Review of Darkest Hour (2017) by Anderson G — 15 Jan 2018

Experienced Joe Wright makes a solid, historical and preemptively bibliographic film, although at some point the film's handling is dangerous, luckily Joe Wright manages to support his narrative Gary Oldman's fine acting and competent technical direction.

The script counts from days before Churchill to be appointed prime minister until moments before the withdrawal of the soldiers in Durquique, the first act is very good and develops the character well, already the second and third are very embolados, although not a third of because we saw only the tip of the iceberg that Churchill faced in order to save England from the Nazi threat that had dominated Eastern Europe, and the film's conclusion comes just when England will once again put itself in the conflict, praiseworthy, because we all know the story, but few of us know the lines between the beginning of it.

Joe Wright assumes that we all know of the events of World War II and so it accelerates history, embodies acts and gives no chance to the viewer to blink. An extremely dark photograph, a diversity in the use of light, open angles, narrative mirrors and a good soundtrack are part of the technical aspect of the film, and all of them are competent, perhaps the editing leaves something to be desired, but it's more the script's fault than itself.

Gary Oldman understands his character, and acts, maybe he does not live his character in the essence, or maybe we do not notice it because of Churchill being extremely caricature, but Oldman with the course of the film ends up engulfing, and ends up becoming bigger than by Joe Wright, we will have a sure indication to Oscar for Gary Oldman.

Finally, in general terms, we can say that "The destiny of a nation" is an average film, but that by the performances, characterizations and photography, ends up being a little above the average, but it is probable that it does not stand nor between the films more the first quarter of 2018.