Review 434: Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour is a magnificently, emotionally powerful war drama film, anchored by a masterfully captivating performance by Gary Oldman.

In May 1940, Britain and France are allies in World War II against Nazi Germany. Before the German invasions of Belgium and the Netherlands, British Prime Minster, Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) is forced to resign due to being too weak to protect national security. Though Edward Wood, Earl of Halifax (Stephen Dillane) is the frontrunner to replace him, Winston Churchill, the First Lord of Admiralty (Gary Oldman) is selected.

Despite being right about the danger from Adolf Hitler, Churchill is unpopular because of disasterous the Gallipoli Campaign.

With few friends in Parliament, Germany closing in on France and the army stationed their as well as the War Cabinat urging him to sue for peace with Hitler, Churchill must keep b*ggering if he has any hopes of leading Britain through the Darkest Hour.

The plot is as magnificently uplifting as it is inspirational & emotionally powerful. Not only is it a fantastic period piece. It's also a very inspirational film, 

Director Joe Wright’s direction is sublime, the score by Dario Marianelli is magnificent, the cinematography is beautiful and captures the grim, dour atmosphere of 1940’s London. You really do get the sense of this being a time when people were living in a vulnerable country. The production design is 

Gary Oldman is simply brilliant as Winston Churchill, in a career packed to the brim with fine performances, this is his best, if not, one of his best performances, expertly capturing Churchill’s gruffness, his manerisms, his hands on style approach to handling the current political climate

Lily James is wonderfuly playing Elizabeth Nel, Churchill's personal secretary. She was his closest confidant

As Edward Wood, Earl of Halifax, Stephen Dillane plays a character not to dissimilar to Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones, he believes that Churchill is not suited to run the country and conspires to take over from him.