Treasure Box of Talents

Rating: 9/10 (7 January 2018)

A very welcome New Year Treat with a cracking script, crisp direction and an engaging cast. Usually, portraits of Winston Churchill tend to be focused on a fully empowered man, complete with legendary wit, oratory and fighting spirit. What makes Gary Oldman's Churchill stand out is his nuance of character, exploring the doubts and frailties of a man at the centre of political intrigue and the weight of impending history. The dialogue is riveting as you are drawn into a very complex dance of war or peace. The events leading up to Dunkirk are explained clearly with the resulting urgency to evacuate bringing a tension to the story total lacking from last summer's, "Dunkirk". Kudos to an outstanding cast, particularly Ben Mendohlson's King George VI.