Review: Darkest Hour

“Gary Oldman brings his A game and may be headed for an Oscar.”

Winston Churchill may be a man who will never get a full biography film that truly captures the wildly complex man who had many failings and many undesirable personality traits. However, he was just the man needed to lead England against Germany in the darkest days of the second world war.

This film focuses on the first month of Churchill’s time as Prime Minister. The focus is around his struggles as England’s war effort was in serious disarray after years of compliancy under Chamberlain. Germany’s early form in the war looked unstoppable and their innovative tactics caught many countries off guard and they swept through Europe very quickly. The film deals with arguments over possible peace negotiations, as Churchill struggles with doubts and doubters, but eventually finds his feet through his experience in stubbornness. The film also works as a nice companion piece to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, as you could play Dunkirk as the credits roll on this film and it would feel like a natural continuation of the story. However, this film is very much set in doors, with lots of conversations in rooms, chambers, corridors, bedrooms, dining rooms and even urinals. Action scenes are very much absent in this war film. It is after all, a film about weaponizing the English language.

Whilst the film doesn’t give you the whole Churchill character, Oldman is so good in the role that he lifts his performance well above a Churchill impression. The trailer for the film doesn’t

really give a great demonstration of how good Oldman is in the role, as it showed mostly his bigger moments which don’t give you the full context of what he is doing. Everything Oldman does, ever mannerism, every inaudible muttering, add strong subtlety to the role and it’s not at all the caricature that you might expect. You can’t help but like this Churchill, but you do get a strong sense of much of the failings of the man. The make up is exceptional, aided by the fact that Oldman is less than 10 years younger than Churchill was at this time.

The supporting characters are well played. Lilly James is very good as Churchill’s typist, adding some innocence to scenes involving a lot of old men. Kristin Scott Thomas provides a very good counter to Oldman’s Churchill as the supportive wife who is both brash and controlled, holding herself together to get the best out of her husband. She is missed a little in the later parts of the film however, and she has a strange scene towards the end which feels almost placed there just to bring her back into the story. Any time she is on screen, the film lightens up considerably. Ben Mendlesohn is fantastic as King George. It’s not a flashy role, and it features a lot of stiffness in parts, suiting the awkwardness of both the character of George and his struggles with Churchill, a man he did not warm to easily. Menlesohn is very controlled in the role and the scenes with Oldman work very well, with one under playing everything and one completely buried in his larger than life character.

The film does feature some slow sections that do drag a fair bit. It does infuse some of these scenes with some dry humour, and Churchill was a funny character in many ways. However, many people may find this film a little boring. But boring is an unfair word for it. It’s an un-flashy and fairly realistic and dry telling of a bleak but kind of outrageous story from history. I could help but feel, that in part, it also features (without intention) some interesting parallels and contrasts, with the current US political situation.

The film does make it difficult for the viewer at times with a lot of tough to understand dialogue and not just from Oldman. I feel subtitles will be very useful when the film is released on DVD.

A very good film to watch for those of us who like history films, as well as well acted drama’s that keep it simple and dry. It’s great to watch good actors demonstrating their skills. Oldman will come close to an Oscar here and anyone who beats him will have to have performed exceptionally well.