sildarmillion A movie based on how Charles Darwin wrote "The Origin of Species" would definitely be interesting to me. I know quite a bit about Darwin. I took an evolutionary biology class in college and the professor spent a lot of time lecturing about Darwin. But this movie isn't about his time on the Beagle, or the Galapagos Islands, or even about his pigeon breeding, although all of those come up (actually Darwin's finches never came up surprisingly). There are flashbacks to Darwin's travels and conversation about his observations about the variety of species, but those are all in the background.This story is first and foremost a family drama. And it's also a period piece. I really enjoy period pieces, by the way, especially ones set in this period. But the vast majority of those period pieces involve young unmarried men and women trying to find a spouse. The focus of this period piece is refreshingly different. It is about the relationship of a man with his family. Charles Darwin has a crumbling relationship with his wife and even his children. At the beginning we think this has everything to do with Darwin's struggle with his faith. The more he loses faith, the larger the gulf becomes between him and his family.But we gradually come to realize, that it's not really about his loss of faith. In fact, his failing relationship with his family, his failing health, and even his loss of faith stem from the loss of his eldest daughter, his favorite child. (She appears in flashbacks and hallucinations and is a marvelous character in her own right, especially for a character who is supposed to be dead.)The aspect of faith and religion were also handled well. There are people who are opposed to Darwin's work because it challenges their world view. There are those who hate religion and can't wait to be rid of it. And there are those who don't wish to upset the balance of the world, who view religion as the foundation of society, but at the same time, they are dedicated to learning the truth.I absolutely loved this movie. And the cast was fantastic. Lots of familiar faces like Paul Bettany, Jennifer Connelly, Jim Carter, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Jeremy Northam. (Just realized that the cast is full from MCU cast members, but of course this was before the MCU really took off.) It's not for everyone. I think this for those who happen to like a combination of period pieces and biographies of scientists.

Laakbaar This movie tells the story of a man and his wife struggling to cope with the death of their beloved and wonderful daughter Anne in 19th century England. This quiet, warm and rich film is filled with the details of their home and family life, their relationship ups and downs, their illnesses, their children, their emotional and intellectual life...and their grief. At times it becomes very moving.This movie is beautifully acted. It is riveting from the very start. The last biography I've seen to achieve this level of sophistication was "The Iron Lady".It happens that this is also the true story of Charles Darwin and his wife Emma in the years prior to the publication of "Origin of the Species". The film documents his epic struggle to overcome his physical and psychological turmoil to finish his manuscript.In addition to all this, we're treated to steady but measured doses of the content and background of his theories. You come away from this movie with a deep understanding of the background and social impact of his theory, one of the most important ideas in history. It seems Darwin knew from the start what his theories meant, and it shook him to the core. And of course, behind every great man....I'm thinking this movie is worth about 8.5. As often seems to happen, I don't understand the lower score on IMDb.

blanche-2 Paul Bettany is Charles Darwin, and Jennifer Connolly (his real life wife) is wife Emma in Creation, a 2009 film directed by Jon Amiel. It purports to tell the story of Darwin writing his book, On the Origin of Species during a period of sadness and illness in his life. The film also features Toby Jones, Martha West, and in a small role, Benedict Cumberbatch.Paul Bettany is absolutely wonderful as Darwin, playing him as a gentle, loving, curious man who delves into the study of all species, and concepts like transmutation, human evolution, and sexual selection. He definitely possessed one of the greatest minds ever in existence.A watershed experience for Darwin was his expedition on the HMS Beagle, which helped him formulate many of the ideas he published later. However, the HMS Beagle in the film doesn't get much credit though it is mentioned.The film deals with some devastating events during his marriage to Emma, and an illness Darwin suffered from all his life that was never diagnosed. His wife was religious and feared that she and Darwin would be separated in the afterlife because of his beliefs. This was a concern of hers, but the science versus religious fight actually did not exist in those days. The church saw God as having a hand in evolution, and the character of Huxley (Toby Jones), in reality was not out to destroy the idea of God. It would be some years before he actually accepted the theory of evolution.Darwin was obviously a sensitive man totally devoted to his children, who feared that the fact that Emma was his cousin would harm his children's health -- they had ten children, two of whom died in infancy and one at the age of 10, which nearly destroyed both Charles and Emma. "Our blood is too close," he tells his wife. In fact, his surviving children for the most part lived long lives and had distinguished careers.I found this movie slow going, with beautiful performances and a couple of very, very sad sections. As a result, I went through quite a bit of tissue. It's definitely worth seeing, but be prepared for a film that can sometimes be uninvolving, given the nature and complexity of Darwin's work. Though the film shows Darwin going off his rocker for a time after his daughter dies, this is a fictionalization. He was a dedicated scientist, and he prevailed. The subject of evolution, now evolution vs. creationism, is heavily argued today. Definitely one of the most important men of his century and the centuries that followed.

phd_travel This movie was a disappointment. The focus is wrong. This movie focused mostly on the death of Charles Darwin's daughter and the difficulty he and his wife had coping with it. The evolution subject matter is peripheral and not very well dealt with. It skimmed on the conflict with religion and it wasn't very clear on the theories. The acting is good. Paul Bettany as Darwsin de livers a good performance and manages to act old and sick very well. He is a versatile actor. Jennifer Connelly as his wife looks good in period garb with her hair style and costume she looks like she is from a painting from that period. Her accent is not too British but that doesn't matter. The photography and production are quite good. Overall not worth watching. In the end I felt it was a waste of time.