Darkest Hour (2017)

This is the third film that focused on Dunkirk in the same year. Before that, this mass exodus of troops was largely overlooked by Hollywood.
Still, this one shows a different view. First, there was the actual men on the battlefield, then the media and now the government.
Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) is the new Prime Minister, rarely without a cigar and alcoholic drink in his hands. He is not a popular choice and soon, even his own party is against him as for the majority of the film, he refuses to consider peace with Germany and Hitler. It is his idea to divert enemy troops from Dunkirk so they can save their men and to gather civilians with boats to evacuate the troops.
The atmosphere of the government and civilians change over the course of the three weeks the film covers. The civilians will fight tooth and nail to stop Hitler from taking over their country which is absolutely a good thing.
While we can look back and now that thank goodness history played out the way it did, you also understand why they wanted to save lives but don't completely understand how and why their minds were changed, especially since Churchill lied to them in his first radio broadcast as Prime Minister, but maybe it had the effect he desired.
Still, the film is fascinating given Oldman's performance. He buries himself in the role and is truly excellent just as good as John Lithgow in The Crown. Kristin Scott Thomas is excellent as his ever-suffering wife Clementine. Despite Winston's love of country, he does have a good amount left over for his wife, as he should. Lily James is also good as Winston's secretary. At first, he is brutal and borderline verbally abusive to her but eventually grows sympathetic to her and her feelings. Working for him must not be an easy job, but she grows to respect him deeply.
Though the film transports you back to that troubling time and does so brilliantly, it remains murky as to how the machinations of some characters changed by the end of the film. Still, a solid film with superb performances and yes, Oldman did deserve his Oscar. Grade: B+