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Related: Culture Forums, Support Forums'Darkest Hour' - incredible film. No Spoilers.
But seriously, if you know what the film is about, you already know the outcome.
Astonishingly good film. Calling it a two-hour episode of 'The Crown' would be largely accurate, but a gross oversimplification. It shares with 'The Crown' the idiosyncracy of always having a veil of pallid, misty light spilling into every window in the building.
Gary Oldman proves yet again what a gifted actor he is. Having studied Churchill for years, I can tell you that Oldman absolutely nails the role. Every tic, every mannerism is down perfect; even the angle at which Churchill allowed his cigar to dangle when he was lost in thought, and on the correct side of his mouth (the left).
Additional plaudits should go to the makeup artists who transformed the handsome Steven Dillane into the dull and unappealing Lord Halifax.
Ronald Pickup gives a heartbreaking portrayal as Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain, with his policy of appeasement, is rarely spoken of with respect anymore. But here, desire to make peace with Hitler or not, one feels one's heart breaking for the tragic and doomed figure.
I have to offer applause to Ben Mendelssohn, an actor I had never heard of before, for his portrayal of 'Bertie', King George VI. We Americans know this underrated British King primarily through his portrayal by Colin Firth in The King's Speech, and by Jared Harris in 'The Crown'. Neither actor resembled King George in the slightest. But Mendelssohn bears an eerie resemblance to him. And he got the famous stammer down flawlessly.
Great film. Total Oscar bait, but great film anyway.
VMA131Marine
(4,149 posts)The Allies win!
matt819
(10,749 posts)I used to watch Combat. When my father pulled me away from it to do something else, hed tell me the same thing. Ill tell you how it ends. We won.
gordianot
(15,243 posts)The Soviets in their new incarnation have come back. Dark days indeed.
dawg day
(7,947 posts)Kristen Scott Thomas is wonderful as the brittle but strong Clementine Churchill.
And Lily James did a great job in what is actually a difficult role to do well, the ingenue secretary. Great in the scene where she has to explain why Churchill's backwards "Victory" sign (two fingers) might be interpreted as "Up your bum!"
Aristus
(66,462 posts)Astonishingly so.
Sneederbunk
(14,300 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)Zoonart
(11,878 posts)Ben Mendelssohn in Netflix Bloodlines- with Sissy Spaceck and the late Sam Shepard, and Kyle Chandler. All are amazing in this family crime drama.
Upthevibe
(8,071 posts)about Churchhill. I'll be shocked it Gary Oldman doesn't win the Oscar. It was truly one of the best performances I've ever seen and I've been to a lot of movies (kind of a movie fanatic).
Zoonart
(11,878 posts)I have not seen the movie yet, but will this week. I agree on all counts and Gary Oldman is an incredible talent. I have been hooked on him since Sid and Nancy and as Joe Orton in Prick Up your Ears. Not to mention Coppola's eccentric masterpiece, Dracula.
Have a great New Year! filled with great films.
sarge43
(28,945 posts)He isn't capable of anything less than stellar performance.
Cicada
(4,533 posts)Delaying war allowed British and American factories to build planes and weapons essential for victory. If the Battle of Britain had been a year earlier Britain would have lost all its planes assuring its defeat.
Not everyone sees it that way, but the 1938 Munich agreement bought Great Britain a full year to increase military recruiting, pilot training, and armaments production.
Of course, the only word anyone remembers anymore is 'appeasement'. No matter how stupid, ill-advised, or morally bankrupt a move towards war might be, the voices of reason are always accused by the bloodthirsty hawks of appeasement.
lostnfound
(16,189 posts)Theres few movies that I can take two picky people to the young one likes action and the old one hardly ever goes to movies because they are too unreal. This was good for all of us.