Listen to Winston

We're knee deep in political leaders when it comes to TV and film.   Let's see. Right now on the tube, there are at least four different Presidents of the United States.   And that doesn't count Kevin Spacey who will be resigning from the Oval Office soon.   

Now, when it comes to Great Britain, we have become overloaded with portrayals of the legendary Winston Churchill.   In the past ten years, Brian Cox, Albert Finney, and Brendan Gleeson have all played him in films.   Then John Lithgow did him...so to speak...in Season One of "The Crown."

Now it's Gary Oldman's turn and his work in "Darkest Hour" might secure a Best Actor Oscar nomination at the very least.   Oldman is the best one to attempt Churchill to date, although Lithgow grew on me over ten episodes.  Given Winston's rough edges and dynamic personality, this is a red meat role for any accomplished actor.   

Director Joe Wright's peek into the world of Winston really only encompasses about a month of the man's life...specifically May of 1940.   He replaces the aging Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister and is immediately thrown into the catastrophe that is Dunkirk and the advancing Nazi onslaught.   Effectively, Churchill is very much alone in seeing the peril down the road and singlehandedly needs to rally the people behind him.

Indeed, the mess that was Dunkirk is dealt with off-camera and most fitting since we were all indoctrinated with that earlier in the year via Christopher Nolan's disastrous film on the subject.  In this case, "Darkest Hours" gives us less and that winds up being more.

People know that I'm a glutton for Presidential history especially when it comes to the World War II years under Roosevelt and Truman.   I knew from my reading that Winston and Franklin had a very interested and protracted relationship.   In "Darkest Hours," we get only a phone conversation between the two (Actor David Strathairn plays FDR off camera).  I wanted to see more and I am hoping somebody makes that movie soon.

For the most part, this film is a series of rousing speeches by Churchill to rally the troops against Hitler.   The problem is that, in a movie full of about 15 such speeches, there are probably ten too many.  Oh, don't get me wrong.   I didn't dislike "Darkest Hours."   It just hits the same note too many times and that can make the eyelids droop a bit.   Still, Oldman is masterful and merits your attention and attendance.

Let's get those Nazi bastards.

LEN'S RATING:  Three stars.

Dinner last night:  Leftover baked ziti.