Great lead performance that often overshadows the film

Rating: 6/10 (10 February 2018)

In May 1940, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) has just been appointed by his party to become Britain's Prime Minister, thus facing the daunting situation of Adolf Hitler's growing dominance of Europe.
"Darkest Hour" is a beautiful, historical period piece that could also be a companion piece to "Dunkirk" which was also released in 2017. A good chunk of "Darkest Hour" covers the events of "Dunkirk" though more at the behind-the-scenes level.
Oldman is superb in the lead role and lives up to the current awards hype - winning numerous awards and likely to receive more. Under all that make-up, he is very convincing as a legendary renegade - one who never travels with the pack; one who could only lead the pack or go on his own.
Oldman is given many chances to show his talents as the film focuses almost exclusively on Churchill. Unfortunately, this is also a flaw. He is over-exposed. Thus the finale - which was likely intended to be rousing and succeeds to a high degree - loses some of its impact due to the over-exposure. Many scenes last too long and the movie, by the end, also seems too long. But "Darkest Hour" is still worth seeing for its lead performance.