***/**** (3.5 stars)
Recently appointed Prime Minister, Winston Churchill must make a crucial decision for the future of Great Britain: fight on against the overwhelming Nazi force, or engage in peace talks with the enemy.
There is no shortage of depictions of Winston Churchill on film and TV. A behemoth in our world's recent history, his presence on screen is one that we have become used to. Taking on the Prime Minister after his appointment during World War Two, Gary Oldman offers us a somewhat tender, unusual perspective on the cigar-smoking icon. Much like the depiction of Adolf Hitler in Downfall, we witness a frailty here - a sense of doubt and misgiving that has been overlooked of late. Jumping from tyrannical-esque outbursts to moments of quiet solemnity, Oldman's performance offers a very human insight into a man grappling with himself, his past choices and the weight of his new position, all the while maintaining a touch of humour too. This sense of inner turmoil and separation is not just reflected in Oldman's excellent performance, but in many of the more striking images within the film itself. At one point, we see Churchill riding alone in a lift - the rest of the screen remains black, but we watch as he ascends from bottom to top in deep solemnity. Similarly, there are moments when he is seen looking through windows into rooms packed with talking men, whilst he stands alone outside. The weight of the decision he must make is made truly apparent.
It's a shame, then, that other parts of the film are altogether rather ordinary. Aside from Oldman's excellent performance and the brilliant use of visuals (the use of the date appearing on screen, a scene reflected in the eye of a soldier and the departure of the fishing vessels from Dover are all things you should look out for), the rest seems unfortunately quite clunky. The charm of Lily James (playing a newly employed typist) soon wears thin, partly down to cliched tropes and a wholly undeveloped character. Kristen Scott Thomas, too, is left to fill in the edges, although the relationship between Clemmie and Churchill is portrayed in a touching manner. The most ill-judged part in the whole script, however, is a section in which Churchill meets with 'the people' on an underground train. A scene so saccharine it almost makes your toes curl, it somewhat flattens the credibility of the film and comes so close to the end that there's not enough remaining footage to help you forget.
Despite an award-winning performance by Gary Oldman as the war hero himself, Darkest Hour was not the 'masterpiece' that other critics have suggested. With poorly developed characters left waiting in the wings for their 'moment to shine', the rest of the film progresses in a formulaic fashion which adds nothing new to the war movie catalogue. Not a poor film by any stretch, it unfortunately fails to live up the hype, leaving it to become a Sunday evening go-to.
Recently appointed Prime Minister, Winston Churchill must make a crucial decision for the future of Great Britain: fight on against the overwhelming Nazi force, or engage in peace talks with the enemy.
There is no shortage of depictions of Winston Churchill on film and TV. A behemoth in our world's recent history, his presence on screen is one that we have become used to. Taking on the Prime Minister after his appointment during World War Two, Gary Oldman offers us a somewhat tender, unusual perspective on the cigar-smoking icon. Much like the depiction of Adolf Hitler in Downfall, we witness a frailty here - a sense of doubt and misgiving that has been overlooked of late. Jumping from tyrannical-esque outbursts to moments of quiet solemnity, Oldman's performance offers a very human insight into a man grappling with himself, his past choices and the weight of his new position, all the while maintaining a touch of humour too. This sense of inner turmoil and separation is not just reflected in Oldman's excellent performance, but in many of the more striking images within the film itself. At one point, we see Churchill riding alone in a lift - the rest of the screen remains black, but we watch as he ascends from bottom to top in deep solemnity. Similarly, there are moments when he is seen looking through windows into rooms packed with talking men, whilst he stands alone outside. The weight of the decision he must make is made truly apparent.
It's a shame, then, that other parts of the film are altogether rather ordinary. Aside from Oldman's excellent performance and the brilliant use of visuals (the use of the date appearing on screen, a scene reflected in the eye of a soldier and the departure of the fishing vessels from Dover are all things you should look out for), the rest seems unfortunately quite clunky. The charm of Lily James (playing a newly employed typist) soon wears thin, partly down to cliched tropes and a wholly undeveloped character. Kristen Scott Thomas, too, is left to fill in the edges, although the relationship between Clemmie and Churchill is portrayed in a touching manner. The most ill-judged part in the whole script, however, is a section in which Churchill meets with 'the people' on an underground train. A scene so saccharine it almost makes your toes curl, it somewhat flattens the credibility of the film and comes so close to the end that there's not enough remaining footage to help you forget.
Despite an award-winning performance by Gary Oldman as the war hero himself, Darkest Hour was not the 'masterpiece' that other critics have suggested. With poorly developed characters left waiting in the wings for their 'moment to shine', the rest of the film progresses in a formulaic fashion which adds nothing new to the war movie catalogue. Not a poor film by any stretch, it unfortunately fails to live up the hype, leaving it to become a Sunday evening go-to.
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