+6
Darkest Hour
41/2 out of 5,( or a B+ )
I'd been wanting to see this movie for a while, and finally got the chance yesterday. I think that Gary Oldman well deserved his Oscar for bringing Churchill to life, as a man of great stature, still to be admired today. And the rest of the cast- especially the always screen worthy Kristen Scott-Thomas as his loyal wife, Lily James as his awestruck and eventually devoted secretary, and Ben Mendelsohn as the king, bound by his vintage elegant manners, while in the verge of abandoning his country should England be invaded- all were admirable in their roles.
A few personal observations: From the start- the visual landscape of the film seemed enveloped in grit, dust, and fog. All was dim, until just before the pivotal ending with parliament, the sun breaks through on an outside street. Apt for the subject matter, and dreary old England where an umbrella is as much a fashion accessory as sunglasses are in South Cali- but for this viewer- it was a bit claustrophobic in terms of cinematography.
Of course I don't know how much the storyline is historically accurate but I' m pretty sure Churchill did not descend to the London subway to interview riders about the war. And yet- as a plot device, it worked and in fact-as a character device it somehow ring true. I do believe that Chirchill reflected deep in his heart of what would be best for the English people - and like any great hero, let his desire to best serve his people guide him. I did most love - of every line in the film- the line from his wife - as he is struggling with the decision of appeasing the Nazis or fighting full force- when she said: "You are great because you are imperfect, you are wise because you have doubts."Wonderful- how incisivelly, and insightfully, well put - to describe a monumental, yet very human, and likable figure as Churchill. I also liked the wry humor throughout, from Chutchill feeding the dog under the table; or teasing his wife, when she asks if they're getting old- "Well you are." It makes a man who could just be formidable - human and endearing.
It is why this film transcends what could be a limited audience - not usually my type of movie btw. Otherwise the movie might only appeal to people who are history buffs, or those who are intrigued by the political machinations in government.( That would not include me.)
But in making this monumental figure real and knowable, the movie is not just a story of political intrigue, but an examination of character and what makes a person a great and inspiring hero.
A side note - as an American I was fascinated at how strongly the King still dominated the government of Grrat Britain then. Nothing I could relate to in our country's history. Another fascinating aspect of the film, deftly portrayed.
I did not give this a solid 5 star rating however, because I did feel the story could have been 'tightened up' a bit. At over 2 hours of what was essentially a movie of dialogue , I did feel it dragged on , and could easily have been edited down to 1 and 1/2 hours.
Still it's a movie I'm glad I saw. I was reminded of Capt. Sully, (who also had a movie made about him) - the man who landed a crashing plane on the Hudson River,and has said he never felt like a hero, but perhaps people made him one because they felt the need for a hero at that time ( around time of USA downfall economy) I would suspect many of the greats of history have had that same thread of self doubt, humility, or just the sense that the measure of who they are is just a need to perform a job well done- as Churchill did . At any rate, Churchill was to me, in this movie, and now in my more vivid concept of history- a grand soul to be admired.
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