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The Gathering Storm Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 16 Reviews)
WINSTON ALIVE AGAIN!
When I first heard that Albert Finney would play Sir Winston Churchill in THE GATHERING STORM I was sorely disappointed. How could Finney, famed for his portrayals of Scrooge and the father in BIG FISH, pull it off? Still I just had to watch. My concerns were quickly put to rest with the first appearance of Mr. Finney on screen as the venerable and legendary British hero. It was absolutely remarkable! Winston was there before me, alive again! The same was true of Vanessa Redgrave's portrayal of Winston's beloved wife, Clementine.
The movie is filled with facts about Churchill's activities leading up to war with Germany, his intelligence activities and his relationship with Clementine and his family. The film is absolutely a must have for all "Churchillophiles."
THE HORSEMAN
Finney does it again
From Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express to Leo in Miller's Crossing, Albert Finney has a similar reputation to Morgan Freeman. Almost any film he turns up iin is worth your time. His Churchill is a joy to watch, more than once. You can follow the story and learn about Winston, or you can watch to see Finney's great acting. It doesn't hurt that Vanessa Redgrave's in it too. The scene I enjoy most is Winston's plea to make up with his Clemmie after a spat! Shows Churchill was as soft as a marshmallow when it came to his wife.
Destiny commands. We must obey.
THE GATHERING STORM is a compelling look at the lion in wilderness. The lion, of course, is Winston Churchill (Albert Finney) and the wilderness is the political exclusion he endured circa 1938-39. It was during those years that Germany rearmed at an alarming rate; England slept while Adolf Hitler plotted. It was also a time that found Churchill gadflying from opposition to Indian independence to futilely warning England, and the world, about the newly dangerous Nazi Germany.
Such is the political context TGS takes place in, but the movie devotes most of its 90-some minutes to domestic life at Chartwell, Churchill's country estate and the place he amassed and assessed the intelligence on Germany fed to him by a variety of sources, most notably Foreign Office official Ralph Wigram (Linus Roache). Vanessa Redgrave plays Churchill's wife Clemmie, a woman who was as much a match for her famous husband as Redgrave is a match for the superb Finney.
THE GATHERING STORM won't teach you all that much about English politics on the eve of World War II, or even that much about Churchill the politician. As a character study of a complex politician it's simply brilliant, and strongly recommended.
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