DVD: Darkest Hour
In the early scenes of Darkest Hour all I could think of was how much more Brian Cox looked like Churchill than Gary Oldman does, in their respective turns at impersonating the man. Cox however delivered a Churchill that left the viewer feeling some what cold towards the man, where as Oldman delivers a Churchill that leaves us feeling invigorated.
And in that, by the end of the film it didn’t matter who looked most like Churchill, because Oldman WAS Churchill.
Of course whilst Cox’s Chruchill had to deal with the looming invasion of Normandy, Oldman was fighting not only for the survival of his newly bestowed Prime Minister’s role, but for the very survival of the British Empire.
Oldman brings Churchill’s vicious wit and compassionate heart to life in his powerful portrayal that breaths life into one of the most important moments in World War 2. In what could have been a play by the numbers BBC drama about political posturing, we have instead an tale that builds to an edge of your seats political thriller, which is no mean feat seeing as we all know the final outcome prior to sitting down to watch the story unfold.
Not only is Darkest Hour an entertaining glimpse behind the scenes of the ramblings of what some would call a drunkard, but it surprisingly serves well as a perfect appetizer to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.
Rating: PG Parental guidance is recommended for younger viewers. NOTE: Coarse Language.
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