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Released 25th September 2009
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The idea of creating a cinematic piece of entertainment about the theory of evolution by Darwin sounds like a challenge for film-maker and distributor alike, as it may come a cropper at the box office - even if such a film is based on an intriguing work by Darwin descendent, Randal Keynes, called ‘Annie’s Box’. Inspiring a mainstream audience to part with money, when there are other, less taxing topics to be entertained by in this recession-conscience climate is no small feat.
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That said seasoned director Jon Amiel has chosen to concentrate on Darwin’s child, Annie’s death in a period tale to pull the heartstrings, delivering a deeply affecting portrayal of a parent struggling to cope with the death of a treasured child, rather than opting for the many plot avenues of the great scientist who rocked religious society. This is not to say that this story does not feature on Darwin’s internal and external conflicts with science and religion in a God-fearing society, rather, the film portrays the subsequent affect of his views on his family and friends that turned him into a brilliant but tormented recluse. Amiel has done a commendable task of interweaving the story of Darwin’s work and research with the domestic situation to deliver a rounded impression of a little known, privately, but renowned character.
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Paul Bettany as Darwin draws out the incredibly sensitive, passionate and privately unknown side of the great naturalist with the all-consuming fervour of a man possessed with the facts, rather than divine intervention. His performance has its wistful, bordering-on-madness moments, but also unexpected ones of great wit and charm. Bettany’s portrayal very much brings the scientific enigma alive for the contemporary audience as multi-faceted person very much socially integrated, but also tragically alone and advanced in thought for this time.
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Real-life wife Jennifer Connelly, who plays Mrs Emma Darwin, joins Bettany to reconstruct the affects of parental guilt at their child’s death, no doubt drawing on experiences in their own relationship to explore how this would feel for a parent, and this strengthens Amiel’s casting decision. In her resentment of Darwin’s chosen alienation from the family, Emma becomes a stronger character, reminiscent of many an independent Jane Austen female character, but without the fiery passion and expectation. However, apart from the time-lapse montages to demonstrate theories of natural selection that add visual interest, the actual plot and compelling material available to both leads tends to be fairly uneventful, cultivating in sporadic moments of energy, among longer scenes of story quiescence. It was never an easy project to bring to the big screen.
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Credit lies with the casting and stellar lead performances as the exquisite supporting cast that includes Jeremy Northam, Toby Jones and Benedict Cumberbatch are greatly underused. Also add our traditional love affair with period drama, be it TV or film, made all the more compelling when it is attached to a true tale. But are these weighty factors, alone, enough to entice? Perhaps just curiosity about a man whose theories are still debated today will bring Creation to the attention of a wider audience?
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By Lisa Keddie
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Synopsis
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Creation is the powerful story of Charles Darwin and the single most explosive idea in history.
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Darwin’s great, still controversial, book ‘On the Origin of Species’ depicts nature as a battleground. In Creation the battleground is a man’s heart. Torn between his love for his deeply religious wife and his own growing belief in a world where God has no place, Darwin finds himself caught in a struggle between faith and reason, love and truth. This is not the grey-bearded old man that most imagine when they think of Darwin. The Darwin we meet in Creation is a young, vibrant father, husband, and friend, whose mental and physical health gradually buckles under the weight of guilt and grief for a lost child. Ultimately it is the ghost of Annie, his adored ten-year-old daughter, who leads Darwin out of darkness to reconnect with his wife and family. Only then is he able to create the book that changed the world. Told in a dazzling collage of scenes from the past and present, laced with stories of exotic animals and the dark dreams of a troubled mind Creation is a film that will provoke, entertain and ultimately deeply move you.
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Creation is based upon Randal Keynes’ book, ‘Annie’s Box’, about the life of his great great grandfather, the world’s pre-eminent scientist, Charles Darwin.
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Film Facts
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Official site: http://www.creationthemovie.com/
UK Release Date: 25th September 2009
Director: Jon Amiel
Writer: John Collee
Cast: Paul Bettany (’Charles Darwin’), Jennifer Connelly (’Emma Darwin’), Jeremy Northam (’Reverend Innes’), Toby Jones (’Thomas Huxley’), Benedict Cumberbatch (’Joseph Hooker’)
Distributor: Icon Film Distribution UK
Certificate: PG
Run-time: 110 mins
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Video on Real.com
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Trailer:
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Premiere:
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