DARKEST HOUR ■ Powerful politics
DARKEST HOUR isn’t the kind of movie that you need to see more than once, but it’s absolutely worth watching once to witness another masterclass in acting care of Gary Oldman. If anything, it feels like there’s an air of inevitability hanging over Oldman’s head for winning an Oscar, but from his first scene in DARKEST HOUR you’ll understand why it went to the talented thespian for this particular role.
Like Daniel-Day Lewis’ multiple Oscar wins, Gary Oldman’s performance is more transformative than mimicry. Put simply, Oldman becomes Winston Churchill at a time of his political career that’s ripe for dramatic exploration. At the start of World War II, newly appointed Churchill has been hospital-passed a terrible responsibility that would ultimately prove to determine the fate of the free world.
Basically, if you watched Christopher Nolan’s sublime DUNKIRK, this can be seen as the at-home companion piece to that France-set tale. While Nolan is interested in the soldiers on the ground, DARKEST HOUR writer Anthony McCarten and director Joe Wright focus on the political fight at home. It’s more HOUSE OF CARDS than GAME OF THRONES, and while the proper English formalities and politics may feel like a drag at times, Oldman commands every scene he’s in. Thankfully, that’s almost every scene, which means even the mundane becomes engrossing whenever Oldman is on screen.
In a contemporary world where talk of politics is fast becoming one of the biggest social faux pas, DARKEST HOUR sidesteps becoming a modern-day allegory by rooting itself in history as viewed through the lens of one of the most complex and compelling leaders of the 20th century. Even if you’re not particularly interested in history or politics, DARKEST HOUR is worth watching for the fascinating character exploration.