Une belle rencontre

Danish director Lone Scherfig (An Education, Italian for Beginners, One Day) knows her way around British humor, feminism, WW II, and the art and at times chaos of making a movie. Based on a novel by Lissa Evans and adapted for the screen by Gaby Chiappe, THEIR FINEST is a brilliant little film about making a film under duress and how all members of the film crew – stars to stuntmen and cameramen – interact. It is also a fine punch in the ribs for British views of Americans – not only during the 1940s but now also!

Caitlin Cole (Gemma Atherton) lives with struggling and wounded Welsh painter Ellis Cole (Jack Huston) and they strive to exist on a minimal income. During the London Blitz of World War II, Caitlin is recruited by the British Ministry of Information to write scripts for propaganda films that the public will actually watch without scoffing. In the line of her new duties, Cole investigates the story of two young women who supposedly piloted a boat in the Dunkirk Evacuation. Although it proved a complete misapprehension, the story becomes the basis for a fictional film with some possible appeal. As Cole labors to write the script with her new colleagues such as Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin), veteran actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy) must accept that his days as a leading man are over as he joins the project. Together, this disparate trio must struggle against such complications such as sexism against Cole, jealous relatives, the drive to make the American movie public react n support of England in the war effort, and political interference from the Secretary of War (Jeremy Irons) in their artistic decisions even as London endures the bombs of the enemy. In the face of those challenges, they share a hope to contribute something meaningful in this time of war and in their own lives.

The film has complex characterizations (Rachel Stirling is brilliant in what at first seems a minor but controlling role, Eddie Marsan has a meaningful cameo, Helen McCrory as Eddie Marsan's meddling sister) and the entire supporting cast is superb. Yes, it is a film about making a film, but in the setting chosen it works splendidly well.

"Their Finest" is a clever, charming and funny movie from Danish director Lone Scherfig. Adding to her most well-known films to date, "An Education" and "The Riot Club", it is clear that Scherfig is a true Anglophile at heart, as this is as British as it comes. The film tells the story of Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton), a Welsh secretary in London at the height of the Blitz who finds herself on the writing staff of a propaganda film about the Dunkirk evacuation. Though married to a struggling artist (Jack Huston), feelings grow between Catrin and fellow writer Buckley (Sam Claflin) as they struggle to make "The Nancy Starling" a film worthy of raising the nation's spirits.

One of the strengths of "Their Finest" is its glorious sense of place and time. The locations and production design provide a real asset. The daily threat of the Blitz is rightly given sufficient screen time to feel like an ever-present menace, while wartime London and an idyllic Cornish coast are well realised.

"Their Finest" is at its best when the the lines between the movie we are watching and the movie being produced on screen are blurred. We see the characters and plot of "The Nancy Starling" evolve within Catrin's mind in a series of comic scenes which give Bill Nighy's character, ageing actor Ambrose Hilliard, some of his best moments. In one particularly inspired moment, the continuation of a real conversation between the romantic pair is imagined in the same visual style of the on-screen movie. The writers and director clearly had a lot of fun with these ideas and their execution is spot on. The creators' love of cinema is realised in a way only possible in a film about film-making and film-watching. The emotions of an audience watching "The Nancy Starling" in the film clearly capture the joy the writers and director take from cinema in general, and it's very infectious!

Arterton plays the lead role very capably, creating a likable protagonist. Among the most memorable performances, Bill Nighy plays himself very well (it's difficult to imagine who could have played him better), and Rachael Stirling shines but is sadly underused. Jake Lacy is also entertaining as the square-jawed American who turns out to be a terrible actor. The film possibly suffers from the distracting addition of star cameos (Jeremy Irons popping up here for a single scene), a fault I find particularly noticeable in British films of this style.

The key fault for me was that the film seemed unsure which of its two main plot-lines, the making of "The Nancy Starling" and the romance between Catrin and Buckley, should take centre-stage. Developing both meant that the beginning and the end of the film suffered. Initially the film needed to introduce lots of only partially related themes and concepts, which made the opening scenes feel artificially and dissatisfyingly forced together. The need to conclude both threads produced more than a few false endings which certainly made the film feel its length. The competition between story-lines also meant that some of the supporting characters, particularly Jack Huston's suffering artist, did not receive the attention they needed to give enough weight to their plot contributions. Even Buckley, one of the key players, didn't seem quite fleshed out enough, though this is not helped by the poor chemistry between Sam Claflin and Gemma Arterton.

At its best though, "Their Finest" is a wonderful send-up of propaganda movie-making of the 1940s and a worthy war film in its own right.

This is a great wee movie. Full of me memorable moments from hilarity to wiping away a wee tear. Must see. Went to the UK premier at the GFT last Sunday (February 14 2017😂the performances, restrained and very understanding were superb. As usual, Bill Nighy played to his strengths and was, as usual, very funny. Newer faces were equally good in this almost ensemble cast. Go see this film. After watching terrible badly written movies such as Triple X 3 and John Wick 2, this carefully built film is a joy.

