Their Finest ★★★½
BRITISH World War II drama Their Finest is a nice surprise.
Largely unheralded prior to its 2017 release, it’s an interesting, well told and acted story that will definitely resonate with older audiences but also has wider appeal.
The director, Lone Scherfig is Danish and a female, best known previously for An Education and One Day. She deftly handles the historical source material and draws strong performances from her cast.
The film plays as a two-fold tribute to the people who created cinema fodder to maintain the community’s morale at home during the war years and, more importantly, the women who battled sexism and ignorance to forge careers in this medium.
Gemma Arterton, an actress who hasn’t astounded me in the past (though I haven’t seen the well-reviewed The Girl With All The Gifts) is perfectly cast as Catrin, a strong-willed, talented writer plucked from obscurity to help produce a morale-boosting movie that will capture the imagination of cinema-goers who have grown tired of the usual preachy fare.
She is paired with a couple of more experienced male writers, including the dismissive and patronising Tom played by Sam Clafin. He was the paraplegic lead character in romance Me Before You and part of the Hunger Games’ cast, but this role is without doubt his best to date.
And then there is everyone’s favourite Brit, Bill Nighy, delightfully stealing every scene he appears in as an eccentric film star battling to remain relevant in his later career.
Part drama, part comedy and part romance, the film carefully balances all three elements in entertaining fashion and, at times, with surprising turns.
Bill Nighy is at his best as well.
Thanks for your review, Mike. I will definitely see this film now. I really like Gemma Arterton so your plaudits are a bonus.