THEIR FINEST [2016 / 2017] [Blu-ray + Digital Download] [UK Release]
A Politely Delightful Romantic Second World War Comedy!
1940, London, the Blitz; with the country’s morale at stake, Catrin Cole [Gemma Arterton], an untried screenwriter, and a makeshift cast and crew, work under fire to make a film to lift the nation’s flagging spirits; and inspire America to join the war. Partnered alongside fellow screenwriter, Tom Buckley [Sam Claflin] where the pair set off to make a film that will warm the hearts of the nation and capture the imagination of the American population. Alongside Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Richard E. Grant, Jeremy Irons and Helen McCrory, you have Bill Nighy stars as the gloriously egotistical fading matinee idol Ambrose Hilliard, who reluctantly joins their production in a supporting role.
Based on the Lissa Evans novel “Their Finest Hour and a Half.” The film ‘THEIR FINEST’ is a witty, romantic and moving portrayal of a young woman finding her way, and her voice, in the mayhem of war… and the movies!
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: 2017 British Independent Film Awards: Nominated: Best Debut Screenwriter for Gaby Chiappe. Nominated: Best Effects for Chris Reynolds. 2017 Göteborg Film Festival: Win: Audience Award for Best Feature Film for Lone Scherfig. 2017 International Online Cinema Awards: Nominated: Halfway Award for Best Supporting Actor for Bill Nighy. 2018 International Film Music Critics Award: Nominated: Best Original Score for a Comedy Film for Rachel Portman. 2018 Writers' Guild of Great Britain: Nominated: Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Screenplay for Gaby Chiappe for BBC Films.
FILM FACT No.2: Principal photography on the film began in early September 2015, in London. Locations used included: Pembrokeshire, Freshwater West beach – which stood in for Dunkirk – Porthgain harbour, the Trecwn valley, and the Cresselly Arms at Cresswell Quay; in Swansea, the Guildhall and Grand Theatre; and in London, Bedford Square in Bloomsbury. The production was financially supported by the Welsh Government's "Media Investment Budget."
Cast: Gemma Arterton, Nicholas Murchie, Sam Claflin, Richard E. Grant, Henry Goodman, Rachael Stirling, Jack Huston, Bill Nighy, Amanda Root (Careless Talk Film), Patrick Gibson, Darren Clarke, Ed Birch (Careless Talk Film), Lissa Evans (Careless Talk Film), Richard Bevan (Dubbing Editor), Gaby Chiappe (Carrot Film), Amanda Fairbank-Hynes (Carrot Film), Lily Knight, Francesca Knight, Bella Ava Georgiou, Alfie Stewart, Mossie Smith, Jay Simpson, Paul Ritter, Eddie Marsan, Frances Jeater, Claudia Jessie, Stephanie Hyam, Richard Syms, Natalia Ryumina, Helen McCrory, Rebecca Saire, Jeremy Irons, Jake Lacy, Miles Richardson (Movietone Newsreader voice), Gordon Brown, Julia Lewis, Liliana Gane, Hubert Burton (The Hero), Michael Marcus, Stephen Boswell, Feline Allentoft, Ellie Haddington, Florence Woolley, Joanna Brookes, Patrick Osborne, Nell Barlow (uncredited), Letty Butler (uncredited), Steve Carroll (uncredited), Emma Cunniffe (uncredited), Kathleen Harrison (archive footage) (uncredited), Kornelia Horvath (uncredited), Katie Jackson (uncredited), Cathy Murphy (uncredited), Hugh O'Brien (uncredited), Clive Russell (uncredited) and Lee Whitlock (uncredited)
Director: Lone Scherfig
Producers: Amanda Posey, Christine Langan, Ed Wethered, Elizabeth Karlsen, Finola Dwyer, Ivan Dunleavy, Jim Spencer, Peter Watson, Richard Mansell, Robert Norris, Sean Wheelan, Stephen Woolley and Zygi Kamasa
Screenplay: Lissa Evans (based on the novel "Their Finest Hour and a Half") and Gaby Chiappe (screenplay)
Composer: Rachel Portman
Cinematography: Sebastian Blenkov (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 (CinemaScope)
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
English: 2.0 Audio Descriptions
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 117 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 1
Studio: BBC Films / LIONSGATE Home Entertainment
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: With the film ‘THEIR FINEST’ [2017] is set during the London Blitz, a young woman Catrin Cole [Gemma Arterton] takes a job as a script writer for women’s dialogue in morale-boosting films. When an idea of hers gets turned into a massive Technicolor production, she finds herself on location with a sexist screen-writer Tom Buckley [Sam Claflin] and an over-the-hill former pompous actor and leading man Ambrose Hilliard [Bill Nighy] desperate to save his flagging career. One of the pleasures of the film is the way it both gently mocks and celebrates the British in wartime and at times, the Brits can seem very absurd indeed and the scenario theme of the film shows us the beginning of one of the richest and most contradictory periods in British film history.
