First Take: Darkest Hour- there’s always 2 sides to a story

SYNOPSIS: During the early days of World War II, the fate of
Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston
Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on
against incredible odds.

Back in July, Christopher Nolan gave us an insight into the
Operation Dynamo evacuations on the beaches of Dunkirk- but my Film of the Year
only went so far into the story. With the mighty Joe Wright at the helm,
Darkest Hour handles everything Nolan’s film focuses on with a massive difference-
it’s all told from the perspective of back here at home. And my word it is done
magnificently.

Wright puts his period drama work from films like Anna
Karenina and 2007’s Atonement to good use once again, creating 2 hours 5
minutes of film that gives an extra flair to the story that many people were
only made aware of back in July, however, the pacing does need a tiny bit of
work to make it feel more slick and polished. The script from Anthony McCarten
is exemplary work once again, and with Bruno Delbonnel behind the camera and Dario
Marianelli providing the score, the film has all of the technical credence of a
true awards contender.

And so we hit the Golden Globe winning performances, most
notably the work of Gary Oldman. I can understand why he has been touted as a
major contender for Lead Actor categories, and he absolutely deserves it- his
portrayal of Churchill feels real, believable and most importantly convincing,
even down to his small mannerisms. The supporting cast, which includes Ben Mendelsohn,
Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James amongst others are also fantastic, but this
is Oldman’s time to shine. With a career as expansive as his, it is easy to see
why he has been picked to lead a film like this.

THE VERDICT

Best enjoyed in a double bill with Nolan’s masterpiece,
Darkest Hour is a mighty fine account of the political side of the Dunkirk evacuations
and how they came about. While it may not be perfect, it is quite the benchmark
for this awards season, and with the BAFTAs and Oscars still to come at time of
writing, this will have quite a good run.

RATING: 4/5