and wrong make Thirst more insightful that some vampire films that aim at being straight horror with vampires as faceless bogeymen and there are elements in Thirst that directly confront the trend of vampire/human romances appearing in the genre with the Twilight films and books and television series like Buffy with the central relationship here being altogether more darker and acknowledging that such romances raise questions of psychological instabilities particularly in the handling of the character Tae-ju upon her discovery that Sang-hyun is a vampire. However, despite its strengths and some good moments of humour, the film takes a somewhat surreal turn in the middle following the death of a character and the approach to how Sang-hyun and Tae-ju deal with guilt as a result of the death. The sequence also lasts far too long dragging the length of the film out beyond two hours both effecting the pacing and detracts from the film’s finale.

Song Kang-ho, a regular performer in Park Chan-wook’s films, gives a good performance as Sang-hyun. He ably demonstrates the character’s guilt and the conflicts his survival as a vampire means for his religious beliefs and his morals. Kim Ok-bin is also entertaining as Tae-ju who gets to demonstrate her character as, initially a victim, whilst later getting to show her darker, more unstable and dangerous side and be engaging whilst doing so.

Overall, Thirst is an interesting vampire film from the director of Old Boy. While featuring some interesting twists on the vampire genre, on religious and moral questions surrounding the lifestyle of a vampire and featuring some great moments of humour, Thirst does suffer pacing problems in the middle section of the film that means the otherwise enjoyable ending suffers by the time it takes to get there following an overlong and overly-surreal middle act. Worth seeing but not as enjoyable as it could have been.

Rating: 3/5

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director: Wes Anderson
Starring (voices of): George Clooney, Meryl Streep & Jason Schwartzman

A very charming and witty animated film adapted from the Roald Dahl classic. Remaining faithful to the tone of the book and featuring the director’s own trademark style, the film is fun for children and adults alike.

Originally slated to be adapted by Henry Selick, the director behind The Nightmare Before Christmas and, previous Roald Dahl adaptation, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr. Fox then fell into the hands of Wes Anderson, originally intending only to produce the film, when Selick chose to make the film Coraline. The results are very strong as the move from producing the adaptation to directing it allows Anderson to apply his usual eye for set design to creating an entire world for Fantastic Mr. Fox via the use of stop-motion animation whilst also allowing Anderson to call upon old friends to provide voices for the characters. Both help Anderson make Fantastic Mr. Fox a family film with real appeal to children and adults.

When he finds out he is about to become a father, Mr. Fox (Clooney) retires from his life as a chicken hunter and settles down as a newspaper reporter with his wife Mrs. Fox (Streep) and their son Ash (Schwartzman). Twelve fox years later and Mr. Fox is yearning for the thrill-seeking life his old career as a fox hunter gave him. When the opportunity comes to move into a new home on the borders of three farms run by the infamously cruel farmers Boggis, Bunce and Bean (Michael Gambon), Mr. Fox embarks upon a return to his old career unbeknownst to his family until it brings the wrath of the farmers down upon him, his family and upon the other creatures living in the valley. Mr. Fox must then devise his most cunning plan yet, one that saves his family, regains his status as the ‘fantastic’ Mr. Fox and get revenge on the farmers out to get him.

Wes Anderson has stated in interviews that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a favourite novel and it shows in his adaptations. Whilst the film showcases Anderson’s usual visual cues (set design and costumes for example) and features some familiar names providing voices for the film including Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray and Willem Dafoe, Fantastic Mr. Fox still captures the feel of Dahl’s original children’s story and gives Anderson yet another dysfunctional family relationship to explore.. The characters may be voiced by Americans but the style of the film feels very British in it’s design and the adaptation still includes the themes Dahl included in his book including acknowledging that despite these animals being able to speak and wear clothes, there are still wild animals and Anderson allows their wild nature to show through regularly in between the witty dialogue and well designed and choreographed set pieces. The animation is also very impressive. Choosing to go with stop-motion animation, Anderson is able to control every aspect of set and character design and his attention to detail is often astounding including going so far as to animate the animal characters’ fur moving which only adds to the wildness Dahl intended to portray in the characters.

