Review of Darkest Hour (2017) by Greatmartin — 03 Jan 2018

This is a hard review to write because though Gary Oldman might give ‘the performance of the year’ along with winning an Oscar for his role in “Darkest Hour”, the movie itself is boring, too soon after the “Dunkirk” movie which this also deals with. “Dunkirk” deals with what went on in front of the camera and “Darkest Hour” concentrates on behind the scenes. Sort of remembering the outcome and having seen it just a few months ago are two different things.

Oldman’s makeup as Prime Minister Winston Churchill is masterful as he doesn’t resemble the man at all but he becomes the heavy drinking, heavy cigar smoking, and orator of the first order. He is faced not only with having to make a decision that will affect his country and its citizens but he is also facing the other powerful men in his government who are talking of making a peace deal with Hitler.

Oldman is surrounded by excellent actors like Ronald Pickup as Neville Chamberlain, the previous Prime Minister, Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI, Stephen Dillane as Foreign Secretary Halifax along with Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife and Lily James as his new secretary.

There is one scene of Churchill riding the tube, being recognized and talking to the people whose fate he must decide which is fun and moving from the beginning to the end. It, also, leads up to one of his most famous speeches “We shall fight” that, after all these years, is as moving as delivered by Oldman as it was delivered by Churchill himself.

The directing, screenwriting, photography and music are a little slipshod taking away from many of the scenes but the performance by Gary Oldman holds the film together and makes “Darkest Hour” worth seeing.