The film opens with footage from a documentary of the period showing women in a factory and tells her supervisor that she has had some bad news: her man has gone missing. She then adds with an absurdly British understatement, in the face of bereavement and death, that she will feel much better when she has had “a cup of tea.” The footage is greeted by audiences with catcalls and derision – as an example of patronising filmmakers having no clue how to depict working class women on screen.
This is where Catrin Cole comes in. Initially applying for a secretarial post at the Ministry of Information, Catrin Cole is instead earmarked for scriptwriting duties by Richard E Grant, who is impressed by her brief experience as a copywriter. Richard E Grant gives her a promotion and writing dialogue (what he calls “slop”) “slop” (meaning “girl talk”) and “cultivate a more convincing female angle,” in morale-boosting films and although it’s not a post that anyone in the almost exclusively male-dominated company respects.
Put to work with the dry-witted Tom Buckley, and Catrin Cole is sent to interview two sisters, celebrated in the press as heroines after sailing out to rescue soldiers at the Dunkirk evacuation. Catrin Cole sees enough potential for a film that will lift the country’s flagging spirits. All she has to do is stop the women being side-lined for male heroics while finding a suitable role for pompous fading star Ambrose Hilliard, played by Bill Nighy and is a former matinee idol whose career is on the skids and sadly, the closest thing to a heartthrob available with all of Britain’s younger men enlisted. But as the filming gets underway, Catrin Cole starts to question her future happiness and finds her once effortless optimism hard to reignite.
Adapted from the Lissa Evans novel “Their Finest Hour And A Half,” this is a self-reflexive affair and a film about filmmaking. Catrin Cole is assigned to research an uplifting story that her bosses in the Ministry of Information think will appeal on the home front, to women in particular. The story in question is about two sisters who defied their drunken sea captain father, borrowed his boat and headed to Dunkirk to help in the evacuation of the stranded allied forces. In reality, the boat had engine trouble and didn’t make it to Dunkirk. Nonetheless, once the story is given the Technicolor treatment and is written up by Catrin Cole and her colleagues, it becomes rousing fare for cinema goers.
Though the film ‘THEIR FINEST’ stays pleasingly light, using a beautifully balanced cast of old stalwarts and rising stars, and director Lone Scherfig’s film never sugar-coats the issues. London during the Blitz is a terrifying prospect; despite the omnipresent bombing raids, there’s eerie calm in the streets and desperation to cling to normality. More than anything, though, there is an understanding of the sacrifice that is being made on the battlefields of Europe. While Bill Nighy’s effete Ambrose Hilliard is one of his funniest comic creations and a flaky wooden old ham whose vanity always gets the better of him and he is played with humanity and pathos. Deep down, he knows the jig is almost up, and once the war is over, the sun will set on his once glittering career. For Catrin Cole, though, there is simply uncertainty.
With deception a key to filmmaking, especially with propaganda, ‘THEIR FINEST’ explores the way great fictions can reveal even larger truths, and looks at the way lies are employed to serve a greater good. But the tone is never strident and the story is never neglected. Plus, there’s a lot of fun with the mechanics and tricks of filmmaking, and affectionate spoofs of the period style of cinema. Handsomely photographed, wonderfully played and full of humour, this is a thoroughly British crowd pleaser. All the more surprising then, it was directed by the talented Lone Scherfig and did a totally brilliant professional job and produced a really beautiful and engaging film and deserved all the awards it received.
