I'm going to start this review by saying that Gary Oldman deserves a medal. Not just because his acting in Darkest Hour is compelling and completely believable, but also because he wholeheartedly committed with his Churchill fatsuit and looked completely believable! Gary Oldman also deserves lots of acting awards, because his acting was ruddy fantastic. This could very well be a 400+ word review purely on Gary Oldman, but then I might start to annoy you by repeating the words Gary Oldman so much you'll stop reading. So there. 

Let's go back a few steps first. Gary Oldman who? Believe it or not, it actually starts with Winston Churchill. Set in a war shaken Britain in 1940, the threat of invasion is high and there's a need for a strong leader, forcing current Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain out of his position. Against the odds (and opposition within his own party), blunt-talking and cigar-smoking Churchill becomes PM, mainly because the opposing party wouldn't really have anyone else. Meanwhile, there's politics, there's the horrible tragedy and reality of the war, there's Dunkirk, and there's potential talks of a deal with Hitler. Much of the battle is off-screen, with director Joe Wright instead focusing on a different type of conflict and struggle much closer to home. The setting is split between Parliament, the War Rooms, and No.10 Downing Street, but it's hard to forget that the stakes away from home are critically high. And then there's Gary Oldman as Churchill (more on that earlier and later, obviously), an acting and makeup masterclass in itself. One of British history's most iconic 'characters' has been brought to life time and time again, but this performance will be one that's sure to make film history too.

Decision-making and speech-writing are two of the primary features of this war drama. To better try and tell the tale, Lily James plays Elizabeth Layton, Churchill's newly-employed secretary. It works for the most part, especially as he recites and she types his now forever famous words, but mostly operates as our fly-on-the-wall and window to the outside world. Lily James is given a lot of screen time, and plays Layton with doe-eyed innocence but that's about it. The second leading lady in this film is a classy Kristin Scott Thomas as Clemmie Churchill, often a name less remembered but still a vital part of any biographical feature involving her husband. She is a pillar of subtle strength and strikes a stark contrast to much of the confrontations that happen outside of closed doors. Ben Mendelsohn also puts in a noteworthy complex performance as King George IV.

Going back to the rousing speeches which are still famous today, they are recreated with the same vigour as we see in the documentaries and archives. And this of course comes down to Gary Oldman. We all know he's an accomplished actor and is actually a bit of a chameleon - just compare Sirius Black in Harry Potter to Commissioner Gordon in The Dark Knight trilogy. But this is a whole new level - from mannerisms to voice to even walking - every detail has been poured over.  And then there's the obvious part about Oldman looking nothing like Churchill (the only thing they really have in common is that they are men who are famous glasses-wearers); the physical transformation alone is award-worthy and surely setting a bar for all future biographical adaptations. Apparently it took 4 hours each morning, and Oldman only accepted the role with the help of retired and twice Oscar-nominated makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji (whose CV includes Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes before CGI, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas). The finished result is absolutely mesmerising and the only giveaway is the familiar twinkle in Oldman's eyes. Needless to say I'm gunning for all the awards for both Best Actor and Best Makeup because both would be thoroughly deserved. In Oldman you have a seasoned actor at the peak of his career, able to captivate his audience just like his character, to the point where you fully forget who Gary Oldman is for a moment.

The first few weeks of Churchill's career as Prime Minister included Operation Dynamo, otherwise known as the dramatic evacuation of Dunkirk. Whilst it's not as thrillingly tense as 2017's Dunkirk (also doing well in the awards stakes), it shows the upsetting behind-the-scenes decisions, including abandoning the troops in Calais as a distraction. You could almost watch both films simultaneously as part of a History lesson.

Darkest Hour showcases some excellent cinematography and score, as well as all the usual things you'd expect from a period drama. At over 2 hours long, however, it does tend to drag a bit in places. There's also a scene on the London Underground which is moving, but probably using a lot of artistic license - it's a little bit corny and will be like Marmite to audiences. Where it goes over and beyond lies within the sublime acting. I watched Darkest Hour at a screening before Christmas (thanks to my friend Jamie!) and all I've been going on about for the past few weeks is how bloomin' amazing Gary Oldman is. On the whole, this is another Winston Churchill story brought to life, but it will be the one that everyone keeps talking about for years to come.

Darkest Hour is in cinemas now.