Churchill (2017)
2017
PG
110 Minutes
A ticking-clock thriller following Winston Churchill in the 24 hours before D-Day.
User Review
-
Churchill may have acting as powerful as the titular leader, but bathes in melodramatic blood. Often referred to as the lesser of the two Churchill films of 2017 (the other being 'Darkest Hour'), this historic drama chooses to focus more on Winston's conflict with other powerful leaders to determine the best possible course for Operation Overlord. Bolstered by a stunning central performance from Cox, this is all about the acting. Every other cinematic element is sidelined to ensure that Cox, Richardson and the rest of the supporting cast dominate the screen. The utter ferocity and ruthlessness of Cox's impersonation was highly believable and may just be one of his best performances to date. He is able to portray the internal struggle for power and authority within Winston by showing signs of fatigue. Illustrating the fragility of a towering prime minister who has an entire country on his shoulders. Richardson was good and had a commanding presence, although some more screen time would've been beneficial in establishing the regressing relationship between these two individuals. The story is told very linearly and heavy handedly, which is ultimately the film's downfall. It's as if Churchill himself is holding your hand informing you of everything that is about to happen and what he must do, which unfortunately does allow boredom to settle in. The screenplay was also rather cumbersome where perhaps less is more. The characters just kept on talking as they try to convey meaningful dialogue, but it's all blah blah blahhhh. However, I appreciated the broody undertone. It's a very serious narrative that is incredibly melodramatic (perhaps too much...) which in turn feels more like a historical reenactment than a cinematic film. Certainly informative, which will appeal to WWII buffs, but others may lose interest rapidly. I still enjoyed it nonetheless, and I would certainly give Cox a cigar because that performance was smoking.0 member like this review.
