Darkest Hour puts Joe Wright back on track with this patriotic drama.

Rating: 8/10 (24 February 2018)

Forget about 'Pan', every director is allowed to create one bad film. The important thing is the he learnt from his mistake and regressed back to what he does best, British war dramas. Detailing an important month for Britain in World War II where Winston Churchill is positioned as prime minister. With the weight of the country on his shoulders, he must battle, not just Nazism, but his own parliament. I don't think we can fully appreciate and grasp the enormity that Churchill was faced with. Yes, some bad decisions were made where hindsight acts as a wonderful tool for regret. However, he confronted his own war cabinet and progressed the war with his gut instinct, taking into account the British public that he swore to protect. He eventually became a noble leader in a time of need, to me that is commendable. The film expresses patriotism, conflicting views and fear of war rather well actually. After a shaky start with various narrative stumbles that prevented me from being fully engaged, it sets off in full force and consistently kept me captivated. All thanks to Gary Oldman. In an Oscar worthy performance (in which he absolutely deserves the golden statue), he utterly transformed himself. Another role where he became the character, I can't stress enough that he is one of the best character actors working today. He chewed up every scene, particularly adored the moment Churchill takes the London Underground. Simply just watch this film for his acting alone, you won't regret it. The supporting cast were also decent, although it took me awhile to warm to Mendelsohn...slightly miscast in my opinion. Wright's direction was effective, I loved his bird's eye view zooming and the slow motion tracking shots. The inclusion of British wit was of paramount importance and suited the narrative incredibly well. It may not feel hugely creative or inventive, yet there is an underlying sense of competence both on and off screen that has consequently created an assured drama.