Review – Darkest Hours
Darkest Hour shows us the tumultuous first month of newly appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman). During this month, Britain is in the thick of World War II and getting demolished by Adolf Hitler, and now faces all of their military being demolished while on the shores of Dunkirk. The country is in danger and it is up to Churchill to decide whether he should negotiate with Hitler or fight for his country.
The movie is a Gary Oldman showcase as Churchill. He is in nearly every frame of this film and he chews it up. With the assistance of some remarkable makeup, Oldman disappears into the role. Much like Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance in Lincoln (2012), there are times you feel like you are watching a documentary. Oldman nails the speech, the walk, the brute demeanor, and brilliance of Churchill. Oldman is one the great actors of our generation, yet has, unfortunately, gone under the radar in terms of awards and recognition. I anticipate a lot of love for Oldman coming in the next months, as he gives one of the year’s very best performances.
The problem with Darkest Hour is that aside from Oldman’s performance, there really isn’t much else to the movie. The movie is pure Oscar bait, trying to appeal to the old, history-loving voters of the past. The historical aspect of the film is interesting, but if you saw Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk earlier this year, you know how everything plays out. The supporting cast is good, with the great Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI and Kristen Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife, Clementine. Both do great work, but neither get enough screen time to show off their acting excellence. Visually the film is fine, but looks more like a BBC original film, with heavy grayscale throughout. Director Joe Wright, a director whom I have loved since Atonement (2007), has made the movie feel more like a play than a movie, with a lot of the scenes taking place in one room and a lot of Churchill speeches.
Which brings me to my biggest issue with the film: the speeches. My issue isn’t with the speeches, but it is the number of them. Churchill gives these loud, grandiose speeches about everything from war to survival to humanity. They are well written and Oldman delivers them with a forceful elegance. However, these speeches felt really Oscar-y, like they were written specifically for an actor to win an Oscar. The speeches also happen far too often, which kill the power of them as the movie goes. Having one or two speeches would have given the film some emotional power, but by the end, I was just waiting for the next one.
Darkest Hour is Oscar bait the misses the mark. Gary Oldman gives a towering, awards caliber performance, but that is all the movie really has to offer. Winston Churchill was a man who deserved a movie as great as he was and unfortunately, Darkest Hour isn’t that movie.
Did you see Darkest Hour? What did you think? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.