Seen directly after A Quiet Passion, Their Finest was a delightful light relief. That may seem odd as it features its share of death and is shot in washed out blues and greys, so it is far from colourful, but the script and performances have a certain deftness.
Set in 1940s London during the worst of the blitz, Gemma Arterton stars as Catrin Cole, newly recruited to the Ministry of Information. She is given the job of contributing to the script, specifically the women’s dialogue, for a morale boosting film about the evacuation from Dunkirk.
For anyone, like me, interested in film making, specifically British film making in this era, and the second world war, there is so much to enjoy. Gaby Chiappe’s screenplay is both very funny and quite moving. Director Lone Scherfig, who had such a brilliant start to her career with the massively underrated Italian for Beginners and An Education (but has disappointed of late) does a tremendous job. One scene in particular, where Catrin gets caught up in an air raid and finds herself amongst some damaged mannequins in a shop will live a long time in my memory.
It is the performances though, that ultimately make the film a success. Arterton is believable as the determined but vulnerable Catrin, and there are lovely cameos from Richard E. Grant and Jeremy Irons and the wonderful Eddie Marsan is great in his brief appearances. Sam Claflin is a revelation as Tom Buckley, Catrin’s co writer who falls in love with her, but it is Bill Nighy as the vain and aging actor, Ambose Hilliard, who steals every scene he is in. It is unmistakeably a Nighy performance but there are subtle touches to it that elevate it above possibly anything he has done before.
A warm, informative, funny and touching film.
Rating: 9 out of 10