Their Finest 2016

     This film is based on the novel Their Finest Hour and a Half.  The British Ministry of Information during the London Blitz of WWII recruits Catrin Cole.  She is to write scripts for propaganda films that the public will actually want to watch.  Catrin investigates a story about two young women who piloted a boat in the Dunkirk Evacuation.  She later learns that the story is a complete fabrication.  Despite being false, it’s decided this is a good story and it will be filmed.  Catrin receives a lot of opposition as a screenwriter because she is a woman?  There is friction between veteran actor Ambrose Hilliard and the writers.  He doesn’t want to accept the fact that his leading man-days are over!!  Jealous relatives and political interference are other complications.  On top of all these issues, London is receiving intense bombing from the Germans!! 

     For some reason (?) I could not get interested in this film.  Maybe there is too much "British stiff upper lip" for me?  The acting is good and the plot is good but it seems too downbeat for me?  How could it not be downbeat because of all the destruction and loss of life in the bombing.  The rest of the film should be more interesting?  I did like the angle of the women being involved in screenwriting.  It was also possible for women to be on one of the boats heading to Dunkirk to rescue the trapped soldiers from the Germans.  I thought it was interesting that this film about making a film about Dunkirk was released by the BBC prior to the success of the 2017 film released by Warner Bros.  Their Finest released April 7, 2017 and Dunkirk July 21, 2017.  3* (This movie is OK)

117 min, Drama directed by Lone Scherfig with Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill NIghy, Jack Huston, Paul Ritter, Rachael Stirling, Richard E. Grant, Henry Goodman, Jake Lacy, Jeremy Irons, Eddie Marsan, Helen McCrory, Hubert Burton, Julia Lewis.

Note:  Imdb 6.8 out of 10, 88% critic 72% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 76 reviews, The Guardian 4* out of 5* review by Peter Bradshaw, Metacritic 76 out of 100 with 30 critics 6.4 out of 10 user score with 34 ratings.

Special Note:  Filmed in Pembrokeshire, Wales; Buckinghamshire and London, England, UK.  Nighy stated the casting department was looking for someone chronically self-absorbed and in his declining years.  Nighy felt OK about this reference at times and at other times it was difficult for him to process!!  There is a quote from Alfred Hitchcock spoken by Tom Buckley to Catrin Cole.  “Films are like life with the boring bits cut out.”  The title is from a quote by Winston Churchill from a speech given to Parliament in 1940.  “Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”  Originally Lily James was cast in the role played by Gemma Arterton.