Top 10 Films of 2017

It's that time of year again where I reflect on all the films I've watched and reviewed to tell you my ten favorites. I made an effort to see a majority of the films released this year, but naturally I missed out on some for various reasons. This year I saw and reviewed 71 films in total, but I'll still publish my thoughts on anything I missed once I see it. In my ranking, I'll have a couple sentences to sum up my thoughts on each film and why I feel it earned a spot on my list. I have reviews uploaded for each one, so if you're interested and haven't done so already, you can read my more in-depth thoughts by clicking the blue title once you're done perusing my list. 

I'd also like to preface my list with a few things for you to consider as you read. First of all, this is my subjective list. Not an objective one. That list would probably look a lot more like the list of Best Picture nominees coming next month, and quite frankly, I don't think any of you are interested in seeing those same exact films appear here. These are the ten films that stuck with me most when the year was all over for an abundance of reasons I'll get around to explaining in a second. Another thing regarding my list is that this is MY list. You're likely and liable to disagree with some of my picks, but that's because film is subjective and speaks differently to everyone. Also, it's a high distinction to be an Honorable Mention. Those films are the ones I struggled leaving off the list, but feel deserve some sort of shot-out, so don't think that I disliked a film because I put it in there. The final thing I'd like to say is that just because something is left off my list doesn't necessarily mean I hated it... I just liked these other films even more when all was said and done. 

Top 10 Films of 2017

Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical order): The Big Sick, The Disaster Artist, Dunkirk, Get Out, I, Tonya, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Lady Bird, The LEGO Batman Movie, and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

10. Wonder Woman

In spite of a lackluster villain, a third act that's not quite on par with the rest of the film, and the baggage of being part of the larger DCEU, Wonder Woman defied all odds to emerge as one of the year's most entertaining blockbusters! Gal Gadot shines here by imbuing all of Diana's best qualities, Chris Pine stands out as a charming love interest, Patty Jenkins did an exceptional job directing her first big budget project, and Rupert Gregson-Williams' score is absolutely electrifying. I know there's been some backlash from a vocal contingent, but I genuinely feel it featured some of the year's most exciting action scenes and took huge strides forward in properly depicting a female superhero. 

9. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of the year's strongest films for so many reasons, but it stood out to me because of how well it balanced the extremes of dark comedy and drama while discussing the adverse effects of anger. It also didn't hurt that it was well-written, well-directed, and features plenty of powerhouse performances.

8. Wind River

Of all the films released this year, Wind River was probably the biggest surprise for me. I was hoping it'd be good of course, but I had no idea Taylor Sheridan would leave such a harrowing impression. Like the icy Wyoming landscape presented to the viewer, Wind River is cold and unforgiving with a message audiences will have a hard time forgetting.

7. Coco

Pixar never ceases to amaze me with their ability to tell such emotionally-driven stories through the visual medium of animation. Coco stands as an exemplary reminder of everything the studio is capable of whenever they set their hearts and minds to it. Coco's not only one of the best of the year, but one of their best original films to date thanks to all it had to say on the importance of family and culture while also ensuring audiences enjoyed themselves.

6. War for the Planet of the Apes

Trilogies don't always land on solid ground with their third installments, but War for the Planet of the Apes cemented the Ceasar trilogy as one of the greatest cinematic trilogies ever made. It was epic, emotional, and never lost sight of the series' values. Andy Serkis delivers one of his best motion-capture performances yet while the WETA visual effects team presented some of their best work ever. After it was over, I couldn't fight the desire to bow down and hail Caesar.  

5. The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water is such a beautiful film in so many ways. It's got an attractive aesthetic, important messages to impart, and most impressively, it tells a surprisingly deep love story without either of the two love interests uttering a word. It's simply one of those films that reminded me why I ever fell in love with cinema.

4. Logan

I grew up watching Hugh Jackman's Wolverine for seventeen years. He's genuinely one of the best cast comic book movie characters ever... Knowing he was leaving the role for good was saddening in and of itself. However, Logan was everything Hugh Jackman's sentimental send-off needed to be. It was raw, emotional, and character driven all the way through. It upended the comic book genre by going the way of the Western and it worked extraordinarily well. I'm not even a huge fan of the character of Wolverine, but I consider it to be the greatest comic book movie ever made, and the only one aside from The Dark Knight to truly be deserving of major awards contention.

