Well Acted but Historically Contrived

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2019)

Winston Churchill is one of history's most enigmatic figures. As Great Britain watches Europe fall to the Nazis, most of the leaders sit, hands in their pockets, trying to figure out what to do. Neville Chamberlain has sold the country out, thinking he has become buddies with Hitler. Of course, the scourge of history would simply see that as avoiding an obstruction. So the call on gnarly old Winston, whose reputation in other confrontations is not that good (according to this film). So we are going to see a biographical presentation of this great man. What we get is a guy that can't go twenty minutes without downing four fingers of whiskey or smoking a dozen cigars a day. He is doddering and forgetful. That's OK. Maybe that was him. I suspect not quite as severe. While this movie portrays the time pretty accurately, they repeatedly stick him in situations where he can deliver pithy comments. A secretary, the young woman who portrayed Rose on Downton Abby, is his confidante. There is a scene on the subway. Did any of this ever take place. I know it is historical "fiction," but we deserve a bit more. It's not a terrible movie, hence my rating, but don't write a book report using the events presented here.