Darkest Hour – Blu-ray Movie Review

Synopsis

As the Nazis storm their way through Europe, Winston Churchill, newly-elected Prime Minister of England, finds himself with the unenviable job of deciding his country’s future. The choices seem clear but with his every decision questioned by the King and a hostile government, he soon makes enemies of the very people that helped put him in office. Knowing he must go to war, Churchill must find the best way to rally the people behind him to face a deadly threat that is poised to wipe out freedom on a global scale.

Specifications

Universal
2017, Color, Rated PG-13, 2 Hr 5 mins
Dolby Atmos, TrueHD 7.1, 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas
Directed by Joe Wright

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: Moderate
Sex: No
Language: Mild

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Commentary

Darkest Hour follows closely on the heels of Christopher Nolan’s successful film Dunkirk. Here, we see Winston Churchill in his early days as Prime Minister, not only trying to rescue the entire British Army from a remote beach in France, but having to find a way to convince appeasers in the government that risking millions of lives in a bloody war is the best way to defeat those who would destroy freedom in Europe.

The story is told from an intimate perspective, that of his wife, played by Kristin Scott Thomas; and his new secretary, played by Lily James, who you’ll remember from Downton Abbey. The star here is without a doubt, Gary Oldman. You will not recognize behind one of most amazing makeup jobs I’ve ever seen. And he gives a masterful performance as well. If a golden statue doesn’t soon appear on his mantle, I’ll be shocked.

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Technical

There is plenty of fine detail to be seen on this Blu-ray, and it’s presented with a minimum of film grain in high contrast and with a natural color palette. There is nothing to complain about here.

Dolby Atmos doesn’t have much in the way of overhead information to offer in this release but the dialog-driven film presents voices in rich tones that are always easy to understand. Ambient effects occasionally linger in the surround channels creating a good sense of space.

Extras

Considering the historical significance of the events portrayed, I was surprised to find fewer than 15 minutes of bonus features on this disc. Aside from two brief making-of pieces, you get audio commentary from director Joe Wright.

Chris Eberle

Chris' passion for audio began when he took up playing the bassoon at age 12. During his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, he won a position with the West Point Band where he served for 26 years as principal bassoonist. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is now writing full time and performing as a freelance musician in Central Florida. As an avid movie lover, Chris was unable to turn away the 50-inch Samsung DLP TV that arrived at his door one day, thus launching him irrevocably into an obsession with home theater. Dissatisfied with the image quality of his new acquisition, Chris trained with the Imaging Science Foundation in 2006 and became a professional display calibrator. His ultimate theater desires were realized when he completed construction of a dedicated cinema/listening room in his home. Chris is extremely fortunate that his need for quality audio and video is shared and supported by his wife of over 25 years. In his spare time he enjoys riding his recumbent trike at least 100 miles per week, trying out new restaurants, going to theme parks and spending as much time as possible watching movies and listening to music. Chris enjoys bringing his observations and discoveries about every kind of home theater product to as many curious and well-informed readers as possible. He is proud to be a part of the Team and hopes to help everyone enjoy their AV experiences to the fullest.