3. Baby Driver

In a year filled with sequels, reboots, and comic book adaptations, Baby Driver was something entirely original from the brilliant mind of Edgar Wright. It had a tank full of heart, humor, and unpredictability that made it stand out as something truly special amongst the hub-bub of summer blockbusters. I can't say it enough, but this film floored me. Wright's determination to meticulously match the diverse soundtrack full of rockin' tunes with all the insanity occurring onscreen is commendable alone. The fact he managed to pull that off while telling an engaging story about such charming characters only goes to show he's not a creative force to be reckoned with.

2. Blade Runner 2049

Few directors can consistently deliver intellectually and emotionally stirring work, but Denis Villeneuve kept up his streak with Blade Runner 2049. Blade Runner 2049 is simply a masterwork in more ways than one. It's one of the most beautiful films I think I've EVER laid eyes on thanks to Roger Deakins, it features my favorite film score of the entire year from Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, and it expands its world in organic ways while telling a fascinating story. I'm absolutely positive Blade Runner 2049 will become an influential source for many up-and-coming filmmakers.

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars: The Last Jedi split the fanbase right down the middle, and surprisingly wound up being one of the year's most divisive films. You all know where I stand by now, but I was completely taken aback by the rift between fans. It's weird because I watched something that was utterly astounding on so many levels, while others talk about it like they saw something straight out of a trash compactor. Writer and director Rian Johnson dared do to be different and deconstruct Star Wars like no one ever had, and I think it paid off in spades.

'The Greatest Showman' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Song "This is Me" (written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul).

The Greatest Showman is an original musical which gleefully gallivants around the big top to celebrate the birth of show-business and tell the rags-to-riches story of American showman, Phineas Taylor Barnum.

Before I begin, I'd like to preface my review with a few things that I feel are important to understanding my mindset entering The Greatest Showman. First of all, I love myself a good musical (which certainly factored into me falling head-over-heels for La La Land last year). Give me some solid song-and-dance numbers paired with a captivating story that features likable leads and I'm in. Therefore, I was sold when I saw the first trailer for The Greatest Showman. It was an original musical featuring a cast of talented A-list actors I'd dare to watch any day of the week, and to top thing off, Justin Paul and Benj Pasek (the lyricists of La La Land) were involved with the music. 

Despite my immense interest, I only got around to seeing The Greatest Showman yesterday due to the hustle and bustle of the holidays paired with an enormous outflow of film releases. One thing that completely took me by surprise though was seeing quite a few friends on social media glowing with praises for the circus musical and its superb soundtrack. I took the compliments with a grain of salt of course, because I wanted to form my own opinion, but it all sounded promising. I mention all of this because everything I'm about to say is going to sound incredibly nitpicky to those who liked the movie and it will probably be unpopular among my circle of friends otherwise. Before you start typing angry comments when you begin reading past this point though, just know I had a good time with it. 

With that being said, I think it's time I drop the circus act. Michael Gracey steps in as The Greatest Showman's ring leader for his directorial debut, and his lack of experience as a director was especially evident in regards to the film's amateur technical prowess (namely in the areas of sound editing, sound mixing, and visual effects). I'm sure some are probably groaning right now because they don't think that any of that matters so long as the music is good. 

To me though, one of the crucial qualities of a cinematic musical is sufficient sound mixing... and The Greatest Showman's sound mix was embarrassingly unbalanced. "Who cares?" and "What was wrong with it" you say? Well, I think it enhances the experience if you can distinguish and understand everything that's being said or sung without it being overpowered by the accompaniment. Another odd thing about myself that's important for the purposes of this review is that I actively avoid listening to soundtracks before seeing something like this in order to experience it all for the first time in the context it's meant to be heard. There were many moments throughout the film where I had no idea what was being sung because the accompaniment overcame the singer. I'd blame it on the theater's sound system, but it was evident that wasn't the case because there were times when the sound mix sounded just fine. I tried to ignore it, but it stuck out like a sore thumb when coupled with the unsatisfactory ADR (Audio Dubbed Replacement). 

