It’s World War II, and just days before Operation Overlord – now more commonly known as D-Day – Winston Churchill meets with some of the top executives for the Allied forces, including King George VI and Dwight Eisenhower, to discuss the plan of counter-attack to reclaim France.
Churchill, still haunted by the tragic outcome of similar tactics used when he fought 30 years earlier in Gallipoli, strongly opposes the plan. When the King begs him to become a ‘yes man’ for Britain’s sake, Churchill is briefly torn between what he is told his duties are, and what he thinks they should be – and ultimately persists in his attempts to stay the mission.
And that’s sort of it. Seriously. For the rest of the film.
What follows is numerous (and frustrating) failures on Churchill’s part to try and convince the Allies not to risk sending thousands of young men to their death. One bizarrely Shakespearean scene involves him praying by his bedside that it’ll rain so the soldiers won’t have to go. Spoiler alert: they still go.
Knowing that D-Day was ultimately a huge victory for the Allies, it’s kind of exasperating and tedious watching Churchill’s efforts to undercut the mission. As his pleas fall on deaf ears, we get to watch the Prime Minister sulk around at home and take the stress out on his marriage and staff. It’s rare and uncomfortable when a film causes you to root against the protagonist – it’s a little satisfying watching Eisenhower take Churchill down a few pegs.
Churchill manages to turn one of the most polarising figures of the 20th century into a blubbering, sulking mess – it’s pretty draining watching the great man act so, dare I say, Trumpian. Brian Cox does well, but his performance feels too melodramatic. Coupled with Cox’s booming theatrical voice, the film is noticeably low-budget. Its ambitions would have been better realised on the West End.
Far too often, Churchill himself feels like merely another body in the room, incapable of making important decisions or even getting a chance to influence anyone. There are only brief protestations about Churchill’s tactical navigation through the previous two years of the war – where was that story in the screenplay?
Love Film & TV?
Get the latest Film & TV news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
It also doesn’t help that the film is incredibly historically inaccurate. Churchill was against Operation Overlord between 1942 and 1943, before changing his tune in 1944 and becoming one of the prominent voices behind the successful campaign. If you have any high expectations going into this film, as you might be expected to, it’s hard to see how Churchill will live up to any of them.
Churchill is in cinemas from Thursday June 8.
