It’s happening. Ever since Fear the Walking Dead began fans have been waiting for there to be some kind of crossover with The Walking Dead, even when showrunners were insisting it wasn’t in the cards. Then in October Robert Kirkman let the cat out of the bag that, yes, a crossover was in the works. And now we know which character will be making the jump from one zombie infested wasteland to another.
Revealed on tonight’s episode of Talking Dead, it will be Lennie James’ character Morgan Jones who will appear in Fear the Walking Dead. And this won’t be just a single episode cameo; he’s expected to be a regular throughout the fourth season which is just beginning production. What’s unclear is how the timelines match up. If the first two seasons of FTWD match up with TWD, then this would be a period of time that Morgan was away from Rick Grimes and off on his own. So this would help fill in the gaps of his backstory and explain the differences in his character upon returning.
Or we could see FTWD jump forward in time with the new season, and have present day Morgan leaving Rick’s crew and finding a different one. This is assuming Morgan survives the current season, of course, and with Negan running around that is a big if. It certainly sounds like James has no plans of returning to TWD. He said via satellite…
“The hardest part of it from beginning until now has been leaving The Walking Dead; leaving that cast and leaving that crew. And I’ve said my goodbyes to the cast and stuff, and I’ve said my goodbyes to the crew.”
Showrunner and producer Scott M. Gimple did add that Morgan has “a lot of story left on The Walking Dead”, but that could mean he’s got a big part to play through the end of this eighth season.
Morgan is one of TWD’s most fascinating characters and I hope he isn’t zombie food or a conquest for ol’ Lucille.
1. Coco (review)- $49M/$71.1M
Pixar’s 19th animated feature proved just as reliable as the rest, with Coco opening with $49M through the Thanksgiving holiday and $71M overall. The Mexican-flavored film about a young boy’s quest to become a musician and end a family curse, opened previously in Mexico and immediately broke box office records with $53M. It currently stands at $153M worldwide and, as expected, easily toppled Justice League from the top spot.
2. Justice League– $40.3M/$171.5M
As I said last week, there is good news and bad news about the box office for Justice League.The film fell 57% in its second weekend, which isn’t great especially if you compare it to Wonder Woman’s 43% fall. But it’s not terrible, and audiences do seem to be enjoying the film enough to keep up some decent word-of-mouth buzz, even if critics panned it. It also has $481M worldwide and seems to be rolling right along quite well overseas, so even if the domestic end falls short, the slack should be picked up internationally. If, as some have speculated, that $700M is the break-even point then it should be able to hit and surpass that number. Next week is pretty slow in terms of wide releases so I wouldn’t be shocked if it reclaims the top spot from Coco, but that could be tough.
3. Wonder– $22.3M/$69.4M Wonder had a tremendous hold in it’s second week, sliding a mere 19%. The combination of family friendly movies (along with Coco) may be the biggest hammer to Justice League‘s numbers. At $69M this is the year’s biggest live-action family drama and given the likely Oscars bump it will receive, probably will stick around for a while.
4. Thor: Ragnarok– $16.7M/$277.4M
5. Daddy’s Home 2– $13.2M/$72.6M
6. Murder On the Orient Express– $13M/$74.2M
7. The Star– $6.8M/$22M
8. A Bad Moms Christmas– $5M/$59.7M
9. Roman J. Israel, Esq. (review)- $4.5M/$6.2M
I don’t know what was to be expected from the legal thriller Roman J. Israel, Esq., but this probably wasn’t it. The film has Denzel Washington in the lead role of an activist attorney who gets into a morally untenable predicament. After opening in only 4 theaters last week Sony expanded it to over 1600 for $4.5M and $6.2M overall, which isn’t good. But there has been so little buzz since it debuted at TIFF, and the reviews, including my own, have skewed towards it being a disappointment. These types of movies are a tough sell, anyway; they really rely on strong word of mouth to succeed. And because this is such an atypical role for Denzel (he’s not “cool” by any stretch) I expect a smaller crowd than usually turns up for a Denzel film.
10. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri– $4.4M/$7.6M
It’s the second episode of Cinema Royale this week! Who says you don’t have anything to give thanks for?? Now, are these movies worth being thankful for? I’ll be joine by my homie Chris Bumbray of Joblo.com to review Denzel Washington’s legal thriller, ROMAN J. ISRAEL, Esq. That will be followed by Gary Oldman’s much talked about performance as Winston Churchill in DARKEST HOUR. And finally, Luca Guadagnino’s summer romance, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME!
