People have WWII on the mind these days. In the course of six months we’ve had Dunkirk, that Churchill film starring Brian Cox – and now we have Darkest Hour, yet another film about Winston Churchill. But, to be fair, all three of them have proven to be good films. Not to mention completely different from each other, despite the subject matter. If this is a resurgence of WWII films though, I’m not one to complain. There’s a lot that you can tell with that tragic period of history. Darkest Hour, in that does have an edge. The story of Churchill does have the potential for great film making.

Despite being a historical film, Darkest Hour does play fast and loose with events to tell a more dramatic story. What it attempts to chronical is Churchill’s rise to power within his parliament. Neville Chamberlin has been forced out of office and Viscount Halifax has refused the post of Prime Minister. Therefore, the role falls onto Churchill, possibly the most hated political member of his party. He gladly takes up the position – his goal is to end the war and Hitler’s tyranny. The problem is that Britain appears to be losing the war, and Halifax is leading a campaign to sign a peace-treaty. It is here that Churchill must fight for what he thinks is right, while doubting his every decision along the way.

This is a period piece. It’s period piece directed by Joe Wright, a man who has proven many times that he has a good eye for such films. This is the director of Atonement, Pride and Prejudice and the action film, Hanna, after all. And yes, he also directed Pan, which remains to be one of the worst fantasy blockbuster’s I’ve ever seen, so it’s not a clean record. Here, Wright brings his keen eye for visual and audio storytelling. This is an exceptionally well directed and shot film. There are nice and calm images, with some haunting ones dotted around. The one that sticks to my mind is an aerial shot of craters from bombs in a field, which that seamlessly transitions to a mud-covered corpse with bloody, dead eyes. Better was the use of sound. When Churchill is trying to make a decision under pressure, you hear all the little noises – the ticking of a clock, the distant voices of people, the rapping of a ring on a desk – and you start to feel the stress that he is under too.

It does help that Gary Oldman is playing Winston Churchill. Oldman is one of the best actors working today and is, once again, almost unrecognisable as Churchill. And no, it’s not just because of the make-up. That was a little distracting at first, but you quickly stop noticing it. He got everything that everyone knows about the man down perfectly – from his drooping lips, “unique” manner of speaking and constant smoking of cigars, of course. He fit the role very well. He is with a cast of great actors, such as Kristin Scott Thomas, as Churchill’s wife, Lily James, Stephen Dillane and Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI. All bring their A-game and none disappoint. Even though, Dillane and Mendelsohn do have the odd accent slip from time to time.

Where the film may falter is in that inaccuracy issue. Despite telling the overall story how it was, the film does get a little muddled in the details. This is usually only an issue for those who look for such things – which I don’t unless it’s just blatant disregard, such as Braveheart or Apocalypto. My problem with it is that wanting to tell a dramatic story, but also wanting to stick to the historical events does muddle things a bit. There are plot threads that just go nowhere. The most obvious of this is when Churchill calls the President of the USA. Not only was this made up but it adds nothing to the story at all. It also means that some events that did happen, and were of great meaning, sometimes get overshadowed by those that didn’t happen.

Whatever Darkest Hour’s narrative shortcoming, it’s still a great film and well worth the watch. It’s a slow burn to be sure, but it burns bright enough for me. The inaccuracies may leave some moments feeling a little jarred. But, accepting that this is a romanticising of the heroic actions of one man, you can still find enjoyment and interest in it. It’s probably not the kind of film I would watch twice, or at least not for a while, but I’m glad I saw it the once.

Having previously reviewed several shorts from UK-based production company Chocolate Bear Films I was keen to check out their latest offering ‘Excursion To The Mountains‘ from writer/director Dermot Daly (Coda, Quality Time, Motherland’s Call), co-director/producer Ivan Mack and starring Emma Leah Golding & Ahmed Sher Zaman

“How can we hold on to the memory of someone without holding ourselves back?
This is a film about being brave enough to capture new memories without denying the pain of loss.”

For me, this short is an interesting (if brief) exploration into the fleeting nature of our memories and relationships as shown through the visual metaphor of fading photographs.

It is beautifully shot, acted and preserves a wonderful sense of melancholy throughout. Deliberately devoid of any dialogue there is a mix of ambient noise and scoring – the scoring is abrasive at one point when it comes in full pelt but I feel this is done for a dramatic and emotional effect. The film-makers intentions may not be clear at the start of the piece but they become clear by the end.

‘Chocolate Bear, in its present guise, exists to make short films. Short films that avoid cliches in exploring the human condition.

