The flicks
"How cold WAS it, Johnny?"
Yesterday (late morning) in mid-coastal Florida was in the high 40s. Fairly clear, but way chillier than we here are used to. So I agreed with Joanne's plan to see not one but two hot current films -- "Darkest Hour" and "The Last Jedi" -- even though I knew it would not be as satisfying as watching them on two separate occasions.
The Churchill drama was a bit overlong (for covering just a few weeks of May 1940) and cliche-ridden (the antique mechanical calendar clicking off the date of esch scene).
But Gary Oldman as Sir Winston was excellent casting, and Kristen Scott Thomas as "Clemmie" equally good. And, to the director's credit, we got rather more of her this time than most Churchill biopix give his loving spouse.
Both bibulous and cantankerous he was -- and there was rather too much of the well-known traits than we needed -- and suddenly fearful he also was. And THAT somewhat less-known fact, given the awful circumstances, was also shown in depth. It certainly WAS the darkest hour, as the great man briefly yielded to his doubts and -- with the British Army facing annihilation at Dunkirk -- briefly contemplated surrender.
A wonderful scene in the London underground, Churchill desperately wanting to experience the depth of indominable British pluck. He charmingly solicited the opinions of his fellow riders, even asking their names as they clattered along.
Fortified, he made his way back to Westminster, reported his survey to a random assembly of political figures, citing by name the Tube riders he'd listened to -- and took this latter group's uncritical approbation into the session of Parliament he had earlier convened.
Of course that was the justly famed "fight them on the beaches, on the landing-grounds..." speech that "predicted" the successful extraction of the troops from Dunkirk and the eventual victory in the War.
Now, as for the culmination of the Star Wars series, it was also stirring and... well, fraught with the doubts of all and sundry. The inevitable reverses, disasters, and... scenery-chewing galore.
Carrie Fisher was THE Princess Lea we all knew she was, Mark Hamill as a reluctant Skywalker chewed the most scenery, and the "new" characters all acquitted themselves quite well, if damned confusingly. On the other hand, the return of the ever-pontificating Yoda was almost unwatchable...
Yesterday (late morning) in mid-coastal Florida was in the high 40s. Fairly clear, but way chillier than we here are used to. So I agreed with Joanne's plan to see not one but two hot current films -- "Darkest Hour" and "The Last Jedi" -- even though I knew it would not be as satisfying as watching them on two separate occasions.
The Churchill drama was a bit overlong (for covering just a few weeks of May 1940) and cliche-ridden (the antique mechanical calendar clicking off the date of esch scene).
But Gary Oldman as Sir Winston was excellent casting, and Kristen Scott Thomas as "Clemmie" equally good. And, to the director's credit, we got rather more of her this time than most Churchill biopix give his loving spouse.
Both bibulous and cantankerous he was -- and there was rather too much of the well-known traits than we needed -- and suddenly fearful he also was. And THAT somewhat less-known fact, given the awful circumstances, was also shown in depth. It certainly WAS the darkest hour, as the great man briefly yielded to his doubts and -- with the British Army facing annihilation at Dunkirk -- briefly contemplated surrender.
A wonderful scene in the London underground, Churchill desperately wanting to experience the depth of indominable British pluck. He charmingly solicited the opinions of his fellow riders, even asking their names as they clattered along.
Fortified, he made his way back to Westminster, reported his survey to a random assembly of political figures, citing by name the Tube riders he'd listened to -- and took this latter group's uncritical approbation into the session of Parliament he had earlier convened.
Of course that was the justly famed "fight them on the beaches, on the landing-grounds..." speech that "predicted" the successful extraction of the troops from Dunkirk and the eventual victory in the War.
Now, as for the culmination of the Star Wars series, it was also stirring and... well, fraught with the doubts of all and sundry. The inevitable reverses, disasters, and... scenery-chewing galore.
Carrie Fisher was THE Princess Lea we all knew she was, Mark Hamill as a reluctant Skywalker chewed the most scenery, and the "new" characters all acquitted themselves quite well, if damned confusingly. On the other hand, the return of the ever-pontificating Yoda was almost unwatchable...