All this plus lots of news on JUSTICE LEAGUE, so tune in and join in the post-Thanksgiving fun! Tune in and follow Cinema Royale on Blogtalkradio as part of Critical: The Movie Critics Network!
Last week in the Arrowverse, some things started to set up for what lies ahead on each show. Other’s just gave us some interesting character development for our heroes (or antiheroes).
Thanks to the breakup between Alex and Maggie on Supergirl, Alex was an emotional wreck. Kara decided that the best way to remedy this was for the two of them to leave National City and head to their hometown of Midvale. There they reminisced about the first time the two of them used their abilities for good to help solve a local crime, giving them just what they needed to get out of their slumps.
Last week on The Flash, Barry continued training Ralph to use his powers for good as a hero. The next Dark Matter metahuman was a Native American activist who took things to an extreme to secure her ancestral artifacts. She could have been seen by some as a hero, if she didn’t kill people while doing it. Ralph realized that being a hero is not just about stopping the bad guy, but also saving lives in the process.
On Legends of Tomorrow, we took a trip to Tinsel Town as Hellen of Troy was time displaced and causing movie studios to fight over her. Not only were the Legends looking for her, but so was Damien Dahrk, who wanted to use her for his own nefarious purposes. As Stein and Jax try to find a way to separate Firestorm, a miscalculation causes them to switch bodies and develop a new appreciation for each other.
Finally, on Arrow, Oliver continues to help Slade Wilson deal with finding his son. After finding that his son has followed in his footsteps and become the leader of The Jackals, a terrorist group, Slade must stop his own son. Slade also finds out that he has another son and he sets out to save both of them from repeating his mistakes.
This week in the Arrowverse, some episodes were a lot of fun, some were very heavy. So how did the Arrowverse go this week?
Supergirl: “Wake Up”
Told you there would be some familiar faces this week, Supergirl gives us back Mon-El.
Remember, there was a spaceship underwater at the beginning of the season? Well, we finally get to see what was going on there. A couple deep sea divers come across it, which alerts the DEO to investigate, especially since it’s been underwater for 12,000 years. After J’onn phases Alex and Kara along with himself through the earth, they are on board the ship. There, they run into a familiar face, her former beau, Mon-El.
Kara is more than happy that Mon-El is back. After all, she’s been moping about losing him pretty much all season. It’s almost a dream come true for her to have him back. However, things seem a little different. Mon-El is being reclusive, sneaky even. The first chance he gets, he tries to sneak into the DEO’s weapons arsenal. After she subdues him and the lock him up in a holding cell, she demands answers. Why is he such a changed person when it’s only been seven months?
That’s when Mon-El tells her it’s been seven years. When he escaped earth because of the atmosphere saturated with trace amounts of lead, he went through a wormhole 400 years into the future. There, L-Corp (no more LexCorp in the future) developed a cure for the Daxamite lead weakness, allowing him to come back to Earth. But that’s not the only difference.
Meanwhile, J’onn’s father Myr’nn has been on Earth since the Mars episode, but he’s been living at the DEO. Winn notices that Myr’nn ask for permission to use the bathroom. It’s very reminiscent of The Shawshank Redemption when Red continued to ask for permission to use the bathroom even though he was out of prison. Myr’nn was a prisoner of the White Martians for more than 300 years, so he’s a creature of habit at this point. Winn advises J’onn to take his father off the base so that he can get a taste of freedom. J’onn reassures his father that he’s not a prisoner and he can come and go as he pleases. Myr’nn notices that J’onn is constantly looking at his smartwatch and duty bound to the DEO. He comments that it’s really J’onn who’s a prisoner, a prisoner of the DEO. Upon hearing that, J’onn decides that his father is right and he gets an apartment for the two of them.
Turns out in the seven years, a lot changed for Mon-El. It’s never clearer to Kara when one of the other spaceship pods malfunctions and a poor woman is about to drown in her pod. After Supergirl rescues her, she cradles in Mon-El’s arms. He then introduces her to Kara, as his wife. In the seven years, he’s moved on and gotten married. Kara is once again alone. This time, the knife twists a little deeper in her heart as she thought she had her love back, but thanks to wormholes, he’s even further away from her than he was months ago.
