Some good acting and fine cinematography are watered down in a tepid yawner that moves with the speed of natural selection, but without its irresistible sense of purpose.
Overview
A psychological, heart-wrenching love story that provides a unique and inside look at Charles Darwin. Torn between faith and science, he struggles to finish his legendary book "On the Origin of the Species," which goes on to become the foundation for evolutionary biology.
Director and cast
- Jon Amiel Director
- Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin
- Jennifer Connelly as Emma Darwin
- Martha West as Anne Darwin
- Jeremy Northam as John Brodie-Innes
- Toby Jones as Thomas Henry Huxley
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Joseph Dalton Hooker
- Jim Carter as Parslow
- Ian Kelly as Captain Fitzroy
- Guy Henry as Technician
- Anabolena Rodriguez as Fuegia Basket
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
An intriguing portrait of a man and a time that changed everything.
Jon Amiel, the film's director, tells his story with respect and some restraint, showing how sad and weakened Charles is and yet not ratcheting up his grief into unseemly melodrama.
A great moment in the history of ideas does not necessarily make for a great movie.
Bettany's sheepish performance fails to engage, and Connelly, his wife in real life, seems distant and frigid. There is no sense of romance between them. That may be accurate, but it's no fun to watch.
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