Don't mess with Oldman's Churchill

Rating: 8/10 (8 September 2018)

Biopics seem to be a dime a dozen nowadays, with some that are a much closer reflection of their subject matter than others. 2017's take on Winston Churchill's defining moments in 'Darkest Hour' comes across as seeming fairly accurate in its interpretation of the brash World War II era prime minister, portrayed magnificently by Gary Oldman.
As the Nazi forces march across Europe, the allies are faced with a dilemma - do they stand down, or up? After a period of appeasement has clearly failed at the hands of Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup), Churchill is selected by England's King George VI (Ben Mendelsohn) to serve as prime minister and steer Parliament and the British Empire toward a path to victory.
What 'Hour' does particularly well is show how authentic Churchill was; a reluctant but willing soldier. The film is inextricably tied to Oldman's performance - without him, this could have been a very different end product. He has everything down to the hoarse chuckle and mannerisms, which explains why he was handed an Academy Award for the performance. But the supporting cast really does a great job not being completely eclipsed. Lily James is an especially bright star, as she portrays Churchill's trusted typist, Elizabeth, in a way that shows a range of emotions, from fear, to empathy, to pride.
'Hour' is a period drama, so is not intended to feature all of the bells and whistles that big budget blockbusters are known for. Instead, it's a combination of Oldman's on point portrayal of Churchill, smart dialogue and a chilling score that are what make 'Hour' the solid film that it is.
It's true that hollywood has saturated theaters with WWII-set films over the years, but 'Darkest Hour' is a good example of how there are still some gems to be found in the rough.