Meanwhile, Samantha goes on her own little adventure. Realizing that she is invulnerable, she goes to her mother’s farm to talk to her about who she really is. Her mother reveals to her that she didn’t technically adopt her as Samantha landed on her farm from outer space. She shows her the spaceship (Kryptonian) and Samantha then takes a piece of the ship off. There, she then goes into the desert, following the object directions. Then out of nowhere, she gets her own “Fortress of Solitude” as the sand erupts to create a base. Once inside, she activates the computer there, a hologram tells her who she is. She’s a Kryptonian of immense power. Sam gets excited thinking she’s like Supergirl, but then finds out that it’s not the case at all. She’s told she will be called “Worldkiller” as she dispenses her “justice” on Earth as “Reign.”
The Flash: “Therefore I Am”
Thanks to the “Council of Wells,” Barry has nailed down who the mysterious “DeVoe” is and finally comes face to face with him. As a result, we get to learn a great deal of our new season-long supervillain.
While Arrow has been the king of flashbacks since the show first started, this week The Flash borrows the format, even the signature editing style of the flashbacks-to-current wipes that have been used in giving us Clifford DeVoe’s backstory. He was a brilliant scientist who wanted to figure out a way to reach his students, who were more interested in looking at their phones than learning what’s needed to be successful in society. Frustrated that he wasn’t reaching the kids, he realized that he needed to expand his mind. Lucky for him, his wife was also a scientist and helped him construct a device to help expand his mind. The only problem, there wasn’t a way to power it up.
Enter: the Particle Accelerator. Both he and his wife new that Harrison Wells’ (really Eobard Thawne) Particle Accelerator could prove disastrous, but it could also power the device needed to expand his mind. There’s a brief moment in the flashback when Season 1 Wells/Thawne interacts with DeVoe at the groundbreaking ceremony and you can tell that he knew that DeVoe will become The Thinker. Another testament to the brilliant acting of Tom Cavanagh as he reminds you how dangerous Wells/Thawne was back then.
DeVoe knew it would cause the shockwave and wore the device on his head preparing to power it, and it worked just how it would. He became infinitely smarter than anyone else on the planet. However, there was a cost. While he was infinitely smarter than he was before, it was causing serious damage to his body. His brain was using more energy than his body could create, effectively killing him.
In the present, Barry and Joe confront DeVoe at his home. But with DeVoe being the smartest man, he already anticipated all things that could happen and set up a trap for Barry. Being the frail old man in the wheelchair, Joe was convinced he wasn’t their guy. Barry was still suspicious and as a result, begins stalking DeVoe. Each time, Barry is looking more paranoid than previously. This causes DeVoe and his wife to open a restraining order on Barry. Barry violates it as he continues investigating, causing him to get suspended from the police.
And even then Barry doesn’t stop. He confronts DeVoe one last time after one of his lectures. There, DeVoe reveals to Barry that he has unlimited intelligence, he knows Barry is The Flash, and there’s nothing he can do to defeat him. This leaves Barry a little defeated. All his enemies before were speedsters, they had physical powers. How can you beat someone who is infinitely smarter than you are? Who knows every move you are going to make? Does Team Flash even have a chance?
Legends of Tomorrow: “Welcome To The Jungle”
Thanks to Damien Dahrk and his daughter’s magic a comatose Sarah has to sit most of the episode out recovering. That doesn’t mean that the Legends can solve another time anachronism without their captain. This time, it’s off to Vietnam in 1967, at the height of the Vietnam War.
The time anachronism this time is a “new god” (good play on the Justice League villain) who is causing both American and Vietnamese soldiers to desert the war in favor of worshipping whoever the god is. The Legends split up. Ray, Amaya, and Zari pose as journalists for the Associated Press investigating what’s going on while Nate and Rory investigate as soldiers. Rory doesn’t want to be in Vietnam at all because he knows that someone from his pasts will be there.
Turns out that person is Rory’s father. Rory only knows him as an abusive man through the eyes of a child. Rory and Nate run into his father. While Nate thinks this will be a “Doctor Phil” moment, Rory doesn’t want anything to do with his old man, and he might even kill him. Of course, when the two interact, they are pretty much the same person. Even their grunting is the same. Slowly but surely, Rory starts to see his old man in a different light. He loves the woman who will become Rory’s mother. He keeps a list of all soldiers he lost under his command. He’s not the same monster that burned his son.
The “New God” the team were investigating turns out to be a time-displaced Gorilla Grodd. You gotta give the Arrowverse its credit. The CGI for Grodd has gotten way better since he was first introduced on The Flash way back when. Now in 1967, Grodd has taken it upon himself to create “world peace” by eliminating humanity and creating World War III. Amaya tries to stop him, but it’s not wise sneaking up on a telepathic metahuman gorilla.
