During the early days of World War II, the fate of Western Europe hangs on the newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Hitler, or fight on against incredible odds.
Churchill's darkest hour is Gary Oldman's finest. Gripping, touching, amusing and enlightening, his performance is the prime reason this film must be seen - but not the only one.
While "Darkest Hour" is a showcase for Oldman's incredible performance, Wright's aesthetic visually transports the viewer, the images heavy with subtext and meaning.
The film itself may skirt stodginess, but Oldman, who has played everyone from Sid Vicious to Ludwig van Beethoven to Lee Harvey Oswald, never does. (The extraordinary makeup job is courtesy of Kazuhiro Tsuji.)
Were Darkest Hour just a symphony of World War II nostalgia, it'd probably still be a good watch. But because the film makes the effort to go deeper, it becomes something much more memorable.
How badly we need another Winston Churchill film is open to question. Nonetheless, Joe Wright's contribution to the genre is welcome, largely because of Gary Oldman in the leading role.
"Darkest Hour's" greatest achievement is reminding us how different the world almost was but for one man's ability to lead others to fight against fascism.
