The best that can be said about the film Their Finest - about WWII propaganda films - is that I didn't walk out. Although I was sorely tempted to, about halfway through, when I realised how tedious and sluggish the story and script was. It's set in London during the Blitz, but where's the tension? Where's the drama? The locations and lighting and sets are nicely presented, yet the plot and dialogue have the quality of a polite suburban play. The whole movie doesn't hang together as a solid piece of work. Gemma Arterton gives a heartfelt go at her role as budding scriptwriter Catherine Cole. But the actor who plays her poor artist husband doesn't have much chemistry with her, and doesn't get much, of interest, to say or do. Jack Huston, as Catherine's real love interest, fellow writer Ellis, is smart, and also attempts to give his role some depth. As the faded film star who acts in the propaganda films, Bill Nighy does his mildly amusing Bill Nighy schtick. You can imagine him as a former matinée idol. It's just that overall in Their Finest, not enough happens to make you really love, or identify with, the characters or the storyline. Quite a few times, the horribly random nature of the bombing of London is depicted, but it's as if someone had read the script and gone, OK, we need something dramatic to happen about now, how about we kill off character X? It seems pretty bloodless and meaningless. The film purports to be a comedy, but there isn't much even gentle humour. Maybe this is the wrong film to watch about the Blitz. Maybe one day someone will make an incredibly moving and engrossing film with some of the elements depicted here. For example, how your best friend could be killed in an instant while crossing the road. Meanwhile, I think in order to enjoy Their Finest, you would have to be a very undemanding viewer.
Review of Their Finest
