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Their Finest (2016) - a Film Review


This film is about women's emancipation at the beginning of the Second World War and is set during the making of a propaganda film.


I had heard many promising things about it and was a bit afraid that I would be disappointed. The chances are that your expectations will be too high when their only raving reviews. But I can say with certainty that in this case this did not happen. I absolutely loved this film.


The story is well constructed. The film has two goals; One is that in the end a propaganda film has to be finished and two; Love has to conquer all. Of course, there are various obstacles to be overcome on both fronts. Now that I have said this you may think this will be become a predictable story, but nothing is less true and this movie has an original course and an equally original ending. It’s fun to see how a propaganda film is made and what problems arise.


All actors and actresses are all fantastic. Gemma Arterton, who plays Scriptwriter Catrin Cole, is very engaging from the moment she appears on the screen. She is initially asked to write the “slob", dialogues for the women in the film, but appears to have an exceptional writer's talent. Of course, she finds it difficult in the male-dominated environment where only tough women like Phil Moore, the executive of the Ministry of Information played by Rachael Stirling, seem to be able to survive. You would think that, at the end of the film, because of so much women's discrimination, Catrin would become a just as though as Phil, but she remains a sympathetic and a gentle lady who even melts the cold heart of Phil.


Sam Claflin is also fantastic as scenario writer Tom Buckley. He is like so many young men of that time; It's not willing, but it just does not occur to him that a woman can be equal to a man. He needs a woman like Catrin to make him realise this.


I'm not going to discuss every actor, but I must mention Bill Nighy. He is fantastic as actor Ambrose Hilliard who has only had one succes in his career and has been doing second-rate roles for decades. since. At the beginning of the film, he is arrogant and does not want to understand that he is over sixty and thus can not play any roles of the thirty year younger hero. It's nice to see how he, like all other characters in Their Finest, makes an interesting development.


Also the actors in supporting roles are fantastic. I’ve already mentioned Rachael Stirling, who, although she has played lesbians before, is again surprisingly innovative in this part. I know few actors and actresses who never fall back in their comfort zone and do things different in every new roll the play. Other actors of stature like Richard E. Grant, Henry Goodman and Jeremy Irons definitely live up to their names. But also less famous actors like Jack Huston and Jake Lacy play out of their skin.


I find 'Their Finest' the best movie I saw in 2016.

Their Finest Trailer

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