The voice cast is also very impressive. Whilst including great turns from Anderson film regulars Jason Schwartzman as Ash (Mr. Fox’ son), Bill Murray as Mr. Fox’s Badger Attorney, Willem Defoe as Rat (a competing chicken snatcher) and Owen Wilson, Anderson also brings in new performers in George Clooney and Meryl Streep in the lead roles of Mr. and Mrs. Fox. Clooney is excellent in his role bring his usual charm and humour to role of Mr. Fox whilst also portraying the character’s overconfidence that puts everyone he knows into jeopardy while Streep is smart and sensitive as Mr. Fox’s wife (a role that might usually have been performed by past Anderson collaborator Angelica Huston). Also enjoyable is Michael Gambon who brings the farmer Bean to cruel life and Wes Anderson’s brother Eric Chase Anderson as Mr. Fox’s nephew Kristofferson.

Overall, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a very enjoyable adaptation of the Roald Dahl novel. Whilst not remaining entirely faithful to the details of Dahl’s novel, it remains faithful to the tone and themes of the novel whilst also being very witty and the stop-motion animation and the film’s design is excellent. The film has plenty to enjoy for adults and children alike.

Rating: 4/5

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Christopher Plummer, Heath Ledger & Lily Cole

Heath Ledger’s final film finally sees release after attempts by Terry Gilliam to salvage the film following Ledger’s death. The result is a film that starts well and is full of potential but suffers in later scenes making it another flawed, near-masterpiece in Gilliam’s filmography.

Many of Terry Gilliam’s films have become as famous for the stories of the struggles to get them made as they are for the films themselves. Whether it be arguments with studios over final cuts like with Brazil or total collapses in a film’s production due to finances and mother nature such as with Gilliam’s ill-fated adaptation of Don Quixote which has been immortalised in the documentary Lost in La Mancha. Gilliam’s latest film is also him most famous production nightmare to date when it’s star, Heath Ledger, died during production leaving a third of his role unfilmed and the future of the project in doubt. With the aid of several actor friends, Gilliam managed to salvage the project and the result is The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus that has now been released. The result is a film that shows much promise but suffers too much by the loss of Ledger.

A former monk, now immortal, Doctor Parnassus (Plummer) travels the world with his travelling sideshow act, the Imaginarium, a show that allows patrons to experience a land created from their own imaginations. Having dealt with the Devil (Tom Waits) many times in the past including winning his own immortality, Parnassus is now trying desperately to win a wager that would see him lose his daughter Valentina (Cole) to the Devil when she turns 16 years of age which will occur only a few days hence. When all seems lost, hope turns up with the arrival of a stranger found hanging from a bridge named Tony (Ledger). This stranger may not be as innocent as he seems however and his nature and involvement with Parnassus and his Imaginarium may help Parnassus or doom his daughter.

The subject of much speculation as to whether the final film could survive the death of one of its leading actors, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus does feel like a film of two, quite different, halves. The first half is the most enjoyable, focusing mostly upon Parnassus and his troupe than on Ledger’s stranger, Tony, whom they encounter hanging from a bridge (an image that has added power given the death of Ledger). Building up the characters and the story with glimpses of Gilliam’s imagination which is presented in his usual dirty, gritty style, there is quite a lot to like even though the characters are prone to hysterical behaviour and occasionally cartoonish caricatures much like the characters in many Gilliam films. The development of Cole’s Valentina and of the stranger Tony are usually interesting, particularly Tony who is, at first, amnesiac but soon reveals an inner con artist and gift for charm and deception that keeps the audience guessing over whether he will doom Parnassus or redeem himself somehow, saving the day. However, the latter half of the film begins to lose focus which may, or may not, be due to the death of Ledger by this point. Recasting the role of Tony for the Imaginarium sequences (worlds of imagination within a magic mirror controlled by Parnassus) is a mixed affair and ultimately each actor, whether it be Depp, Law or Farrell, compare less favourably in their portrayals of Tony to Ledger’s with some moments, especially the character’s ultimate fate in the finale, falling flat because it isn’t Ledger in the role. The Imaginarium sequences too feel overly OTT and unfocused even for Gilliam being at sometimes impressive and at others far too random and surreal and suffering at times in their representation thanks to Gilliam’s relative inexperience with using CGI. With several notable changes in some scenes to explain Ledger’s disappearance the film feels too rushed towards the end which could be down to Gilliam’s sometimes weakness with ending a story as satisfactorily as he sets it up but likely affected by time constraints in completing the picture after Ledger’s death.