On top of that, the CG used to create the lions and elephants was sorta shoddy at times. Like I mentioned in my Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle review, I'm not expecting War for the Planet of the Apes level visual effects from every film, but the animals were just distinctly fake looking and it was difficult to ignore. I would have preferred there just not been any animals considering hardly any of this was historically accurate anyways. 

I also felt that the script from Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon stumbled in its effort to spin an interesting narrative, and there were a few moments that left me scratching my head in confusion. It's not that I'm looking for a Shakespeare-level plot in this, but I felt the story was lacking in regards to character and substance. I didn't quite buy into P. T. Barnum's redemption arc towards the end, the romance between Zac Efron's Phillip Carlyle and Zendaya's Anne Wheeler could have used a little more attention, and the "freaks and curiosities" felt like an afterthought. 

Now that I've gotten most of my negatives out of the way, let's talk about what I liked. Cinematographer, Seamus McGarvey, did a swell job capturing some showy imagery, the production design and costuming are quite good, the dance choreography was impressive, and the original songs from Justin Paul and Benj Pasek are spectacular on their own. The sound mix is much better on the actual soundtrack, so I don't really know what happened there...

As for the ensemble, Hugh Jackman has proven himself to be an extraordinary performer in the past, and his turn as Barnum is no exception. Jackman simply lights up the screen with an unmatched enthusiasm and committed charisma that's rare to find in actors nowadays. It's a resolute representation of his abilities, but not quite on the level of what he demonstrated earlier this year in Logan, so it's a shame this one seems to be earning more awards acclaim. 

Michelle Williams, Austyn Johnson, and Cameron Seely are great as Barnum's wife and children, but they aren't afforded much to do beyond what you'd expect for their characters. They each have their moments in the spotlight, but this is the Jackman show, so the focus rarely leaves Barnum (if at all).

Zac Efron and Zendaya, both former Disney stars, make the most of their respective roles and are incredibly entertaining in the capacity used. I didn't quite latch onto their romantic connection, but I think that could have easily been enhanced with more screen-time to flesh out their relationship. Amongst the circus troupe, Keala Settle stood out most as the bearded lady, Lettie Lutz, thanks to her spectacular song "This Is Me." Otherwise, I'm drawing a blank trying to think of any other individuals in that group who made much of an impression on me.

Rebecca Ferguson, who astounded everyone with her breakout stint in Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation two years ago, surprised me once again with some sensational singing here. Her character comes and goes quite quickly, but I'm glad she was involved because it only increased my interest in the future of her career.

The Greatest Showman appropriately recaptures the experience of attending a circus. There's plenty of showy spectacle to distract you from the humdrum of life, but not too much substance underneath it all. However, I must say "come one, come all!" to fellow musical fanatics! You'll certainly be entertained.

Film Assessment: B-

'A Ghost Story' Review

A Ghost Story shadows a young couple as the husband dies and returns to his home to attempt and reforge a connection with his emotionally overwhelmed wife in the form of a white-sheeted ghost invisible to the human eye. The film that follows then details a unique exploration the importance of legacy, love, and life.

David Lowery writes, directs, and edits A Ghost Story as his follow-up to the Pete's Dragon remake he directed for Disney last year. Lowery makes the distinct decision to shoot A Ghost Story in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio (to give you an idea of what that looks like, all the remaining images from the film I'm including in this review will be in that aspect ratio). For those confused as to what an aspect ratio is, it's defined as the ratio of width to height of an image or screen. If you'd like to hear more about aspect, here's a video essay that explains aspect ratios far better than I ever could... 

So now, you hopefully have some understanding of what an aspect ratio actually is and I can carry on...

Lowery has gone on record saying the use of that aspect ratio was intentional for the purposes of visually conveying the claustrophobia Casey Affleck's ghost felt after becoming a ghost and being trapped within the confines of his old life. Speaking of which, A Ghost Story is a film that always takes the opportunity to show rather than tell. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo lets the camera linger for long periods of time to demonstrate what it's like to be condemned to such purgatory as a ghost. There's rarely any accompanying score utilized, but Daniel Hart's compositions are eerie when they do creep in, certainly communicating the ethereal plane of ghosthood. 