Stein and Jax spend most of the episode in the Wave Rider as they continue to try and figure out a way to separate the two of them so that Stein can go back to his normal life and Jax can be Firestorm by himself. Stein even enlists the help of Isaac Newton and Galileo. See, having a time machine comes in handy. However, when it’s revealed that Grodd wants to kill a visiting LBJ, Jax leaves to go an save the president from a minefield blowing up his military escort. This is the first time that Jax proves to be a hero, and he doesn’t even have to use his Firestorm power. Something tells me that if he and Stein don’t get separated, he will still be able to assist the Legends with his engineering skills and his bravery.
Despite Amaya using her totem to show Grodd that she empathizes with him (and offering to take him to a time before humans existed), Grodd decides that he should take control of the Wave Rider and use time travel for his own means. This leads Grodd to telepathically control a just awaken Sarah, who easily overpowers Stein. Luckily for Stein, Isaac Newton sneak attacks Sarah. Grodd then falls off the ship to an exploding field below.
Lucky for Grodd, Damien Dahrk teleported him from 1967 before he can be set ablaze to current times and recruits him into his new “Legion of Doom.”
Arrow: “Thanksgiving”
Oliver keeps trying to have it all. He wants the simple life of being the mayor and taking care of his son. As a result, he passed the reigns of The Green Arrow to his best friend Diggle. Unfortunately for him, the past has a way of catching up to him.
As he is sponsoring a Thanksgiving turkey drive to feed the homeless as well as reveal the new police station, Oliver gets a surprise. Agent Watson shows up during his press conference and reveals that she has a warrant for his arrest. She’s arresting him for all his Green Arrow activities. While it seems like we’ve been down this road before, Agent Watson feels like she has everything she needs and arrests him. What was supposed to be an unveiling of his political activities is instead turned into a perp walk.
Diggle knows that Team Arrow now has to step up more than ever. With news that The Green Arrow is under arrest, that means the criminal element of Star City will think that the city’s up for grabs. He has the team step up in stopping crime, all while the vigilante bill is about to come for a city-wide referendum vote. Black Siren comes back leading some of Cayden James group to rob explosives. Team Arrow is unable to stop her, because Diggle is having problems (even though Curtis gave him some medication) and Team Arrow has to help bail him out while fighting some henchmen.
Turns out Curtis didn’t factor in that Diggle was going through withdrawal from the previous drug he was taking for his arm. Felicity was the only member of Team Arrow to not know about Diggle’s problem. Now with Felicity knowing it, Diggle comes clean with Oliver (fresh out on a high bail Felicity paid with her startup money), who is not too happy that this was kept from him. The two have their first bromance argument in a while. Oliver expresses his disappointment in Diggle, who retorts that he became Green Arrow so Oliver could be with his son, at the expense of Diggle being with his own son.
With Diggle out of commission (and at the risk of a full paralysis), the team doesn’t have a Green Arrow. Knowing that James plans on blowing up a Billy Joel concert (guest starring Billy Joel footage), the team needs a Green Arrow. Oliver breaks his promise to his son and suits up. As the team makes it to the concert, they realize that the police officers are not, in fact, police, but James’s men wearing fake uniforms. This doesn’t look well public perception-wise as they are beating them down. Oliver goes to find the bomb to save everyone.
Turns out, it wasn’t a real bomb. Oliver runs into James who reveals a little of his master plan. James set up the fake bombs because he wants to meet the Green Arrow, who he blames for him losing his son. He’s going to attack the city as a means of revenge. James also releases footage of Team Arrow beating up the (fake) cops, which turns the public against them. Being so close to the referendum, the vote goes against vigilantes. Agent Watson goes back to Washington, warning that the time of vigilantes is over.
Oliver goes back to the hospital to chat with Diggle. The two apologize to each other and make amends, Oliver is told that his sister has awakened (just in time for the next week’s crossover event).
If you haven’t seen Justice League yet, you may want to turn away now because there be spoilers below!
As you know, Joe Manganiello was cast as Slade Wilson aka Deathstroke some time ago. We even saw some test footage that appeared to be of him in the villain’s suit, for what was expected to be an appearance in Ben Affleck’s The Batman. And then…well, a lot happened. Matt Reeves took over the film, rewrote everything, and Manganiello was left hanging as to whether he was even in it. We still don’t know the answer to that question, but the answer is “Probably not”, even though Warner Bros. obviously likes him in the role.