I didn't like it, but I can't get it out of my head. So now I'm thinking it was actually pretty great movie - as it still resonates with me. Initially, I didn't like that it was about something as upbeat as movies in the middle of a war - the contrast of the two made the plot seem a bit silly and unnecessary. However, I now understand that this movie is about the frailty of life, living in the moment and maybe even about opportunity/second chances.

In a well-mined category, "Their Finest" is a World War 2 comedy/drama telling a tale I haven't seen told before: the story behind the British Ministry of Information and their drive to produce propaganda films that support morale and promote positive messages in a time of national crisis. For it is 1940 and London is under nightly attack by the Luftwaffe during the time known as "The Blitz". Unfortunately the Ministry is run by a bunch of toffs, and their output is laughably misaligned with the working class population, and especially the female population:  with their husbands fighting overseas, these two groups are fast becoming one and the same. For women are finding and enjoying new empowerment and freedom in being socially unshackled from the kitchen sink. 

Enter Catrin Cole (Gemma Arterton, "The Girl with all the Gifts") who is one such woman arriving to a dangerous London from South Wales to live with struggling disabled artist Ellis (Jack Huston, grandson of John Huston). Catrin, stretching the truth a little, brings a stirring 'true' tale of derring-do about the Dunkirk evacuation to the Ministry's attention. She is then employed to "write the slop" (the woman's dialogue) in the writing team headed by spiky Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin, "Me Before You").

One of the stars of the film within the film is 'Uncle Frank' played by the aging but charismatic actor Ambrose Hilliard (Bill Nighy, "Dad's Army", "Love Actually"). Catrin proves her worth by pouring oil on troubled waters as the army insist on the introduction of an American airman (Jake Lacy, "Carol") to the stressful mix. An attraction builds between Catrin and Tom, but how will the love triangle resolve itself?

As you might expect if you've seen the trailer the film is, in the main, warm and funny with Gemma Arterton just gorgeously huggable as the determined young lady trying to make it in a misogynistic 40's world of work. Arterton is just the perfect "girl next door". But mixed in with the humour and the romantic storyline is a harsh sprinkling of the trials of war and not a little heartbreak occurs.  This is at least a 5 tissue movie. 

Claflin, who is having a strong year with appearances in a wide range of films, is also eminently watchable. One of his best scenes is a speech with Arterton about "why people love the movies", a theory that the film merrily and memorably drives a stake through the heart of!  

Elsewhere Lacy is hilarious as the hapless airman with zero acting ability; Helen McCrory ("Harry Potter") as Sophie Smith vamps it up wonderfully as the potential Polish love interest for Hilliard; Richard E Grant ("Logan") and Jeremy Irons ("The Lion King", "Die Hard: with a Vengeance") pop up in useful cameos and Eddie Marsan ("Sherlock Holmes") is also touching as Hilliard's long-suffering agent. 

But it is Bill Nighy's Hilliard who carries most of the wit and humour of the film with his pompous thespian persona, basking in the dwindling glory of a much loved series of "Inspector Lynley" films. With his pomposity progressively warming under the thawing effect of Sophie and Catrin, you have to love him!  Bill Nighy is, well, Bill Nighy. Hugh Grant gets it (unfairly) in the neck for "being Hugh Grant" in every film, but this pales in comparison with Nighy's performances!  But who cares: his kooky delivery is just delightful and he is a national treasure!

Slightly less convincing for me was Rachael Stirling's role as a butch ministry busybody with more than a hint of the lesbian about her.  Stirling's performance in the role is fine, but would this really have been so blatant in 1940's Britain?  This didn't really ring true for me. 

While the film gamely tries to pull off London in the Blitz the film's limited budget (around £25m) makes everything feel a little underpowered and 'empty':  a few hundred more extras in the Underground/Blitz scenes for example would have helped no end.

However, the special effects crew do their best and the cinematography by Sebastian Blenkov ("The Riot Club") suitably conveys the mood:  a scene where Catrin gets caught in a bomb blast outside a clothes shop is particularly moving.

As with all comedy dramas, sometimes the bedfellows lie uncomfortably with each other, and a couple of plot twists: one highly predictable; one shockingly unpredictable make this a non-linear watch. This roller-coaster of a script by Gaby Chiappe, in an excellent feature film debut (she actually also has a cameo in the propaganda "carrot film"!), undeniably adds interest and makes the film more memorable. However (I know from personal experience) that the twist did not please everyone in the audience! 

Despite its occasionally uneven tone, this is a really enjoyable watch (particularly for more mature audiences) and Danish director Lone Scherfig finally has a vehicle that matches the quality of her much praised Carey Mulligan vehicle "An Education".

(For the graphical version of this review, please visit bob-the-movie- man.com. Thanks.)