The Darkest Hour - Impressions

Darkest Hour is one of those historical dramas that barely get any notice in Malaysia. It is not the kind of film that does well here (Fast and Furious, it is not). But it is the kind of movie I like to watch.

I was particularly drawn to it because of Gary Oldman, a really versatile and charismatic actor (he played Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's JFK).

The make-up is really good and he's barely recognizable as Oldman except for his mouth which is a dead giveaway. But there are instances, especially from a distance, when he really looks like Churchill.

The pace of the movie was moderate. Not very slow but not very fast either. I would have preferred for it to have been faster.

As to be expected, the director does take creative license and has invented some scenes for dramatic effect. I've never been a fan of this practice. I know that it makes for more compelling cinema when they do this but it's fakery as far as I'm concerned because these are non-fiction topics.

Credit goes to Oldman for his portrayal of Churchill, whom he greatly admires (he's said so in interviews). He appears on the screen almost 100% of the time (well, not quite 100% but it sure seems like it). Oldman is immensely watchable and his witty dialogue prevents the film from being a bore, which is could have very well been. It's never easy for historical dramas to be exciting.

Interestingly, Oldman has said in an interview that the only American who can match Churchill in terms of impact and greatness is probably Abraham Lincoln. I've yet to watch Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. I'll probably do that soon. It'll be interesting comparing the pace of that movie with Darkest Hour.