It's difficult to describe exactly how I felt about A Ghost Story because I can't help but admire the ambiguous artistry on display. However, it's a VERY slow-paced film so it was easy to lose focus every time I got bored. For that reason, I can't really recommend you watch A Ghost Story because I know you may struggle with that same issue. 

Anyways, A Ghost Story is an otherworldly artistic film. A Ghost Story was haunting, but not in the proverbial sense. Scary? Nope. Pretentious? Absolutely. For one, it's a meditative film that focuses on the meaning of life and all that mumbo jumbo. There are no clear cut answers to anything that happens because you, as the viewer, must interpret everything you just witnessed. While I don't mind a bit of ambiguity, A Ghost Story overdoes it to the point where things just abruptly happen and there's not much around to explain it all because the film is low on dialogue. 

Secondly, the protagonist essentially wears an iconic homemade Halloween costume for a large duration of the film's running time. I did often wonder if Casey Affleck was actually underneath the sheet or not because there's no way to tell, and honestly it could have been anyone acting underneath considering the ghost just walks around.

Then there's the infamous five minute scene where Rooney Mara scarfs down almost an entire pie. That was surely something else, and I've gotta hand it to Mara for making that scene work. It could have easily become laughably stupid, but Mara committed to the idea that the pie functioned as a comfort mechanism in her grieving process.

Otherwise, Affleck and Mara produce the quality performances you'd expect from such accomplished actors. They aren't offered much dialogue, so their performances are purely physical and I personally had difficulty investing in them as characters because there's not much there for either "C" or "M" beyond the surface level. As a result, I was emotionally detached from the story for the entirety of my viewing experience.

While certainly well made, A Ghost Story didn't linger with me afterwards as much as I'm such Lowery would have liked. Instead, I just thought to myself "Wow... That was overly long, slow, boring, and quite pretentious." 

Film Assessment: C+

'Ferdinand' Revew

Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.

Ferdinand frolics inside a Spanish bullfighting camp alongside a young bull named Ferdinand. Ferdinand isn't like the other bulls in the training camp because he's not interested in the sport of bullfighting. All Ferdinand wants to do is sit around and smell flowers. One day, Ferdinand gets his wish when he escapes the camp and is adopted by a young farm girl, Nina. Ferdinand grows up under Nina's care and the two become friends who relish in nature's beauty together. After a massive misunderstanding, Ferdinand is captured and taken from his new home to train at a bullfighting camp. Fueled by an innate desire to reunite with the family and avoid ending up in the ring against legendary bullfighter El Primero, Ferdinand forms a motley crew of critters and sets out on an exciting adventure.

Ferdinand is steered by director Carlos Saldanha, featuring a screen story from Ron Burch, David Kidd, and Don Rhymer as well as a screenplay by Robert L. Baird, Tim Federle, and Brad Copeland that adapts the classic children's book written by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson. If you're at all familiar with The Story of Ferdinand, you'll know that it's quite short and straightforward. It's generally agreed to contain valuable messages as it encourages kids to be themselves and takes a commendable stance in supporting pacifism.

However, as much as Ferdinand wants to champion those worthwhile themes, it also can't help but MOOO-ve around the creative pasture a little too much. Like most mediocre animated works, Ferdinand is all over the place and shoehorns as many needless jokes as you can possibly imagine. For every clever incorporation of tasteful humor like an literal interpretation of the age-old idiom "Bull in a china shop," Ferdinand has a dance-off featuring twerking bulls. Why? Because that's exactly what every kid is dying to see, right? Probably, but I just wish they hadn't stooped so low. 

Elsewhere, the animation in Ferdinand is adequate and well-constructed while the music incorporated in the feature helps to maintain Ferdinand's fast pace. I just wish the filmmakers had been more focused in their efforts to translate what could have been an endearing story because what they brought to the table was a half-baked attempt. 

In the wide stable of voice actors, Ferdinand features the likes of John Cena, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Cannavale, Anthony Anderson, Peyton Manning, David Tennant, Gina Rodriguez, Daveed Diggs, Gabriel Iglesias, Flula Borg, Sally Phillips, and Boris Kodjoe as Ferdinand and his merry band of animals. The supporting caricatures include an assorted band of bulls, a kooky calming goat, three troublesome hedgehogs, and some haughty German horses. They all factor into the narrative somehow though, whether it be for the purposes of a quick one-off joke or a running gag.

