Review of Creation (2009) by Mark G — 24 Sep 2009

I enjoyed it. A very good, sort of quiet film. Paul Bettany gives a wonderful performance, as usual, and Jennifer Connelly was quite good. I was very impressed with little Martha West as Darwin's daughter.

The movie was very sad at a few points and genuinely moving, despite the screenwriters' tendency to use obvious tricks. The movie focuses much more on the relationship between Darwin and his wife and how his daughter's death has affected him than about pushing the theory, which I liked.

I don't know much about Darwin, incidentally, so I don't know just how much dramatic license the filmmakers took, but I did enjoy the movie and I've heard that it will be released in the States after all, so I am satisfied.

I hope that this movie will be used to inspire debate and public discussion instead of outrage and religious zealotry, but sadly, I don't think that will be the case. It was interesting that one of the characters said that they could beat this ("this" being the war between religion and science) in their lifetimes, and here we are, 150 years later and it's still ongoing.

Oh well. Good movie, though. Worth seeing (especially since Paul Bettany still manages to be charming and sometimes even attractive despite the awful wig (with a receding hairline!) and terrible sideburns they've outfitted him with).