Creation Review
By David Kempler
In need of re-Creation
One of America's hot-button issues is fought between those that believe in creationism and those that believe in evolution. Okay, no great revelation there, but when "Creation", the new Charles Darwin partial-biopic, was being shopped, America was the only country where it was a difficult task to find distribution.
"Creation" is an adaptation of "Annie's Box: Charles Darwin, His Daughter and Human Evolution", which was based upon letters and documents belonging to Darwin's descendents. It is a fictionalized account of the turmoil and inner struggles suffered by Darwin and his family, caused by his attempt to get his theory accepted. It focuses hardest on Darwin's relationship with his daughter Annie and the impact on his marriage.
Darwin (Paul Bettany) is married to Emma (Jennifer Connelly). The actors are coincidentally husband and wife in reality. Their daughter, Annie (Martha West) dies very young, and this haunts Darwin to the point where it threatens to destroy his mental state altogether. The pressure on him from both sides of the warring forces of religion and science also weighs on him like large leaden weights.
The central problem with director Jon Amiel's work is that it all comes across as too earnest. Most of the performances feel mechanical; you see them "acting". There is very little natural flow and because of these things you never really strap yourself in for what should be an awesome ride. This is great raw material from which to draw, yet one can't help but feel that Amiel has dropped the ball. There are a few powerful scenes but a topic like this should sizzle, and no doubt, someone will come along one day and create an outstanding production based on the theories of Darwin. For now, I say skip this one and rent "Inherit The Wind" (the original), the story of the great American trial where Darwin's theories were debated in a small Southern town.