I'm someone who has always been bothered when others refer to animated films as "kid movies" when there are so many exemplary animated films out there with depth and substance, but then you have family films like Ferdinand that remind you where that idea originated from. Ferdinand had potential to be a sweet adaptation of a beloved children's book, but is okay at best. It's fine for young children, and will keep their attention for about an hour and a half, but parents may have their patience tested rather quickly. All I can really say is "Well, at least it wasn't a load of bull crap!"

Film Assessment: C+

'The Disaster Artist' Review

[This review was originally written in December 2017 and is now being published that my internship is over. For an explanation of this, visit my Fall 2017 Important Update post.] 

Nominated For: Best Adapted Screenplay.

The Disaster Artist follows aspiring film actor Greg Sestero as he meets the strange and mysterious Tommy Wiseau in an acting class. The two quickly become friends and decide to move to Hollywood in order to pursue their acting ambitions. Once they decide they've faced enough rejection, the two decide to realize their dream by making their own movie. The Disaster Artist then details the conception of one of the worst films ever made, The Room.

The Disaster Artist is a film I've been looking forward to seeing for quite some time. While I hadn't seen The Room till far more recently, I had heard about it amongst conversation with the cult fanbase and was well aware of its existence so the idea of a film about the making of the disasterpiece intrigued me to say the least, and the trailer only increased my anticipation. However, I was slightly concerned that the Franco brothers and Seth Rogan might coast on purely recreating the most memorable moments from The Room. As per usual, my worries were unwarranted though.

One of the more interesting aspects of The Disaster Artist was how James Franco championed Wiseau's strategy of directing, producing, and starring in the movie. While he didn't fully follow in Wiseau's footsteps by writing The Disaster Artist's script, Franco was fortunate enough that Scott Neustadeter and Michael H. Weber adapted Tom Bissell and Greg Sestero's book. In order to make this work, everyone involved would require an insurmountable appreciation of The Room... and thankfully, it seems everyone behind the camera genuinely cared about telling a hilarious and heartfelt story surrounding a passion project that didn't pan out as the artist had hoped.

The Disaster Artist could have easily just mocked Tommy Wiseau and his entirely unique vision that is The Room, but instead Franco and the writers realized there was an emotional core to this story. It'd admittedly be difficult to discover and depict onscreen because that would involve analyzing and understanding one of the most mysterious men in Hollywood, but it was there. Everyone (even exceptionally talented people) can relate to putting their all behind something and being underwhelmed by the results, and that's exactly what Franco keys in on. He excellently explores what it's like to chase your dreams and end up with an undesirable outcome. The Disaster Artist is a film that takes Wiseau's willingness to put himself out there in wacky, weird ways and shows admiration for it. Not many would dare to do that, so I can't help but respect Franco for respecting Tommy Wiseau (which I'll touch more on in a moment).

For fans of The Room hoping to see their favorite moments recreated, there's a lot of fun to be had in that department... Especially with the endless stream of surprise celebrity cameos. Though The Room is certainly not essential viewing in order for you to enjoy yourself. Even if you haven't seen it, you'll likely laugh at the insane shenanigans and perhaps be inspired to go watch that film afterwards. With that being said, I think you'll have a deeper appreciation for everything if you have watched it. Also worth noting is the fact that there is a post credits scene. I had no idea a few weeks ago when I went to see the film, so I left before the credits were finished. I wasn't exactly expecting to Tommy Wiseau to be recruited by Nick Fury or anything so I didn't stay, but I personally like to watch those regardless of what they are, so I'm letting you know because I would have liked to have known when I first saw it.

At the center of The Disaster Artist is a totally transformative performance from James Franco that's managed to already earn a lot of awards acclaim, and quite frankly, it's the one I'm rooting for in the Best Actor race. Franco could have simply done a lazy impersonation of Wiseau, but his performance is surprisingly layered beyond nailing Wiseau's unique accent and quirky mannerisms. Franco seems to have a fundamental understanding of Wiseau's humanity, and the way he communicates it while maintaining the Wiseau's peculiar personality is absolutely incredible.

