Creation
Cinema Nova, 20/07/2010
Status: Behind by 23 films
Unless you went to primary school in the American Bible belt, you know who Darwin is and at least the catchphrase of his world-changing theory of evolution.
Darwin’s personal story has enjoyed less saturation in our brains, but no less ink has been spent on it - graphic novels, television and radio and stage plays, documentaries, novels - and that’s because it’s a corker. He was a devoted father and husband devastated by the death of his eldest daughter. He sat on the notes and early drafts of On the Origin of Species for decades because he didn’t want to injure his devoutly religious wife. He was a brilliant scientist in conflict with himself. And there’s nothing that says “Hollywood biopic” quite as eloquently as that.
Director JON AMIEL (Entrapment, Sommersby) dials the science down to 2 and the schmaltz up to 11 while milking, and then wringing, every drop of “tortured genius” out of the story. He spins out speculation after speculation about Darwin’s fevered dreams and hauntings during times of particularly poor health. This is the film’s biggest failing.
It’s biggest win, though, (apart from the raw material, of course) is it’s cast. PAUL BETTANY (A Beautiful Mind, Wimbledon) and JENNIFER CONNELLY (Requiem for a Dream, Dark City) are excellent as Charles and Emma Darwin and the support cast are solid.
It’s a well-performed and good-looking film about a deeply interesting man. It’s just a shame they unhelpfully pitted science in the red corner and religion in the blue when everyone knows that, actually, faith and science trundle along quite well in happy conflict. Well, everyone except the primary school teachers in the Bible belt, perhaps.
