Movie Review: Darkest Hour

So I went and saw the new Churchill bio-pic and my overall reaction was good, but not great. Gary Oldman's is certainly the standout performance. He really does a good job at the acting, which IMO makes the film worth seeing. However he seems to overshadow some of the others to the point where I was left wondering what their function was other than as historical props. Which brings me to one of my pet peeves with historical dramas in general and this one is sadly no exception. I understand that in Hollywood when you are trying to recreate often deeply complex historical situations and cram them into around two hours, that some things are going to get left out, some are going to be condensed and for the sake of entertainment a few liberties with the sometimes dry historical record are to be expected and tolerated. Unfortunately Hollywood tends to leave out a great deal while taking extravagant liberties with historical reality. Those who are familiar with the actual events in this very critical moment in world history or who have read any decent Churchill biography will have no difficulty picking out the howlers. And if you are like me, they can become a distraction. My overall rating...