Starring
Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James, Ben Mendelsohn, Ronald
Pickup, Stephen Dillane. Directed by Joe Wright. (2017/125 min).
This
is not the role Gary Oldman was born to play. That would imply
he's a natural choice to portray Winston Churchill. Oldman looks,
sounds and moves nothing like the legendary British Prime Minister,
which makes his performance all-the-more remarkable because he is completely
convincing. Darkest Hour itself may not be Oscar-worthy,
but Oldman sure as hell is. If he doesn't take home a Best Actor
statue for this role, I doubt he ever will.
The
film chronicles Churchill's first tumultuous month as Prime Minister of Great Britain, a time in history when Hitler is not his
only adversary. Many of his peers in Parliament, led by 3rd Viscount Halifax
(Stephen Dillane), don't want him as a wartime PM either, especially
with their allies falling to the Germans and most of the British
forces surrounded at Dunkirk. Halifax believes England's smartest
course of action is to negotiate for peace, which Churchill is
vehemently opposed to.
Much
of what transpires is speculated and the film's most inspirational
moment never actually happened, but Darkest Hour has no pretenses
of being a biography or history lesson. Here, the focus is on
making Churchill an engaging character, more than simply recreating
the caricature we're all familiar with. While incorporating some of
Churchill's notable mannerisms is obviously necessary, Oldman's
performance goes far beyond a remarkable imitation. With considerable
help from prosthetics, he looks and speaks uncannily like Churchill,
but doesn't disappear entirely. There are key moments when
the actor we know shines through, mostly in his eyes, giving the character
emotional depth to go along with his gruff charm.
 |
| "Peace-out, Biotches!" |
He's
surrounded by a great cast, especially Lily Brown as Elizabeth, his
beleaguered new secretary, and Kristin Scott Thomas as Clementine,
Churchill's wife. Long-since resigned to taking a backseat to her
husband's career, she remains a loving, devoted spouse, yet
strong-willed enough to temper his frequent tirades. Churchill's
relationships with these two women are interesting - and quite touching
at times - but this is unquestionably Oldman's show the whole way. He
dominates every scene he's in (which is most of 'em) and his
performance keeps the viewer engaged during occasional stretches
when the narrative gets a bit poky.
 |
| "You handle the passengers, Mr. Brown. I'll take care of the motorman." |
Additionally,
Darkest Hour is technically impressive, and not just the hair
and make-up. Considering it's primarily a character drama and actor's
showcase, the cinematography is striking. Similarly, there are
several unexpected - though not gratuitous - CGI-created aerial shots
that emphasize the enormity of, not only the impending threat of
enemy invasion, but the responsibility Churchill carries
almost solely on his shoulders.
Prior
to Oscar night, Darkest Hour would make a great, epic
double-bill with Dunkirk. The latter is a better film
overall, but this one features one of the best performances from an actor
who's long overdue for a statue. Since the Academy has always favored portrayals of historical figures - and Winston Churchill is infinitely more beloved than Sid Vicious or Lee
Harvey Oswald - maybe he'll finally get one.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTES:
"Into the Darkest Hour"; "Gary Oldman: Becoming
Churchill"
AUDIO
COMMENTARY - By Director Joe Wright
DVD
& DIGITAL COPIES
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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