'Darkest Hour' Is A Riveting Look At Britain's War Against Nazi Oppression

DETROIT (WWJ) - 'Darkest Hour' recounts Winston Churchill's first weeks in office as the newly-appointed British Prime Minister. At the time of his appointment, Churchill was a stalwart member of Parliament, who was thrust into the position after lawmakers lost confidence in his predecessor, Neville Chamberlain.

It all started on May 10th, 1940. It was a dangerous time in Europe. Allied nations were continuing to fall against Nazi troops, and 300,000 British soldiers -- the UK's entire Expeditionary Force -- were stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, hoping they would be rescued -- but unsure of what the future would hold.

Despite the dire situation, Churchill wanted to continue the fight. But, members of his own party disagreed, fighting with him at every turn. And, King George VI wasn't even sure that Churchill was the right choice for the position.

Still, with the support of his wife and his dedicated secretary, and with the British people firmly behind him, Churchill wrote and delivered speeches that would rally his nation and accomplish what many people thought was impossible.

'Darkest Hour' is a movie that will keep you enthralled from beginning to end. Yes, the movie is based on history, so we all know what happens, but it's certainly interesting to see how the events played out. I, for one, was particularly interested in seeing how Churchill dealt with members of his own party who wanted to see him fail and plotted against him.

Go see it. History buff or not.

'Darkest Hour' stars Gary Oldman as Churchill; Kristin Scott Thomas as Clemmie Churchill; Lily James as Winston Churchill's secretary, Elizabeth Layton; Stephen Dillane as Viscount Halifax; Ronald Pickup as Neville Chamberlain; and Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI.

See you at the movies!

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