Creation
How Darwin Saw the World and Changed It Forever
Part drama, part mystery, and part love story. Creation offers a captivating portrait of a deeply complex man. Suffering from ill health and haunted by the memory of his deceased daughter, Darwin (Paul Bettany) is driven to finish his masterwork - even as his enemies increase and the gulf widens between him and his deeply religious wife (Oscar winner Jennifer Connelly). Torn between faith and science, work and family, Darwin risks everything as he dares to challenge the notion of God's plan, and embarks on an entralling journey of self-discovery.
Member Reviews
TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING... - Ricardo
and despite some good performances by Bettany and Connelly, the movie never really takes off. It is slow, sometimes to the point of boring, and unfortunately it centered too much on Darwin's delusions about his dead daughter. Good historical material but simply not interesting enough to make a movie out ofBeautiful Story - anwallette
Although this story is quite slow in parts, it is a beautiful story that depicts the struggles of a man who is at the forefront of science and is effectively "disproving God".
Paul Bettany does a fantastic job as Charles Darwin. He does a really good job at portraying the struggle of his scientific findings as well as his guilt over the loss of his oldest daughter, Annie. His conversations with Annie help to fill in the gaps of the past which have helped to shape him into the man that he was.Science and Melodrama - ampersand
Tonight I saw a quite good historical movie about a Victorian couple struggling to come to terms with the death of a beloved daughter. We witness them withdraw from each other out of guilt, as they each blame themselves for their child’s illness, and for not doing more to save her. The girl’s father especially suffers — his grief exacerbates chronic health problems; he becomes prone to hysterical outbursts; sometimes he sees apparitions of his departed daughter; he doubts (and finally loses) his religion. In the end, though, husband and wife are reconciled to each other and their loss, and rediscover joy in their remaining children. It could have been maudlin, but it’s not: it’s well handled.
Meanwhile, there’s a second plot going on: the husband, a scientist, is writing a book , and keeps getting writer’s block. The book is sure to be controversial and he is worried about the public reaction if he publishes it. His friends keep urging him to finish it and publish, while his wife is against it. A letter arrives hinting that another author may scoop him on the subject. He fights with the local parson over his religious opinions. The two plots interact in various ways.
It would be overstating the case to label this movie Origin of Species: The Chick Flick, but at times the drama got a bit too much. By contrast, Darwin’s work — his great, world-changing book — gets pushed to the background. We see a few flashbacks to the Beagle days, and I would have enjoyed seeing a little more of Darwin-the-naturalist at work, in the field or his study. The movie ends as Darwin sends his draft to the publisher; we know that the real fun starts after it hits the streets. (It is an enjoyable coincidence that one of Bettany’s previous roles was as ship’s surgeon and naturalist in Master and Commander, in which his character visits the Galapagos in 1805, and speculates on how animals get to be the way they are — almost scooping his later role by 25 years!)
Member Reviews
Read All...
TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING... - Ricardo
and despite some good performances by Bettany and Connelly, the movie never really takes off. It is slow, sometimes to the point of boring, and unfortunately it centered too much on Darwin's delusions about his dead daughter. Good historical material but ...Beautiful Story - anwallette
Although this story is quite slow in parts, it is a beautiful story that depicts the struggles of a man who is at the forefront of science and is effectively "disproving God".
Paul Bettany does a fantastic job as Charles Darwin. He does a really ...Science and Melodrama - ampersand
Tonight I saw a quite good historical movie about a Victorian couple struggling to come to terms with the death of a beloved daughter. We witness them withdraw from each other out of guilt, as they each blame themselves for their child’s illness, and for not ...