Financially, we aim to make good quality on a shoestring. If a story is written well it can be made for less as it’s the narrative that holds sway.

A good original story is priceless.

We’re always open to collaboration at a production level but will remain defiantly independent. In the long term we aim to make longer films which continue to explore ‘this mortal flesh’; but that’s then, and this is now.

As filmmaking is a balance between mimesis and diagesis let’s write no more and simply do.’

In many ways, it’s much tougher for a short film to achieve its emotional goal than that of a feature film. The director has just a few short minutes to evoke the desired mood within their audience. There’s no time for character development, and very little room for dialogue, so more often than not the trick is to keep it as simple as possible, and this is where Chad Hamilton’s latest short, ‘Not Yet’, truly succeeds.

The film tells the story of a husband bringing his sick wife to the park to cheer her up.  It’s no more complicated than that, which makes it all the more impressive that the story is able to evoke so many emotions in its mere 9 minute run-time. This is because we as an audience have been presented with a thoroughly relatable story that we can all understand and sympathise with, simple as it may be.

The most notable element of the film is its lack of dialogue. No real words are spoken by anyone. The closest it comes is with the occasional gasp or laughter, but the film primarily relies on diegetic sound. This is a terrific stylistic choice, stripping the story down to its bare bones, and it’s delivered with superb sound design from Luftar Von Rama.

There is also an exceptional score by Christopher Sisco. Who needs dialogue when you have music that is more than capable of telling a story all on its own? The score perfectly captures the ever-changing mood within the narrative, drifting from happy to heart-breaking with each passing moment, the highlight being an uplifting piano piece in the second act.

While the film has its simplicities, it’d be easy to turn a blind eye to the little details within it that really make it work. Chad Hamilton’s direction is very open, despite the limited location, creating a bright and freeing atmosphere, while he makes use of close-ups for the story’s more intimate moments, and uses a bright and vibrant colour palette to insinuate his positive message.

He wants to tell a joyous story, but never forgets the emotion at the heart of it. He finds a perfect balance, and there are some moments that really hit the viewer like a ton of bricks, including a scene in which the husband spots an old man sitting on his own, and contemplates his future. The film’s final shot is also extremely powerful.

Ultimately, this is a story about escaping, even if just for a moment. It’s a story about a husband who just wants to make his wife smile, and that feeling extends itself to the audience. It’s really very impressive how many emotions one story can express in such a short run-time.

Chad Hamilton (who also cameos in the film) won the Best Director award at Freedom Shorts XVI, and it’s not hard to see why, as this is a film that works solely due to the smart creative decisions he’s made. The story is communicated purely through visuals, alongside a truly brilliant score, and evokes more emotion than many script-heavy feature-length productions are able to achieve.

It’s short but sweet, simple but effective, and manages to be tragic and uplifting all at the same time. It’s a true masterclass in short filmmaking.

Walk With Me is a snapshot into the world of true zen; not in the sense of how to reach zen, but a view into how monks and nuns live their lives, earn their money, and cope with the boredom of repetitive tasks. Walk With Me introduces us to the meditative world and the art of mindfulness within a monastic society led by famous teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.

Walk With Me, as may be very fitting, is a quiet and measured film. Interspersed with reflective quotes by Benedict Cumberbatch the majority of this film is without dialogue and strikingly, no narration. Walk With Me does not lead in any clear direction. There’s no understand or explanation of what you’re seeing or why you’re seeing it. As  you’ll discover when watching, this monastic society asks its participants to be forever in their present moment, enjoying what is seen and not what is hoped to be seen. Walk With Me personifies the teachings of its participants and is masterful in its portrayal.

Its beauty and patience are undeniable. Unfortunately, this proves to be its own downfall’ At times it does drag on and can be  difficult to watch. Benedict Cumberbatch sounds increasingly strained trying to reduce the pace of his speech below the norm and often thats what watching the documentary feels like, frustrated. It’s a shame, as the camera work is spectacular, the participants are perfect and graceful, and the sound is phenomenal. How the crew were able to so successfully capture the sound of ants crawling on a woven rug, I don’t know, but it’s amazing! Yet, its not going to capture the imagination of a wide ranging audience, even with the Cumberbatch name.

Walk With Me is a documentary for people who love documentaries. Cinema buffs that love a film that encapsulates the subject will adore this, as well as those interested in monastic life. I just don’t think the majority of people would enjoy 30 minutes of silence, regardless of beautiful cinematography. I enjoyed parts of it, but I couldn’t watch it again.