Those who stuck around for the closing credits of Justice League saw Manganiello dishing with Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) about the possible formation of the Injustice League or the Legion of Doom or whatever they’re gonna call it. And for those who may have had to dash, or just haven’t bought their ticket yet, Manganiello has tweeted out an image of him rockin’ the Deathstroke eyepatch and armor from that scene. Pretty sweet, but why do it now?
So what’s up? Was he just saving people the cost of a ticket or what? Warner Bros. wouldn’t be happy about that. Or maybe something’s up with that solo Deathstroke movie being directed by The Raid’s Gareth Evans? Perhaps, with all the uncertainty of the DCEU, it’s being moved up? Because right now we have no idea when Deathstroke would appear next. Could it be in next year’s Aquaman? Or maybe Wonder Woman 2 or Joss Whedon’s Batgirl? It seems unlikely we’d have to wait until there’s a Justice League 2, since who knows when that might be.
Maybe he does show up in The Batman, after all? Or in Shazam or that Nightwing movie we’ve heard a little bit about. There are so many possibilities that to guess is pretty silly. All I’m saying is that he didn’t tweet this randomly, at least I don’t think he did.
It’s a really good time to be a Star Wars fan right now. I mean, it’s always good to be a Star Wars fan, yes even during the dreaded prequels, but there’s so much to look forward to that every new bit of information is genuinely exciting. Top of the list of things to anticipate is Rian Johnson’s upcoming trilogy, that we’re told will deviate from the Skywalker clan that has been the centerpiece since day one. The combination of Johnson and a fresh direction holds a ton of potential, but as Johnson recently stated during a press event in Mexico, it’s still very early on…
“Well, we’re gonna have to see. I mean, I’m just in the very beginning of starting to come up with what the new trilogy is going to be. But I can tell you this, what makes me so excited about it, is the idea of doing a new story on the big canvas of three movies in this world. There’s just so much potential and I can’t wait to jump into it.”
Johnson is one of the most creative voices around. When we first started this site it was mainly so I could track progress on his movies (He posted here once waaaay back in the day) because I’m obsessed with them. All of them. You can imagine my excitement for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which opens December 15th, and whatever he has planned for the future. I can’t wait.
Last week on SNL, Chance the Rapper did a mock Boyz II Men video where he crooned “Come Back, Barack”. It wasn’t only hilarious but people loved it, viewing the video millions of times and even adding it to their playlists. The reason it connected with people so much is obvious; we have the least popular President ever right now, and there’s a longing for the calm that comes with having an actual adult in office. I imagine those who feel that way will have mixed emotions about the new documentary, The Final Year, as it takes an inside look at the final months of Barack Obama’s administration
Directed by Greg Barker, the film follows Obama and members of his Cabinet as they race to take care of pressing concerns before Trump undoes everything. I love that it’s framed in a ticking clock scenario because we all know the implications of when that time hits zero. It’s nice to be reminded of how simple (relatively) things were just a couple of years ago, but on the other hand it’s sickening to know what follows.
Here’s the synopsis: THE FINAL YEAR gives a look at the inner workings of the Obama administration as they prepare to establish a legacy upon leaving office after eight years. The film revolves around Obama’s foreign policy team: Secretary of State John Kerry, US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Adviser and presidential confidant Ben Rhodes, as well as National Security Adviser Susan Rice and President Obama himself. Over the course of 2016, they travel the world attempting to advance and solidify policies that they believe will define their legacy, promote diplomacy over large-scale military action, and fundamentally alter how the US government confronts questions of war and peace, as they prepare to hand over the machinery of American power to a new administration.
In my review of Wonder from a few days ago I called it the “feel good film we can all feel good about.” Audiences are so cynical nowadays that it’s tough to make a family movie with a clear message about simple kindness. But Wonder was fortunate enough to be based on the bestselling book by R.J. Palacio, a book that has become a phenomenon since it was published.
The story follows 10-year-old Auggie, a kid with facial deformities as he attends public school for the first time. There he faces cruelty, indifference, but also the kindness of the people around him. The film, directed by The Perks of Being a Wallflower’s Stephen Chbosky, stars Jacob Tremblay, Julia Roberts, and Owen Wilson.
