Darkest Hour

There are some performances that you will never forget. Some actors knows exactly when they have found the perfect character, and they give you a performance out of this world. There are of course plenty of actors who have done this over the years, but i would like to talk about one specific performance that made me completely in love. In the 1994 film Leon, directed by Luc Besson, actor Gary Oldman proved to the world that he was about to strike with such a powerful performance, that no one would defeat him. And he did, as the corrupt Drug Enforcement Administration agent Norman Stansfield. When he made the entrance into the apartment before killing a whole family, he gives some of the best dialogue scenes of the 90´s. I am telling you, just that scene is a masterpiece. Léon : The Professional is a masterpiece in cinema, and the best film director Luc Besson have made so far ( i seriously doubt he will make any film as good as this one again ) Gary Oldman have made a lot of movies before Léon, and have captured audiences worldwide with his splendid acting performances in classics such as Oliver Stone´s JFK, Bram Stoker´s Dracula and True Romance. Nil By Mouth ( a film he directed ) is one of those films you should see, a realistic British film about poor families, where drugs and violence destroy their lives. Gary have kept working in Hollywood for a very long time, and kept making some great films, especially Thomas Alfredson´s film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. I would also like to recommend The Book Of Eli, a very dark post-apocalyptic film that both looks great, and works really well as a neo-Western action film, directed by Hughes Brothers. During the early spring of 2017, i was reading about upcoming cinema releases, and a lot of people were hyped about the new Winston Churchill film called Darkest Hour. Especially for one particular reason, the performance of legendary actor Gary Oldman. I remember seeing the first images, and i was pleased. He seemed to be the perfect choice for this role. As the trailer landed later, i felt that this would be special. And here we are, i finally got a chance to see Darkest Hour. Is this one of the best historical drama films in many years, or is this a film that will most likely make you fall asleep ?

May 1940, the opposition Labor Party in Parliament demands the resignation of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain ( Ronald Pickup ). He is considered to be too weak against the Nazi onslaught. Chamberlain tells Conservative Party advisers that he wants Lord Halifax ( Stephen Dillane ) as his successor, but Halifax does not want to become Prime Minister yet.Chamberlain have no other choice, he must choose the only other man whom other parties will support: Winston Churchill ( Gary Oldman ). Great Britain is in war, and the country needs a strong leader who can lead them in the right way. But does Winston have what it takes, to make sure that Great Britain will stand tall against the Nazis, and make a change in troubled times ?

Historical films can be difficult to portrait, unless you have the right cast and a director who knows how to take on a classic story. In the case of Darkest Hour, this is a really well made film. And the lead role by actor Gary Oldman, is of course brilliant as Winston Churchill. His acting level shines so bright in here, you will likely be struck by his amazing screen presence. And in Darkest Hour, it becomes clear that Gary Oldman runs the show, for the most part. He takes this historical legend, and make sure that he leaves a strong impact. But there is one more actor who also does a wonderful performance. And that is actor Kristin Scott Thomas, playing Churchill´s wife Clementine. The screen time Kristin have, is so wonderful. Her acting level is exactly what this film needs, and she does a really good job portraying Clementine. The story surrounding Churchill is told very well in this film, with many details surrounding his personality, how he worked, and the unexpected choices he made. Of course, if you have seen other Winston Churchill films, you may not be very surprised, since the film follows the historical facts. But that´s alright, because in the end this is a film that manage to make the story interesting through great acting, and wonderful cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel. Director Jow Wright ( who directed the very powerful drama film Antonement and Anna Karenina ) have clearly digged deep into the facts surrounding Prime Minister Winston Churchill. I think this could be one of the most personal portraits i have seen so far, about Winston Churchill. Especially the scene where his wife Clementine bring up the issue that they are broke. Who would have thought a Prime Minister in his position could have very little money ? He also manage to capture the historical images from the war on screen well, making sure it looks professional. If you love historical drama films, Darkest Hour is a film you must see. It is very long since i have seen actor Gary Oldman do such a strong performance as he does in this film, and i am glad i got to experience it again. Now, i feel the need for a whiskey, anyone want to tag along ?

Rating: DDDD