The performances in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus will likely be compared to Ledger’s given this was his last role. Ledger does deliver an interesting performance as he slowly grows comfortable with the character as the film progresses, though his attempts at delivering an accent are often muddled. The performances of Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell who filled in for Ledger in later scenes are less interesting with neither getting enough time to really grasp the character and doing their best impersonations of Ledger’s performance. It is Christopher Plummer and Lily Cole that deliver the stronger performances of the film as Parnassus and his daughter respectively. Plummer plays Parnassus with believable weariness while Cole impresses as the freedom seeking and self-sufficient Valentina who is still naïve when it comes to love.

Overall, starting quite well with good performances from Plummer and Cole and a fun and interesting performance from Ledger, the film does suffer and unravel in the second half with the scenes filmed after Ledger’s death as neither Depp, Law or Farrell really impress and the film struggles to hold itself together. Gilliam’s usual flair for impressive fantasy sequences also suffers in later scenes when he becomes reliant upon CGI too meaning The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is interesting though not loveable and will remain another curiosity in Gilliam’s filmography.

Rating: 3/5

Up

Directors: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson
Starring (voices of): Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai & Christopher Plummer

Another well made, funny and heartfelt animated film from Pixar. Up might not push the visual effects of CGI animation forward but the maturity in it’s approach to certain themes makes it feel more grown up than most animated features.

Despite more and more competition in the CGI animation stakes beyond just the Shrek movies and with each of their movies being well received commercially and critically, Pixar have still managed to release yet another film that not only succeeds at being as entertaining as much of their previous pictures but shows even more maturity in its handling of themes with their films being emotionally engaging to adults as well as children.

Carl (Asner) is a lonely and grumpy old man living in the house he and his wife Ellie once shared before her passing. Refusing to move out to allow property developers to move in, an altercation with a worker leads to Carl facing movement to a care home. Instead of going along with this he instead hitches balloons to his house and flies it away determined to find the exotic land of Paradise Falls where he once promised to take his wife but failed to do so before her death. Carl’s plan becomes complicated though by the arrival of a wildlife explorer cadet named Russell (Nagai) who was on the porch of Carl’s house when it took flight. Upon reaching Paradise Falls, Carl soon realises that dreams aren’t always what you imagine them to be and neither is his childhood hero, the explorer Charles Muntz (Plummer), who Carl encounters living at Paradise Falls already.

Up raises the level of maturity for Pixar films. Beginning with an opening montage that charts the progress of Carl’s relationship with Ellie from their first encounter as children, through to marriage and into old age with their dreams of becoming explorers, and later parents, set back by delays until they’re ultimately left unfulfilled and Carl left alone after Ellie’s passing. The sequence is perhaps the most emotionally engaging, and true, sequence in any Pixar film yet and perhaps in animated film so far even touching upon a miscarriage and the death of Ellie. By the time the story settles on the present day and we meet Carl, now a grumpy loner, the audience feels immediately sympathetic despite his surly attitude to those he encounters. Having the story centre largely around an elderly man is also a risk, yet an impressive and successful one, considering the target audience for films are children but Carl is a well developed character. Other characters are similarly likeable and well developed too in typical Pixar style such as a dog named Dug, fitted with a collar that allows him to speak and an obsession with squirrels, and an exotic and overgrown bird named Kevin that Carl and Russell encounter on their adventure. The characters generate lots of comedy and Carl’s adventure is emotionally involving however, despite the fun characters and impressive opening, not everything in Up works successfully. As likeable as Carl and Russell are, their dynamic as a pair is merely okay and doesn’t quite as engage as well as other Pixar pairings such as Toy Story’s Woody and Buzz, Finding Nemo’s Marlin and Dory or even Monsters Inc’s Mike and Sully. The pairing of the animals Dug and Kevin make for a funnier pair than Carl or Russell though ultimately this is Carl’s story and his story is engaging in itself.

