Review of Their Finest (2017) by Roger H — 29 Apr 2017

Surprisingly good! Similar time period as The Imitation Game but much better all the way around. Going in I wasn't sure if it was a drama or a comedy but it turned out to be a bit of both, while keeping away from the Hollywood-style schlock that sunk The Imitation Game. Even better, it pokes fun at Hollywood style schlock!

I didn't expect to be moved by this movie, but I was. Mostly this is due to the fantastic job Gemma Arterton does as the lead. Bill Nighy injects just the right blend of comedy that slowly distills into pathos, and this also takes off some of the pressure for the movie to be a pure "romance" movie. Because, frankly, the romantic angle wasn't all that convincing for me ... there was never a single scene where it was evident why Cole (Atherton) would fall for the guy.

There were a few twists along the way that kept the film from being predictable, and a few scenes thrown in just because they were good scenes (such as everyone singing in a pub), even though they weren't strictly needed to "advance the story". I saw this on my own but will watch it again with the wife once it becomes streamable.