Darkest Hour

IF GARY OLDMAN does not win the Academy Award for best actor this year for playing the iconic late British prime minister Winston Churchill, it will be an absolute travesty.

The actor not only exudes the characteristics of this legendary wartime prime minister, but also conveys a range of emotions through close-ups of his perfectly made-up face, his eyes and, most importantly, the way he speaks when struggling to keep his emotions in check.

The story begins in May 1940, with the opposition Labour Party demanding the resignation of then British prime minister Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) for being too weak to protect the country from a Nazi German invasion.

The Germans are essentially at England’s doorstep after taking Belgium and the Nether l a n d s , with France soon to become the next to fall.

Although Chamberlain and his advisers prefer Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane) as his successor, Halifax turns down the opportunity (it was a hot seat at the time).

Chamberlain ends up choosing Churchill, the First Lord of the Admiralty – and the only man the other parties will support – as his successor.

Even King George VI Cast: Gary Oldman, Lily James and Kristen Scott Thomas Director: Joe Wright E-Value: 7 Acting: 10 Plot: 8 (Ben Mendelsohn) has his reservations, but finally agrees with the appointment.

Churchill does come with some baggage of his own (a failed Galipoli campaign being the most prominent) and some quirks.

He soon faces an uphill task in handling the crisis at hand, especially with 300,000 soldiers stuck on a narrow sliver of land in Dunkirk surrounded by the German army on three sides and with the sea at their backs, as well as making the tough decision to sacrifice soldiers in Calais.

He also has to deal with Chamberlain and Halifax, who are members of the War Cabinet and pushing for the government to strike a peace deal with Hitler, and get rid off Churchill.

On Churchill’s side stand a few loyal staff, as well as his feisty wife Clementine (a wonderful Thomas) and new secretary Elizabeth Layton (James) who types his speeches and letters, and provides a voice of the common folk.

This riveting story gives you a glimpse of the human side of this man who is forced to make very difficult decisions in a very difficult time.

Brilliant acting all around, and the scenes between Oldman and Thomas are spectacular.