39. Darkest Hour; movie review

DARKEST HOUR
Cert PG
125 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild bad language

I haven't seen the performances of all of Gary Oldman's rivals for an Oscar but they will need to have been utterly spellbinding to beat him.
The greatest commendation I can give to Oldman is that he is unrecognisable as Winston Churchill in Joe Wright's wonderful Darkest Hour.
It is such a pity that its release was diluted by the release of another biopic Churchill, a few months previously.
The two films are very different in their approach but, being factually based, their subject matter has similarities.
Anyway, the Darkest Hour is superior in every way - from Oldman's incredible contribution to the very detailed backdrop down to the high emotion of decisions which influenced the fate of the Second World War.
It is focused on a period in May 1940 when Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) is forced out of Downing Street and Churchill is asked to form a grand coalition.
I was unaware of how unpopular this move was with his own party, the Conservatives, who preferred Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) and even George VI (Ben Mendelsohn).
The crossing of verbal swords between Churchill and those who wanted to petition Hitler for peace is at the very heart of Darkest Hour.
Oldman portrays Churchill as outwardly confident but privately speared by self-doubt. He has also mastered Churchill's mannerisms so well that he has been given the approval of his subject's grandchildren.
And while this is a tribute to Britain's much-lauded wartime Prime Minister it is also open about his weaknesses - notably his bad temper and reliance on alcohol at all times of day.
His more intimate moments are seen with his wife, Clemmie (Kristin Scott Thomas), and his secretary, Elizabeth Layton (Lily James).
A recently discovered letter from the real Mrs Layton said: “We of his personal staff were completely devoted to him, even though he was inclined to be impatient and demanding.
"He was somebody who drew our loyalty and our deep respect and affection ... The negative side was only on the surface. Underneath he was a very caring person.”
This is exactly the mood conjured by Darkest Hour and why the much discussed scene on the London Underground is forgivable if fictional.
It is also why both Mrs W and I found ourselves rooting for Oldman's Churchill as if we were being told a new story.
When handling the story of such a well-known and popular figure the potential pitfalls are many. To their great credit, Wright and Oldman have ensured that they have not fallen for any.

Reasons to watch: deservedly Oscar-Nominated performance by Gary Oldman
Reasons to avoid: plays a little bit fast and loose with historical 
accuracy

Laughs: two
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 9.5/10

Director quote - Joe Wright: "He (Churchill) wrote three of the greatest political speeches in history in a three-week period so the question became how he wrote those speeches, why he wrote those speeches and the potential for language to shape society and change the course of history."

The big question - Did Churchill ever take a tube ride?

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