THEIR FINEST MUSIC TRACK LIST
BRIGHTON PROMENADE (Written by Anthony Mawer)
SHINE ON HARVEST MOON (Written by Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth) [Performed by Rachel Portman]
SUNSET IN CAPRI (Written by Rudy Cipolla and Sheri Mignano Crawford) [Performed by Mattinata di Matteo]
RED SAILS IN THE SUNSET (Written by Wilhelm Grosz and Jimmy Kennedy) [Performed by Rachel Portman]
RED SAILS IN THE SUNSET (Written by Wilhelm Grosz and Jimmy Kennedy) [Performed by Charlie Kunz, His Piano & The Casani Club Orchestra]
GULF OF NAPLES (Written by Alessandro Alessandroni)
In the Bleak Midwinter (Written by Gustav Holst) [Performed by Andrew Crowley]
In the Bleak Midwinter (Written by Gustav Holst) [Performed by The Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford and Stephen Darlington]
BALLAD FROM CAMPANIA (Written by Alessandro Alessandroni)
PROUD AND PROFANE (Written by Ivor Slaney)
THEY CAN’T BLACK OUT THE MOON (Written by Art Strauss, Bob Dale and Sonny Miller) [Performed by Stephanie Hyam, Claudia Jessie and Rachel Portman]
WILL YOU GO, LASSIE, GO (aka "Wild Mountain Thyme") (Written by Francis McPeake and McPeake Family) [Performed by Bill Nighy and Rachel Portman]
String Quintet in A Minor, Op.1, B.7 : Il Lento (Written by Antonín Dvorák) [Performed by Vlach Quartet Prague]
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Blu-ray Image Quality – With the help of BBC Films and Lionsgate Home Entertainment, they have delivered you a totally stunning 1080p image presentation that evokes the 1940s London Blitz in a truly great image presentation, which is equally enhanced with a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Here we get to view a really great mix of locations that is enough to create and feel authentic when it comes to capturing the 1940s period settings, and especially there is plenty of detail to be found in the costume design and work done to make scenes inside offices and on the streets work. Black levels are deep throughout and there is good use of faked old film footage. Facial textures register strongly here and certain details are really handled well. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – BBC Films and Lionsgate Home Entertainment presents you with a brilliant 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio experience that enhances the sound of the 1940s period really well. For a film that relies a lot on dialogue interplay between the actors, the war angle allows for some big scenes that bring this audio track into life in a great way with a solid track with plenty of clarity in the audio world we see presented in the film. There are some moments featuring air raids that have a brilliant audio presentation in feeling you are actually there. Dialogue plays on the centre channel, with the majority of audio playing centre as well as on the front channels. The rear channels do plenty of work as well, thanks to all that’s going on with the environment that surrounds the characters and everything is loud and clear for a 1940s period film of this calibre. What is also brilliant is the film score by composer Rachel Portman, who really evokes the period of the Second World War, especially in England really well, especially when it comes to the sombre moments in the film, but also Rachel Portman gives very dramatic music presentation where we see a lot of action in the film.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director Lone Scherfig: Here Lone Scherfig introduces herself, and informs us that also was the director of the film, and talks about the opening sequence of the film, that shows an old archival black-and-white propaganda film of the 1940s. Lone Scherfig says that at one point the Government closed down a great deal of cinemas, because their thinking is that it was too dangerous with all the bombing going on, especially in London, but the Ministry of Information that was a United Kingdom government department created briefly at the end of the First World War and again during the Second World War, but because to keep people’s morale’s up, they decided to re-open all the cinemas, because people informed that they missed going to the cinema, because it took them away from the horrors of the Second World War. Lone Scherfig gives great praise towards the film music composer Rachel Portman and her wonderful composed film score that really evoked the period of the film and also comments at her surprise on how many women’s names appear in the film credits at the beginning of the film. When we see Gemma Arterton [Catrin Cole] enters the gates to the big building and we are informed that it is the Senate House, and the Ministry of Information Headquarters in London during the 1940s, it was the central government department responsible for publicity and propaganda, where they took up to nearly 11 floors and would remain in place until the end of the Second World War. It was also a building that inspired George Orwell and his novel 1984. Lone Scherfig says a lot of the characters you view in the room when Gemma Arterton enters, that are discussing what they want the public to see at the cinema to boost the publics morale, were all based on real people, like Alexander Korda and Michael Balcon, but as to the Gemma Arterton character, this was actually based on the real life Diana Morgan [1908 – 1996] who also worked originally as a secretary and eventually worked her way up the ladder to become a screenwriter and was married to fellow screenwriter Robert MacDermot. When Gemma Arterton is talking to Bill Nighy about his lines he spoke from the script, well Lone Scherfig points out that the make-up lady with the powder puff, who is actually the novelist Lissa Evans of the novel “Their Finest Hour and a Half” that was based on the film, well Lone Scherfig allowed this lady to have a cameo appearance you see in the background. Also with the scene in the Welsh pub where Bill Nighy sings the song “WILL YOU GO, LASSIE, GO” along with the piano player, again Lone Scherfig allowed Lissa Evans to appear once more in a cameo role. When you see Gemma Arterton rushing out of the London Underground and gets blow off her feet because of the bomb hitting the shop and of course is shocked and confused and thinks all around her are actual dead bodies, which of course after a little while realises they are actual dummies from the shop window display, well Lone Scherfig informs this scene was based on a real event when the Madame Tussauds London in Marylebone Road was actually bombed and all the waxwork dummies ended up in the