A masterclass in filmmaking. Awesome, rousing, and unexpectedly moving.

Rating: 10/10 (6 August 2018)

This film is a masterpiece in every respect, and I say that with a certain amount of surprise since it is the first of Joe Wright's films that I have liked unequivocally. I've not seen them all, but those that I have seen have always left me disappointed and frustrated. Not this time.
I went into DARKEST HOUR with high hopes and modest expectations. I hadn't seen any clips, but I'd seen pictures of Gary Oldman's prosthetics, and thought he looked a pretty decent Churchill, and of course the Oscar buzz was unavoidable. But nothing could prepare me for the superlative experience I've just had watching this extraordinary display of talent.
The Churchill prosthetics are far better than the pictures had led me to believe. Perfect in every detail, and without a single visible flaw - even in extreme close-up. And Oldman's performance was easily the finest of his career; a powerhouse tour de force which at several points left me breathless and deeply moved. It is no surprise that both Oldman and Lucy Sibbick won Oscars for Best Actor and Best Makeup respectively. Oldman also scooped the Best Actor awards from BAFTA, SAG, and the Golden Globes.
The rest of the cast, a generous scattering of veteran British talent, acquit themselves admirably and mostly hold their own when sharing screen time with Oldman. But his mesmerising, electric presence is all-consuming.
The screenplay is pitch-perfect, drawing copiously and unavoidably from Churchill's recorded words, with fine structuring and a strong sense of controlled crescendo; the narrative is compelling, dramatic and fraught, with a few scattered moments of levity and some nice scenes of doubt and introspection. But everything leads inevitably and inexorably to the climactic "we shall fight them on the beaches..." speech, which I found infinitely more powerful and moving than the real thing, thanks to the subtle emotional manipulation that I'd willingly undergone throughout the preceding couple of hours.
Which brings me to the direction.
I used to know Joe Wright. We played together as kids. His parents and mine were friends, and I spent many happy days of my childhood at their family business - a puppet theatre in Islington, London, where his mum used to keep me occupied for hours at a time while my mum and Joe's dad were working on recordings for the puppet shows. It was a blissful period of my life. So when I first noticed Joe's sudden and impressive rise as a movie director, I was very excited to see his work. But despite my best intentions, I just didn't enjoy his films. Some of them were very good, and they certainly impressed most other people. But I always had niggles about one thing or another, and just couldn't settle in to them.
Until now.
Wow! In Darkest Hour, Joe Wright has created a cinematic vision that is every bit as stunning as I had hoped. And more. It is a visual treat, with truly outstanding cinematography, and I've already expressed myself about Mr Oldman! In this film, I totally felt Joe's presence, stomping purposefully and, yes, even aggressively, through each scene, personified in Oldman's portrayal of Winston Churchill. I saw Joe's hand in every beautifully lit and composed shot; in the exquisite art direction; the flawless costume design; the rousing and powerful score; the punchy and dramatic editing. In every aspect of this astonishing movie I saw Joe Wright fulfilling his potential as a filmmaker. And somehow it now feels right and proper that it happened with this particular film, rather than any of the others. Because Churchill was the greatest leader our country has ever had. So I'm really glad Joe didn't bugger it up!