Darkest Hour

Wartime Britain seems to come to the silver screen every year in some shape or form complete with the stiff upper lip, rousing speeches and the occasional tear all in time for the awards season. Quite often I judge these films too harshly when news breaks but they always win me over. Dunkirk bucked the trend twisting its narrative and choosing an emotionally distant depiction and The Imitation Game, a few years before, hit many of the expected targets but focused on a darker aspect of life in Britain so what would Darkest Hour do to be different?

Annoyingly for both sides, 2017 offered two films about Winston Churchill and from what I can tell of Brian Cox's version called Churchill, they both seem to focus right around that pivotal time in May 1940. But Cox was unlucky and his film was long since forgotten come award season in time for Darkest Hour's leading man Gary Oldman to swoop every nomination and even win a few. Before I go any further, I should add that I eventually saw this on a plane while short on sleep but Joe Wright's depiction took me by surprise.

Darkest Hour comes complete with everything I'd expect from a British wartime film but it adds charm, drama and great performances which rise this above the crowd. Oldman portrays the man with a touch of humour and vulnerability as he takes the bold step into becoming PM having seen Chamberlain's poor effort put the party under great turmoil. Does he give in and seek peace-talks with the enemy or continue the fight when the odds are not in Britain's favour?

In some ways, this was made to help Gary Oldman win that Oscar but it's also an interesting story told very well with confident directing that makes two hours fly by. From Winston's telephone call to the American president, his journey on the underground and also his battles with Halifax, Darkest Hour is filled with many great moments and rarely falters. A British wartime film that''s not necessarily the most original but truly well worth watching.