“Darkest Hour” – Gary Oldman is the best part of Joe Wright’s stridently ordinary biopic about Winston Churchill. The film is a paint-by-numbers affair that shows Churchill’s journey from awkward political interloper to the legend celebrated by many today. Oldman supplies all the gravitas the role calls for and then some under makeup that is alternatively good and reminiscent of Fat Bastard from “Austin Powers.” The film around him doesn’t live up to the standards he sets. It feels like a solid made-for-TV film more than a powerhouse Oscar contender.
– Michael Olinger, March 1, 2018
