This is a charming wartime movie nothing more nothing less, enjoyable enough.
You could almost say this film is a companion piece to Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. It might be an experiment to watch them back-to-back. Billed a comedy by some the story is funny but it is on the most gentle of slopes of that genre. There are laughs to be had but you will not be rolling in the aisles.
This is not any form of criticism but having watched the film and hearing some reviews and opinions the casual viewer might feel short-changed looking for lots of laughs.
The story is about many things, the artistic endeavour, the shift of balance that World War 2 brought about for women in the United Kingdom, the horrors of war and accepting change brought about by time alongside the complexity of relationships and romance.
If this sounds like a lot of subjects to cover it is but generally Their Finest covers them with necessarily broad strokes. In particular the pointed observations on the institutionalised sexism at this stage in history is handled very well. At no point did I feel I was being battered over the head with a hammer but more like having gentle pokes with a finger now and then. Likewise, the sadness, ego driven indignation and eventual acceptance embodied in old matinee actor Ambrose Hilliard is pitch perfect.
The romantic aspect of the film is less well handled and almost feels like ‘the distributor wanted this’ section of the film come to life. Of all the aspects of the story these feel rather heavyhanded and in particular, the end (no spoilers here) jarred heavily with the rest of the film and how it was heading. I understand why it was done but it just did not feel right.
Their Finest is clearly an interesting story that definitely needed to be made but the real ace-the-hole for the makers is the stellar cast that pops up on your screen. The three main protagonists are played by Gemma Arterton, Bill Nighy and Sam Clafin so if your honest you know before the production team logos appear you are on safe ground. Then we get the supporting cast, Eddin Marsan, Richard E. Grant, Racheal Stirling, Jeremy Irons and a stand-out Helen McCrory, they only need Toby Jones and few others and I would have watched if it had been a soup advert.
The look and feel of the film seem perfect, I’m not expert so I’m sure they are plenty of anachronist points I missed, and it transports you into that time. There is no shying away from what being bombed nearly every night meant for people at that time and the consequences. Yet somehow the film was still light and still was able to make you chuckle. Basically, it’s a great job by all involved.
Nothing is perfect and for, me the romantic aspect could have be dialled down or removed entirely and it would still have been a fine film but having it included does not detract from the enjoyment or overall storyline.
Their Finest is a showcase of British talent acting in a period piece about attitudes that have changed (ever so slightly) the and prickly world of showbusiness and yet it doesn’t lecture or pander and the whole project appear enfused with a deep love of the story and characters.
Due to this film I have shortlisted the novel it is based on to my Kindle Wishlist
Recommended.
Well. That was just wholly unnecessary and incredibly heartbreaking.
They tried to give it an uplifting ending, but it wasn't enough to override the sadness of Tom dying. Like, seriously, I wish they would've found a way to make the ending meaningful without killing the romantic interest. I'm just sad and depressed now.
Still, overall the settings and costumes were great, the acting stellar and the story very compelling. The inclusion of a somewhat open lesbian character was an interesting and unexpected choice, given the time period the movie is set in. A film worth watching, despite its shortcoming.
A good film, with a story that explores the impact of war on people's lives, highlighting the challenges faced by those who live in the midst of chaos and constant attacks. The narrative also intriguingly addresses how the government uses cinema as a powerful propaganda tool to instill faith in victory and gain international support.
Fine mix of comedy and drama, deftly mixing the tragedies of war with the lighthearted antics of the film set. Not exactly our countries finest film, but it does come close occasionally.
Shout by Nancy L DraperVIP 8BlockedParent2018-07-03T02:56:35Z
I really liked this movie. Recently I was criticized for being overly critical of RomComs and I expect they may be right. I find the cut and paste RomComs that seem to be cranked out these days devoid of real comedy and totally lacking in any of the nobility of true romance, neither depth of character or narrative that would make me feel any depth of emotion. But, movies like this have some substance behind the relationships and within the characters, in short some credible drama. This has all that, the humour of fallible creatures living an imperfect existence looking for someone to raise life to be better than its parts. Plus, it has stellar performances by Gemma Arterton, Sam Clafin, Bill Nighy and Rachel Stirling. I give this film an 8 (wonderful) out of 10. [Romantic Drama with Humour set in Wartime].