street, but Lone Scherfig feels the bombing of the shop represents the total horrors of what it would have been like with all the air raids in London. Lone Scherfig gives great praise on the actress Rachael Stirling who feels was perfect for that character in the film, although Rachael Stirling is in fact too young for the real character in real life, but carries the part so well and also gives great praise, especially with her great poise and also had such a great voice, as well as great timing and definitely belonged in the film. The room you see Gemma Arterton in a lot with the other two screenwriters, well Lone Scherfig felt the room evoked the period so well, especially with all the posters on the wall and how the ambience of the room was highlighted so well by the cinematographer. When Bill Nighy has to visit the mortuary to identify his Polish Agent and friend, and thinks it is not him at first because of his hand, well according to Lone Scherfig says this was the typical practice of trying to present the body 100% intact and this happened in real life, as they wanted anyone who has to view the body is made to think they are viewing the real body and not to make it a too traumatic experience. When you see the filming on location is so called Devon, which of course it was filmed in Wales, well the big blue 1930s/1940s Technicolor camera you see filming needed ridiculously large amounts of artificial light in order to get a good result, hence why most early three colour Technicolor films were studio bound. Yet nowhere during the Wales location shoots of this film do we see the huge arc lamps needed for Technicolor filming you view filming, well there are only two left in the world, which is the actual technical Technicolor camera they used in the Second World War, and the people who own this camera only allowed it to be used as long as they didn’t allow any sand to enter the mechanical parts of the camera. When you see the actor Henry Goodman who plays the part of the Polish character Gabriel Baker walk out of the Welsh pub and you see him look at a piece of paper, this was a telegram informing him of some very bad news that this person had been knocked down by a tram in Poland and had died, but for some unknown reason telegrams sent with bad news was always sent on yellow paper and is never explained. Lone Scherfig informs us that being the director was a massive joyous experience and the model boat you see in the big water tank in Pinewood Studio to represent the English Channel, well has that model boat as a souvenir. When you see Gemma Arterto leaving London after finding her male partner in bed with another female, well Lone Scherfig comments on the old London architecture and especially the London Underground scenes and says that shooting these scenes London scenes was really good and feels the British do a very good job in maintaining these existing buildings really well. When Richard E. Grant reads out the correspondence from the America film distributors to the ensemble of directors, producers and the screenwriters, informing what the American public like to see near the end of a film, with over the top dramatic action scenes, well Lone Scherfig informs us that this is an actual real letter sent to the British Government in the 1940s. Lone Scherfig informs talks about British subtle and sarcastic humour is the best in the world and enjoyed hearing the actors say these very funny humorous lines. As we near the end of the film and we see Gemma Arterton at her typewriter preparing a new screenplay, Lone Scherfig says, “I just hope this film will encourage a lot of people to start writing scripts because good scripts is just the foundation for good films and there are always much in need.” So as the end credits roll up the screen, so ends a totally brilliant audio commentary by director Lone Scherfig, who is so totally enchanting to listen to and especially her feeling about working on this film and especially all the brilliant anecdotes we get to hear, especially with working with top professional actors and crew and I could of listened to Lone Scherfig for ages, as this audio commentary is very engaging and is never boring and is a must listen, as you learn so much about the process of producing such a brilliant and fascinating film, that was a joy to view and is also well worth a repeat viewing, as again the film is a total joy to watch right from the start to right through to the very end of the film.
Special Feature: Flickers of Hope: The Making of ‘THEIR FINEST’ [2017] [1080p] [1.78:1 / 2.39:1] [8:17] Cast and crew talk in-depth about the film in general and especially about the love story at the heart of the film, and the importance of film and art in our lives. They also talk in-depth about the story behind the British propaganda film during the Second World War and the strong bond developed between people from all walks of life in the face of conflict. We find out that this warm-hearted and intelligent film is co-produced by the legendary Stephen Woolley says, “I love watching old films of that period and why people wanted go to the cinema in droves” and with Amanda Posey and Elizabeth Karlsen delved into the archives and uncovered the fascinating truth behind the celluloid war effort. We also get lots of nice clips from the film ‘THEIR FINEST.’ Contributors include: Gemma Arterton [Catrin Cole], Bill Nighy [Ambrose Hilliard/Uncle Frank], Stephen Woolley [Producer], Amanda Posey [Producer], Lone Scherfig [Director] and Sam Claflin [Tom Buckley].
Finally, ‘THEIR FINEST’ film is really a joy from start to finish, and a film that deserves a bigger audience. If there is a downside, it’s that this film is exceptionally tricky to market since it comfortably sits in so many genres. Hopefully the crowds will flock to buy this British gem, because it is such a well-made story full of genuine heart and soul that marks a nice change of pace from the norm. Not a very Hollywood concept for sure, but the British humour is priceless to go along with a poignant depiction of that old British default, meaning the stiff upper lip attitude. ‘THEIR FINEST’ is totally solid entertainment, and hopefully the US release will be fortuitously, especially as it coincides with the advent of Christopher Nolan’s high-profile adventure film ‘Dunkirk.’ ‘THEIR FINEST’ makes a good companion piece and provides a different perspective about how this critical early war event firmed up the British resolve to resist the advancement of the German war machine. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
