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(Churchill) "Darkest Hour" Reviews. THIS is a must see movie. [View all]
About the ONLY movie I'd be willing to pay outrageous cinema prices to see. Haven't seen it yet, but it is at the top of my "to-do" list now...once I get a few days off work.
From The Atlantic:
Nov 27, 2017
Viewers don’t meet Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) for the first 10 minutes of his new biopic, Darkest Hour. The director Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice, Atonement) wants to give the British leader an appropriate drumroll: The film melds impressive archival footage of troop buildup in Europe as the Second World War gets underway with scenes in Parliament of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain stepping down and debate raging over who his successor should be. Churchill is the only man palatable to the opposition parties, but he’s a horror to the reigning Conservatives, including the stuffy Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane), who commiserates with Chamberlain over the brute they’re about to invite into their midst.
In short, Churchill’s reputation precedes him—both in Britain in 1940 and for any viewer watching today—and Wright knows that. He’s happy to celebrate the theatricality of the man, the thundering bulldog who became emblematic of the British blitz spirit, and an international symbol of resistance to Nazi rule. When Churchill finally enters the film, it’s in the grandest manner possible, first shrouded in darkness, then briefly illuminated as he lights his cigar. But, as it turns out, he’s ensconced in bed at home, fretting over his own worthiness for a post he’s sought his entire career.
That’s the dichotomy Wright is trying to pick apart in Darkest Hour. He’s reminding viewers of the undeniable power of Churchill the politician at a pivotal time in his life, when his oratory helped bolster Britain’s resolve to stay in the war after the fall of France and before the entry of the United States. But the director also wants to get at the interiority of this famed public figure, to explore Churchill’s insecurity and fits of depression, and to present a portrait of a man who wasn’t entirely sure he was doing the right thing when he demanded “victory at all costs” from his country.
Wright’s approach works because of the narrow focus of his story. The film’s script, written by Anthony McCarten, is centered on the five weeks between Churchill taking office as prime minister in May 1940 and the evacuation of Dunkirk in June. At the time, Britain’s future as a nation seemed most under threat, and political leaders like Halifax were seriously entertaining negotiating peace with Hitler after watching him sweep through mainland Europe. Outwardly defiant yet inwardly fearful of failure, Churchill is Wright’s perfect embodiment of that tenuous moment.
In short, Churchill’s reputation precedes him—both in Britain in 1940 and for any viewer watching today—and Wright knows that. He’s happy to celebrate the theatricality of the man, the thundering bulldog who became emblematic of the British blitz spirit, and an international symbol of resistance to Nazi rule. When Churchill finally enters the film, it’s in the grandest manner possible, first shrouded in darkness, then briefly illuminated as he lights his cigar. But, as it turns out, he’s ensconced in bed at home, fretting over his own worthiness for a post he’s sought his entire career.
That’s the dichotomy Wright is trying to pick apart in Darkest Hour. He’s reminding viewers of the undeniable power of Churchill the politician at a pivotal time in his life, when his oratory helped bolster Britain’s resolve to stay in the war after the fall of France and before the entry of the United States. But the director also wants to get at the interiority of this famed public figure, to explore Churchill’s insecurity and fits of depression, and to present a portrait of a man who wasn’t entirely sure he was doing the right thing when he demanded “victory at all costs” from his country.
Wright’s approach works because of the narrow focus of his story. The film’s script, written by Anthony McCarten, is centered on the five weeks between Churchill taking office as prime minister in May 1940 and the evacuation of Dunkirk in June. At the time, Britain’s future as a nation seemed most under threat, and political leaders like Halifax were seriously entertaining negotiating peace with Hitler after watching him sweep through mainland Europe. Outwardly defiant yet inwardly fearful of failure, Churchill is Wright’s perfect embodiment of that tenuous moment.
...
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/11/darkest-hour-review/546497/
From Rolling Stone
November 21, 2017
British actor goes all in and delivers a fierce performance as the Prime Minister that saved Britain – and the world – from fascism
Gary Oldman is one of the greatest actors on the planet – and he proves it again as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, director Joe Wright's rip-roaring take on the celebrated Prime Minister's first tumultuous month in office in May, 1940, when France and Belgium are a whisper away from surrendering to Hitler and Great Britain may be next. (How I'd love to see Oldman's take on the Fuhrer).
The British actor, 59, has played real people before, from Sid Vicious (Sid and Nancy) to Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK). But his Churchill is something different. At first, the slender chameleon is barely recognizable in his fat suit and buried under layers of artful, award-caliber makeup, courtesy of Japanese craftsman Kazuhiro Tsuji. But then something magical happens, like it does when the gods of cinema align. Those flashing eyes, brimming with mischief, are unmistakenly Oldman's, and his vocal technique rises to the challenge of capturing one of the most eloquent, inspiring voices in history without indulging in mere mimicry. In his 35-year-film career, Oldman has only received one nomination from the Academy, for playing master spy George Smiley in 2011's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. This will surely end that oversight. Get busy engraving Oldman's name on an Oscar right bloody now.
And those fearing that Darkest Hour is nothing but a dull tableau of blowhard stuffed shirts will be relieved to know that they're in for a lively, provocative historical drama that runs on its own nonstop creative fire. Wright introduces us to the great man lighting a cigar in bed – but from then on, the hard-drinking Churchill is on his feet and demanding attention like the brawling infant he resembles. Whether he's terrorizing a timid, young typist (Lily James) or grumbling at criticism doled out by his loyal, impatient wife, Clementine (a sublimely tart Kristin Scott Thomas), Churchill, at 66, is a lion who's definitely not ready for winter.
...
Gary Oldman is one of the greatest actors on the planet – and he proves it again as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour, director Joe Wright's rip-roaring take on the celebrated Prime Minister's first tumultuous month in office in May, 1940, when France and Belgium are a whisper away from surrendering to Hitler and Great Britain may be next. (How I'd love to see Oldman's take on the Fuhrer).
The British actor, 59, has played real people before, from Sid Vicious (Sid and Nancy) to Lee Harvey Oswald (JFK). But his Churchill is something different. At first, the slender chameleon is barely recognizable in his fat suit and buried under layers of artful, award-caliber makeup, courtesy of Japanese craftsman Kazuhiro Tsuji. But then something magical happens, like it does when the gods of cinema align. Those flashing eyes, brimming with mischief, are unmistakenly Oldman's, and his vocal technique rises to the challenge of capturing one of the most eloquent, inspiring voices in history without indulging in mere mimicry. In his 35-year-film career, Oldman has only received one nomination from the Academy, for playing master spy George Smiley in 2011's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. This will surely end that oversight. Get busy engraving Oldman's name on an Oscar right bloody now.
And those fearing that Darkest Hour is nothing but a dull tableau of blowhard stuffed shirts will be relieved to know that they're in for a lively, provocative historical drama that runs on its own nonstop creative fire. Wright introduces us to the great man lighting a cigar in bed – but from then on, the hard-drinking Churchill is on his feet and demanding attention like the brawling infant he resembles. Whether he's terrorizing a timid, young typist (Lily James) or grumbling at criticism doled out by his loyal, impatient wife, Clementine (a sublimely tart Kristin Scott Thomas), Churchill, at 66, is a lion who's definitely not ready for winter.
...
https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/peter-travers-darkest-hours-gary-oldman-gives-us-a-fearsome-churchill-w512243
This is an important and timely film - especially given the resurgence of neo-nazi sentiment in certain pockets. A movie that the younger generation needs to see.
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