Dave Franco does a solid job ensuring Greg is a relatable, empathetic audience surrogate in this crazy story, and Seth Rogan is funny as Wiseau's script supervisor Sandy. As I mentioned earlier, there are countless other celebrity cameos, but I won't reveal them here so it remains a surprise if you choose to watch the film.

"It's not true! It's bull-sh*t!" The Disaster Artist is not a disaster as some may gleam from the title. The Disaster Artist is actually a great big Hollywood movie about a really terrible one (that was a line from The Room for those confused). 

Film Assessment: A-

'Darkest Hour' Review

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor; Gary Oldman, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Production Design.

Won: Best Actor; Gary Oldman and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.

Darkest Hour informs audiences of the appointment of Winston Churchill to the office of British Prime Minister in the early days of World War II. The film then details the struggles he faced in his early days of office as Churchill must decide to negotiate a peace treaty with Nazi Germany or rally the British to fight for their freedom and liberty.

Some of you may or not remember that there was another World War II film released this year that depicted the mass evacuation of 338,000 troops from the beaches of Dunkirk, that being Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk of course. Well, Darkest Hour essentially is the administrative account behind those events. If you're looking to catch up on the year's awards contenders, I'd highly recommend watching the two together as a Dunkirk Double Feature in the order of Darkest Hour to first get the administrative context and then Dunkirk to see the events unfold, because I'm sure both films will bring in a substantial number of significant nominations based on the pedigree and craftsmanship. 

Joe Wright oversees the biographical picture with Anthony McCarten penning the screenplay, and each does a fine job in their respective roles of director and writer. The film is also stimulated by Bruno Delbonnel's captivating cinematography and a spellbinding score from Dario Marianelli that help Darkest Hour to stand out from the crowd of historical dramas. Unlike most bio-pics, Wright and McCarten don't simply define Churchill by his life story though. Instead, they let Churchill's character shine through Oldman's exceptional performance and the decision-making behind the evacuation of Dunkirk. One scene aboard a subway really speaks volume to the kind of man Churchill was, and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about once you see it... Although not entirely accurate, Wright's gone on record to say there's no evidence to suggest something like that didn't happen considering Churchill would often disappear and was known to speak with the common people to hear their opinion on matters. However, the film never overtly glorifies Churchill. Wright and McCarten always show him for who he really is, even if that means starting the film with Churchill absent from Parliament and instead lounging about at home eating breakfast in his bathrobe...

Darkest Hour depicts Churchill in the most humane light possible, as it's shown that a great deal of pressure surrounded him on a daily basis due to being in such a high position of authority. You never get the sense Wright is toying with the audience to trick them into thinking he's one of Great Britain's most courageous Prime Ministers purely on account of his success. Wright ensures audiences feel the massive weight on his shoulders. There's a scene of him having to administrate from the loo for goodness sake! Wright makes it known that Churchill wasn't dubbed the "British Bulldog" for his ferocity alone. Wright reveals that Churchill is a revered historical figure because of his courageous strength and resolve in leading a nation amidst unsurpassable adversity. 

To me, some of the best acting performances are those where an actor completely disappears into the role, and Gary Oldman does just that with his take on Winston Churchill. Oldman's almost entirely unrecognizable due to the superb seamless hair and makeup work, and on top of that, he captures the quirks and mannerisms of Churchill so well that you genuinely feel like you're watching Winston Churchill onscreen. Oldman's had a distinguished career, so I wouldn't go as far to saying this is his best performance per say, but it definitely ranks high among his best work. At this point in time, Oldman seems to be the frontrunner for that coveted Best Actor Oscar, and it would certainly be a well deserved win if he winds up with one more opportunity to hold up the trademark "V" for victory come March.

Oldman's also backed by some solid supporting actors including Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn, Ronald Pickup, and Stephen Dillane in the respective roles of the steadfast secretary Elizabeth Layton, loving wife Clemmie, the regal King George VI, nervous Neville Chamberlain, and intense adversary Lord Viscount Halifax.

Whether you're a history buff or cinephile wondering if The Darkest Hour represents Churchill's finest hours, there's no need to fret, because The Darkest Hour is victorious in its efforts to pay respects to Winston Churchill while telling an inspirational and exciting account of what transpired behind the scenes of the massive evacuation at Dunkirk.

Film Assessment: B+