Churchill

Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Richardson, John Slattery, Julian Wadham, Richard Durden, Ella Purnell, Danny Webb, James Purefoy
Directed by: Jonathan Teplitzky
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
2017

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Winston Churchill (Brian Cox) strongly opposes the allied invasion on D-Day and fights to stop the planned attack.

Review:

Tim: I'm a big Winston Churchill fan. I've read multiple books about him- for fun. So, I was interested in seeing this film, especially as it just focused on Churchill in the days leading up to D-Day. I didn't know much about the role he played. So, imagine my surprise when I watched a film about a selfish, arrogant, out of touch old man who we know is on the wrong side of history. It was really a disappointing movie- one that I just don't know why it was made. It seemed so off key that it made me cringe continuously throughout the movie. There are some redeeming qualities that I'll get to, but I want to be clear- as a whole, I wasn't a fan of this movie.

As I said, I don't know how truly accurate this story was, but what I've read stated that it is rife with historical inaccuracies. So, this film took one of the most important historical figures of the last few decades and made him look like a sad, pitiful person. I have no problem doing this in theory- in taking a beloved figure and showing a different side, a darker or less glamorous side. I'd be interested in a movie like that. However, it needs to be accurate, it needs to be rooted in the truth. That isn't the case here. It feels like a smear campaign against someone who's long dead, who was a courageous and incredible leader. If this film was accurate, I'd fully support the story. As is, it feels like an unnecessary attack. Even worse is that the movie is boring. It's basically Churchill doing what he can to stop the D-Day invasion (which we know will be successful) and alienating everyone around him. We get nearly two hours of that and it's not very entertaining. It immediately gets old and yet we have to sit through the whole thing. Director Jonathan Teplitzky did an average to below average job with the story.

While there's a bunch of things I hated about this movie, I have to give great credit to Brian Cox. He might be playing a historically inaccurate role, but looking at his performance from purely an entertainment lens, he's incredible. He gives an emotional, believable, fascinating performance. So, while I hated the character I saw (especially because much of it isn't true), I was riveted by his performance. Now, even his great acting does get annoying as Churchill character becomes whiny and annoying, but I fault Teplitzky for that- not Cox's performance. It really is very strong. Miranda Richardson was fine as Churchill's wife. She gets a few decent moments. John Slattery was good in a small role as Eisenhower. I actually loved James Purefoy's small role as King George. He's no Colin Firth, but he makes the most of his limited screen time.

I'm rating this movie higher than I normally would because I was legitimately impressed by Cox and to a lesser extent, the rest of the cast. It helps to have talented people giving good performances. However, the film as a whole was dull, wrong, and felt like a big waste of our time. Churchill is a movie that I'd recommend passing up.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



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