DARKEST HOUR

A thrilling and inspiring true story begins on the eve of World War II as, within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history.
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Gary Oldman is brilliant as Winston Churchill, but overall, the movie is pretty average. It seemed to plod along without any real highs and lows that built significant tension. There are some excellent moments — the “fight on the beaches” speech, of course, was one of them. About the only time there seemed to be any real emotional engagement was during a scene on a train when Churchill seeks the views of the common people about whether his government should negotiate with Hitler or fight on.  The problem is that it never happened and the style of the scene is out of sync with the rest of the movie. For me, the movie was educational — at least, the parts I assume were true. I liked the movie CHURCHILL (starring Brian Cox) better than this one because it gave a richer picture of who Churchill was. If you are interested in Churchill or the period, worth a look. Otherwise, I suspect you might find it a pretty boring experience. I do think Oldman may win an Oscar along with the makeup man!