Alongside Filmgordon.com‘s Tim Gordon, I had the chance to sit down with Palacio and Chbosky to talk about Wonder, how the adaptation came about, its anti-bullying message, and more. You can listen to the interview below, and check out my review of Wonderhere!
Ever since Justice League we’ve seen a lot of people furiously demanding to see Zack Snyder’s version of the film, the one they think is uncorrupted by Joss Whedon’s reshoots. If you’re among those who feel that way, you can either sign a petition or hope one of the film’s cinematographers has some serious sway at Warner Bros. You may also have some support from Zack Snyder’s son, Jett, who says the studio did something unthinkable, and *gasp* got involved in that movie costing them hundreds of millions of dollars…
“On a more serious note I did enjoy the movie, although it is clearly not what it could have been due to the meddling of Warner Brothers and the forced comedy. The run time was my biggest gripe with the movie, with events that should take a long time over in a flash;$ but still definitely a fun movie to watch, and would recommend it.”
Granted you could see the stitching where Snyder and Whedon’s contrasting visions met, but I’d wager the critical response would have been worse if it was a solo Snyder joint. Audiences have long since grown tired of Snyder’s joylessness. The levity Whedon brought, misplaced as it was sometimes, was a breath of fresh air.
Oh, but there’s one more adding his name to the chorus of those wanting to see Snyder’s cut of Justice League. Stuntman Richard Cetrone backed up Snyder in a recent Facebook post…
With this much demand, surely something is bound to happen. Stay tuned.
*NOTE: This is a reprint of my review from the Middleburg Film Festival.*
You can count on multiple portrayals of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill every year, but the need for it may have come to an emphatic end. Gary Oldman utterly captivates as Churchill in Joe Wright’s Darkest Hour, a film that head and shoulders more exciting than the stodgy, mannered biopic it could have been. More of a thriller than your standard biography, it’s sure to thrust Oldman into the thick of the Best Actor race.
Just as impressive is Wright’s ticking clock approach to invigorating Anthony McCarten’s screenplay. It was 1940 and Hitler was making gains in a hostile sweep into Europe; there wasn’t time to sit around and dawdle over a solution. The days were ticking down before Nazis would be literally on Britain’s doorstep. But so many movies about this period don’t capture the hair-trigger tension in every crucial conversation, every momentous decision. Darkest Hour keeps you on the edge of your seat.
It’s a film that sets out to be entertaining more than a point-by-point recitation of historical facts. To that end, we could probably throw some of the finer details into the realm of fiction. As long as the broad strokes make sense, and the depiction of Churchill suitably inspiring. Always the firebrand, Churchill had spent an entire career in service to the Conservative Party before his shot to become Prime Minister arrived. Neville Chamberlain’s (Ronald Pickup) policy of peace through appeasement would force him to resign, with Churchill installed as his replacement. He was hardly the first choice, that would belong to Viscount Halifax (Stephen Dillane) who refused for political reasons, and it was clear his own Party would see to undermining him every step of the way.
Forming a loose-knit trilogy with Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Lone Scherfig’s Their Finest, the film presents a high-level view of the evacuation of Dunkirk. We don’t see much of the action on the ground, or the attempts to raise morale among the troops and the public. Instead it’s the decision making process, and Churchill’s ballsy but brilliant idea to recruit civilian ships to aid in the rescue. It was a move that galvanized public support to the war effort, and to Churchill personally.
While the amount of makeup packed on Oldman’s face rivals Woody Harrelson’s LBJ, no amount of it ever makes him look like the fiery PM. What makes Oldman’s performance stand out is that he creates his own version of Churchill, a man whose powerful frame and charisma hid a struggle with self-doubt. Fortunately he had help from the women in his life, such as his loyal, confident wife (Kristin Scott Thomas), and personal secretary Elizabeth Layton (Lily James). It was the latter who kept Churchill in touch with the common man’s perspective on the war, while also preventing him from embarrassing himself too much. In one of the film’s funnier moments she informs him that the two-finger “V for victory” gesture he’s been holding up the wrong way actually means “up your bum”. Whether that actually happened I have no idea, but it’s still a great scene that demonstrates how Churchill’s flaws could be seen as endearing.
This is a comeback vehicle for Wright, who floundered badly with Pan a couple of years ago. Visually, he literally rips through the critical month of May 1940 to convey the urgency of events, and only occasionally does the film bog down into excessive conversation. But even when it does, Oldman is there to power through with a big, bold performance that will define how Churchill is portrayed on the big screen.
