Awards glory awaits Oldman
Darkest Hour (PG) Whether nibbling on necks as Dracula, working side-by-side with Batman or being Harry Potter’s godfather, Gary Oldman is rightly regarded as one of Britain’s finest ever actors.
His latest role is arguably one of his most challenging yet as he steps into the sizeable shoes of iconic prime minister Winston Churchill.
Joe Wright’s (Atonement) historical drama – set during the early days of World War II – sees a newly appointed Churchill facing up to the crucial decision of whether to negotiate with Hitler or fight on against incredible odds.
It would be quite a claim to suggest this marks Oldman’s finest hour given his impressive back catalogue of work, but one thing is for sure; the Londoner absolutely nails what could have been a very difficult test.
Yes he is adorned with jowly prosthetic makeup to transform him into his imposing subject matter, but his performance amounts to much more than just a gimmick-fuelled impression.
Oldman brings as much vulnerability to Churchill as powerful speech-making intensity and whether he is sitting on the loo or holding court in a room of hundreds, you cannot take your eyes off him.
BAFTA has taken notice of Oldman’s extraordinary turn by nominating him for the leading actor honour and it is more predictable than Donald Trump offending someone on Twitter that an Oscar nod will follow.
There is a lot more to Darkest Hour than its powerhouse lead, however, as Wright makes a welcome return to form after misfires like Pan, Hanna and The Soloist.
Maybe it’s no coincidence this is his finest work since 2007’s Atonement as the two films share a time period and Wright seems very comfortable framing Britain’s difficult past ; this time using an abundance of literal darkness to show how testing a time this was for the nation and its political leader.
Anthony Mccarten (The Theory of Everything) penned the story and hits all of the crucial beats you would expect, along with giving us a West Wing-style peek behind the curtain of the corridors of power – in less lavish, glamorised fashion.
Kristin Scott Thomas (Clemmie), Lily James (Elizabeth Layton), David Strathairn (President Roosevelt) and Australian Ben Mendelsohn (King George VI) are the biggest names, and most familiar faces, among the supporting ensemble and while they all do commendable work, they get rather lost in the glow of Oldman’s brilliance.
A latter, fictional, scene involving Churchill canvassing opinions on a subway train also feels very out of place and like a concession to over-thetop, unsubtle imagery.
Overall, though, Darkest Hour is a gripping, masterful exercise in simple-but-splendid storytelling led by an acting legend at the pinnacle of his profession.