"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat."

Rating: 9/10 (5 February 2018)

It's almost incomprehensible to consider that one man could have such a singular impact, not only on the direction of his country but on that of the entire world. Just consider, had Churchill not stood fast (and he did have his moment of doubt), England would eventually have succumbed to Hitler's tyranny, and virtually the whole of Europe might have been speaking German today. By contrast, Viscount Hallifax (Stephen Dillane) and Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) appear almost like traitors in retrospect, though in their hearts I believe that THEY believed they were doing the right thing by their country. What I didn't expect to see in the story was Winston Churchill's brand of humor, often sarcastically applied but generally effective for the situation. Gary Oldman's portrayal is one for the ages; if you compare his regular features to those of the man he represents here, or to many of the other characters he's portrayed (Lee Harvey Oswald in "JFK", Bram Stoker's "Dracula"), it's virtually impossible to tell it's the same actor. His transformation into the British wartime Prime Minister is simply remarkable.
"Darkest Hour" also has an exceptional supporting cast. In addition to Dillane and Pickup, Kristin Scott Thomas is admirable in the role of Churchill's wife Clemmie, steady as a rock and unwavering in defense of her husband's resolve. Ben Mendelsohn is effective as King George, and though somewhat understated, Lily James was a fine choice as Churchill's secretary, Elizabeth Layton. What this all amounts to for awards season I'm not quite sure as I haven't seen all the principal contenders yet, but as a history buff I'd like to think this film has a good shot at some of the major awards. One ought to consider watching this one in tandem with this year's "Dunkirk", the wartime event that played a central role in this story, though for my money, this was the superior movie.