Interesting, and also entertaining, is Pixar’s choice of voice cast for Up. Ed Asner is a veteran actor who has played similar personalities to Carl before but is not as recognisable a name to cast in a Pixar film considering names such as Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal, John Goodman or Samuel L. Jackson who have been cast in past Pixar films yet Asner is still good, making Carl’s feelings believable and sympathetic. The casting of Russell, Dug and various other talking dogs all work well and Christopher Plummer is good as the explorer/villain Charles Muntz too though he is not given quite as much time to shine as an actor such as he deserves.

Overall, Up is another entertaining film from Pixar. It has some great comedic moments, mainly involving its animal characters, and Carl is another strong character from the Pixar stable. With a very impressive opening sequence that shows Pixar are still the best at stirring emotions as well as funny bones in animated pictures, Up is very enjoyable.

Rating: 4/5

Zombieland

Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg & Emma Stone

A wonderfully amusing comedy finding plenty of humour in the zombie movie genre and is, perhaps, the American equivalent of Shaun of the Dead but with better zombie death scenes.

With Zombie films having become increasingly prominent within the horror genre again since 2002’s Resident Evil adaptation and UK thriller 28 Days Later then larger successes in the Dawn of the Dead remake and Shaun of the Dead in 2004 and even seeing George R. Romero, the father of the genre, return twice more to Zombie films in 2005 and 2008, it would seem that there is little left to mine in the Zombie genre. We have seen fast Zombies (Dawn of the Dead), Nazi Zombies (Dead Snow), Zombie romantic comedies (Shaun of the Dead) and more straightforward fare with a socio-political message (Land of the Dead) and now we have Zombieland. However, Zombieland exceeds at being incredibly entertaining by, rather than finding new takes on Zombies themselves, it looks to find the fun in the genre, the comedy and the result, while light on plot, is heavy with laughs and shocks.

Columbus (Eisenberg) is a Zombie outbreak survivor, having been reluctant to ever socialise whilst the world’s population was still amongst the living and incredibly paranoid, his anti-social attitude and fears have made him adept at surviving in this new world where letting your guard down could result in you becoming a meal for the undead. On his way back to his hometown in the hopes that his family may have survived, he crosses paths with a gun-toting, Zombie-killer named Tallahassee (Harrelson) who is every bit as reckless as Columbus is cautious. Allying themselves as they both travel in the same direction, Columbus finds some value in Tallahassee’s ability to find joy in killing Zombies and seeking confrontations. When the pair also fall afoul, then joining a pair of con-artist sisters named Wichita (Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) who are heading to an amusement park in Los Angeles where they believe there to be a haven for the living, the group bond despite their differences and despite the problems of living in a Zombieland.

Zombieland is a very funny film. Somehow finding fun in a scenario where the human race has largely been wiped out and reduced to food for the undead, Zombieland pokes fun at the genre without resorting to farce and features many action sequences that that glorifies killing (albeit of people who are already dead) that has rarely been seen since the 1980s. With two wonderfully conceived lead characters in the neurotic and nerdy Columbus and the macho, trigger happy Tallahassee and in the performances of Eisenberg and Harrelson in those roles, Zombieland has a wonderful buddy comedy feel. With Columbus narrating the film in a manner reminiscent to Woody Allen in a Woody Allen film, there is ample opportunity to poke fun at zombie and survivalist horror movies through Columbus’ rules to surviving in Zombieland given throughout the film with commentary on the consequences should the rules be ignored such as “Always check the back seat” and the “Double Tap.” The fun is not only in the narration or the witty banter of it’s characters throughout but also in some of the situations the characters find themselves in such as when they encounter a famous celebrity, playing himself, in Los Angeles and in the many inventive and hilarious ways in which the characters find to kill Zombies including an extended set piece at a theme park during the film’s finale that features a memorable method of Zombie killing every few minutes. Zombieland may be light on plot and lacking a real sense of danger but as fun as it is, it would be difficult to criticise the film for this.

Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson stand out in their roles as Columbus and Tallahassee. Eisenberg continues to develop his young Woody Allen routine which has made him popular on the independent film circuit whilst making it work towards establishing him as a believable survivor figure whilst Harrelson seems to relish the role of Tallahassee and the opportunity to play a near invincible Zombie killer yet demonstrating a childlike sense of awe at the enjoyment he receives from his work. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin are very likeable as a pair of con-artist sisters who, while not as well-developed as Columbus or Tallahassee, are nevertheless believable at being smart and capable of surviving even without the aid of the men.

Overall, Zombieland is lots of fun. With great performances from all of it’s cast and an excellent celebrity cameo, featuring great dialogue, great gags at the expense of the Zombie genre and fun action sequences, Zombieland might lack emotional drama but it more than makes up for it by being hilarious.

Rating: 4/5

Dorian Gray

Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth & Rebecca Hall

An unimpressive adaptation of the classic Oscar Wilde novel, Dorian Gray fails to truly chill or impress with its story or its cast’s performances.

Having already been many times for cinema and television, the latest adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, is likely the most commercial adaptation in recent memory. Simply titled Dorian Gray, starring Ben Barnes from the film Prince Caspian and veteran actor of British dramas, Colin Firth, this adaptation is less faithful to the source material than some previous adaptations, inserting an additional love interest and is, unfortunately, unimpressive in its execution.

Dorian Gray (Barnes), arriving in London having inherited his Uncle’s estate and wealth, is inducted into high society through the help of a painter friend named Basil (Ben Chaplin) and the charming and hedonistic Henry Wotton (Firth). Despite the urge for caution given by Basil, Dorian finds himself seduced by the glamour of a life of youth and riches can afford under the guidance of Henry. When asked whether he’d trade is soul to maintain his youth, looks and fortune, Dorian accepts however a curse is planted upon a portrait of Dorian painted by Basil meaning Dorian will no longer age or suffer harm with such acts suffered by his portrait instead. After a doomed romance with a young actress named Sibyl (Rachel Hurd-Wood), Dorian loses his idealism regarding love and embraces a life of lust and debauchery as his portrait degrades and corrupts revealing the effects upon his soul until Dorian fearing the consequences of his lifestyle years later, looks to redeem himself with the help of Henry’s, now grown, daughter Emily (Hall).

This adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray is very unsatisfactory. Feeling as though the filmmakers chose to oversimplify the story in the hopes of making the material more attractive to a wider audience less familiar with the novel on which it is based, Dorian Gray ends up feeling too underdeveloped to really satisfy and especially unappealing to fans of the source material as the adaptation adds new characters, a love interest and plays up hopes of the main character’s redemption and playing down the true cruelties the character displays in the novel. Behavioural developments amongst some characters, particularly that of Dorian Gray, are mismanaged and progress to quickly to be believable such as Dorian’s progression from innocent youth to debauched adulthood and his relationships with his two main love interests Sibyl and Emily blossom too suddenly to be believable, particularly from the perspective of the female characters themselves. Add some poor CGI used to aid in the recreation of Victorian London and in the realisation of Dorian’s portrait which, along with CGI, includes heavy sound effects and musical cues to force drama and the overall feeling of the film is one that lacks subtly and depth, eager to go for easy scares and emotional reactions.

Ben Barnes is unimpressive in the lead role of Dorian Gray. Whilst possessing the requisite youth and good looks required for the role, his relative inexperience as an actor shows as he is less able to accurately convey the character’s fall from innocence often coming across as a broody teenager than truly sinister or dangerous. Many other actors are barely developed through their performances either. The usually impressive Rebecca Hall struggles to add depth to her role as Emily who, on all appearances, comes over as smart yet falls for Dorian too quickly to be believable while Ben Chaplin is only decent as the well-intentioned artist Basil. The only enjoyable performance in the film is Colin Firth as Henry who appears to relish the opportunity to play a darker, more hell-raising role and though the character and performance is largely one note, it is still an enjoyable one thanks to Firth.

Overall, Dorian Gray is a disappointment. Opting for easy scares rather than building mood and more subtle shocks and featuring several average to poor performances from its cast, especially Barnes in the lead role, the film fails to really scare or make you care about any of its characters. It has some enjoyment in Colin Firth’s devilish performance as Henry, but it is not enough to make the film worth recommending.

