Creation review
It is ridiculous that the subject matter of this film continues to cause controversy but the historical significance of Darwinism aside, as an artistic, dramatic piece of work, Creation is a well made and surprisingly entertaining film.
Too much attention is paid to Darwin’s seriously embellished descent in to apparent madness and a greater contribution from supporting characters could have added more depth and historical interest (although there’s plenty for Darwin geeks to get off on, with references to numerous influential figures such as Lyell, Malthus, Owen and Wallace), but this is possibly expecting too much in what is, ultimately, a film about Darwin’s relationship with his family. Still, perhaps at least a wider prologue (Darwin’s history and his expedition on The Beagle) and epilogue (Darwin’s later years and the impact of his work) would have made it a more well-rounded tale.
It remains an interesting story, however, and it is told with impressive visual flair, throwing numerous images of the natural world and subtle CGI into the atypical costume drama. Jennifer Connelly is excellent but Paul Bettany, in the lead role, is absolutely superb and it is worth seeing the film for his performance alone.
1st Oct 2009 | Official site | On IMDb
