MOVIE: Darkest Hour shines brightly

PAUL O'ROURKE   

AS we enter 2018 and the centenary of the end of the great war, we’ve already had our fair share of movies paying homage to famous battles. So do we really need another one?

‘Dunkirk’, one of last year’s big hits, successfully told the story of the famous rescue of allied soldiers from France during World War II, and now ‘Darkest Hour’ covers some of the same territory, this time from the point of view of British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. 

The film details a few short weeks when Britain was in turmoil, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain has resigned, allied troops are cornered at Dunkirk and the threat of a Nazi invasion looms large. 

Churchill finds himself in power and torn between the pressure to negotiate an unlikely peace accord with Hitler, and his own desire to stand up to the deadly demon from Deutschland. 

The movie is skilfully directed by Joe Wright who has form with other period pieces such as ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Atonement’, and is written by Anthony McCarten who penned ‘The Theory of Everything’. 

Top director, top writer, all we need now is someone to fill the considerable shoes of Winston Churchill. Enter Gary Oldman. And speaking of entrances, Oldman’s first scene is something to behold where he grabs the movie by the scruff of the neck and never lets go until its final moments. 

The challenge when telling a story that is largely known to its audience, is to make it fresh and interesting. This is something that writer and director achieve here, with a lead performance so groundbreakingly good it will no doubt win the Oscar. 

The supporting cast of Kristin Scott Thomas, Lily James and others are all top notch as well, in a production that oozes quality. 

We recommend this movie on its own merits but it also serves as an acting masterclass from one of the best proponents of the art out there. Darkest Hour will brighten your day and we score it an impressive 4 out of 5 stars. 

Other releases: 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri' – 3.5 stars

'All the Money in the World' 3.5 stars