Rating: 2/5

Creation

Director: Jon Amiel
Starring: Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly & Martha West

A well told drama that explores the humanity behind Charles Darwin, the man who came up with the Theory of Evolution and how his relationship with his wife and children shaped, and helped shape, his view of the world.

Already creating controversy through difficulties in acquiring a US distributer to the religious criticism of the film and of Darwin and his theories, Creation is not quite the damning criticism of religion such protesters believe it to be and neither is it the pro-Atheism tale that others might hope it to be either. Instead, Creation is a carefully told tale about Darwin and how he came to lose his faith, not just because of his research but also through tragic events experienced be he and his family during the period and how those and Darwin’s book effected and was effected by his wife and children and their beliefs too.

Covering the period of 1841 (the birth of Darwin’s daughter Anne) and 1859 (the publication of Darwin’s book On the Origin of Species), Charles Darwin (Bettany) continues his research on the evolutionary development of various species of animal life following his research trip on the U.S.S. Beagle. As he continues to catalogue the many different evolutionary adaptations species have developed over millions of years, the massive natural imbalance of death to support life and spurred on by his loving and inquisitive daughter Anne (West), Darwin slowly comes to the conclusion that life on Earth developed naturally through evolution and species’ need to survive rather than having been created in six days by a loving deity. His growing acceptance of his theory conflicting with his religious belief and especially those of his devout wife Emma (Connelly) faces further division when their daughter Anne dies from illness pushing Charles down the path of science and non-belief and Emma further towards her faith culminating in a struggle for Charles over whether to complete his book, On the Origin of Species, and what it would mean to his wife and her own grieving process as well as how the world at large will react.

Rather than explaining the science or how Darwin came to develop his theory of evolution through natural selection, Creation instead focuses on the emotional effects this period and his theory had upon his life and that of those closest to him, in particular his wife Emma and his children. The decision to do so, basing the film upon the biography Annie’s Box by Darwin’s great-great grandson Randal Keynes, is a good one as the story of Darwin’s relationship with his daughter and the effect of her death had upon him and upon his wife and his research humanises Darwin in a manner that those in opposition to his theories may usually dismiss. Rather than portray Darwin as a man committed to disproving the existence of God or the Creationist belief behind the creation of life, Creation shows the very real doubts and anguish Darwin faced as his own research convinces him of his theories and adds to his loss of faith in an understandable, sympathetic manner whilst showing also the effects it had upon those close to him who kept their faith. Creation also avoids wholly demonising Christians or glorifying Atheists. Whilst the local priest is generally portrayed as unsympathetic, willing to punish a child for asking questions that question the teachings of Christianity, Darwin’s wife Emma is portrayed far better. She is complex, committed to her beliefs but any anger felt towards her husband is out of concern rather than hate or pity. Most touching though is the relationship between Darwin and his daughter told through flashback through the years she was alive and via ghosts haunting Darwin after her death. She is a well written character acting in part as Darwin’s conscience. Scenes of natural processes are also included too such as the life and death cycle of a bird that shows the wonder of nature and the life of an Orang-utan called Jenny that Darwin studied highlighting our similarities with our ancestors.

Paul Bettany delivers a very impressive performance as Charles Darwin. Believably demonstrating the man’s intellect, it is Bettany’s ability to make the man sympathetic showing the emotional turmoil the man experienced as his faith dwindled and his grief following the death of his daughter grew. Darwin’s acceptance of what his theory means for his beliefs occurs gradually and believably leaving its outcome acceptable. Jennifer Connelly is good as Darwin’s wife Emma, with her own grief and her fears of losing her husband as he loses his faith portrayed well yet with her own commitment to her beliefs also understandable and Martha West is excellent as their daughter Annie who makes her smart, mature and loveable. Toby Jones makes a memorable cameo as the gloating Thomas Huxley whilst Benedict Cumberbatch is very likeable as Darwin’s friend Joseph Hooker who adds another sympathetic voice to the pro-evolution side.

Overall, while not the scandalous portrayal of Charles Darwin that the film’s critics and supporters had hoped or feared it to be, Creation is still a well-made and meaningful drama that shows Darwin’s humanity and the real struggle he had with his own faith and his relationship with his family as he wrote On the Origin of Species and features an excellent performance from Paul Bettany.

Rating: 4/5