Darkest Hour
Director: Joe Wright
Year Released: 2017
Rating: 2.0
Fueled by tobacco and numerous spirits, England's Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) is appointed Prime Minister - following Neville Chamberlin (Ronald Pickup) - to help his country during World War II, although many other politicians want to appease Hitler and the German forces, which are taking over large chunks of Europe. There isn't much in this that hasn't been shown/told before, and Wright is under the impression he needs to 'doll up' his shots with 'fancy' (read: gaudy) camerawork - it's claustrophobic but never achieves the sense of 'urgency' it so desperately requires. For Oldman, packed in a fat suit and caked with make-up, this is a dream role designed for Awards Season ... and while he turns in a decent performance, it sometimes seems like a bit of a caricature: Gary has never been one to exercise restraint.
