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Darkest Hour
(Focus Features/Working Title)
By Lucas Allen
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, “Darkest Hour” has been hailed as a true-to-life account of Britain Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s first four weeks in office. Atonement director Joe Wright gives a good combination of comedy and drama while the film itself is anchored by a powerhouse performance by Gary Oldman. While it’s certainly one of those movies designed to get awards notice, it still delivers plenty for those looking for something interesting to watch in their biographical films.
In May of 1940, Britain is in political shambles as the German army marches through Europe. After Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) resigns, members of Parliament scramble to find a new prime minister. Reluctantly, King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) appoints Winston Churchill (Oldman) as the new PM, in spite of problems raised about his record. With the loving support of his wife, Clementine (Kristen Scott Thomas), and new secretary, Elizabeth (Lily James), Churchill goes to work hoping to win both the war and the British public.
But in every step of the process he finds it more challenging than he ever thought. Not to mention, Foreign Secretary Halifax (Stephen Dillane) wants to negotiate peace agreements with Adolph Hitler, putting him at odds with Churchill. With British soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, Churchill risks both his political career and his livelihood to bring his country back on its feet.
The movie does a good job at combining both comedy and drama to create a fascinating display of courage in the midst of darkness. Wright was carefully walking a tightrope when handling a tonal shift between each scene. Some of the funnier moments come off like a Monty Python sketch, but the actors genuinely deliver their lines with such confidence. As for the drama, there’s also genuine emotion involved from everybody that helps keep the movie from falling apart.
Midway through the movie, it echoes last summer’s Christopher Nolan blockbuster “Dunkirk,” when it mentions the thousands of British soldiers trapped in those beaches. One might say that this movie could serve as a prequel, showing the political side of the event that led to the risky rescue operation. However, both movies share themes of courage and survival in different ways that might make it a good double feature. You could pretty much splice in Churchill’s scenes anywhere in the Nolan film and make it a more epic WWII film than the way it was presented.
There’s no doubt that Oldman deserves all the accolades he’s been getting for his commandeering performance that anchors this entire film. Underneath the 60 pounds of prosthetic makeup, he easily transforms into the outspoken leader with authority and nuance. If he doesn’t win the Best Actor Oscar, there’s going to be some angry film fans on the streets the next day. The supporting cast all do their jobs with the highlight going to James proving she can hold her ground when she’s having scenes with Oldman.
As stated before, “Darkest Hour” will appeal to anyone looking for good entertainment in a biographical film especially during awards season. It’s one of those movies that’ll be most remembered for its lead performance than the film itself, but there’s enough good qualities to make it worth watching.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for some thematic material)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.5 Stars (Out of Four)
