Darkest Hour (2017)

Gary Oldman plays Winston Churchill during his early days as UK Prime Minister during World War II.

It’s brilliantly acted but poorly filmed. The overuse of shadows and light by director Joe Wright in pretty much every scene becomes wearing, and quickly feels clichéd, as does the naff music. In fact it’s quite “flat” all round. 

Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James are strong in supporting roles as Churchill's wife and secretary respectively. Oldman is superb and the film is worth seeing (once) if only for him.

Slow West (2015)

Odd western directed by John Maclean.  

Kodi Smit-McPhee plays a young Scotsman searching for the woman he loves in the American West. He is guided by a bounty hunter played by Michael Fassbender. The premise is good and the two leads are intriguing, but something about the film doesn’t quite work. 

The characters could have been better drawn. Also, the situation didn’t ring true. Would there really have been a bounty in America for a crime committed in Europe? 

It’s not emotionally involving and probably not trying to be, either. There are a couple of welcome flashes of humour, and more of that would have been nice.