Their Finest: Review

Their Finest is directed by Lone Scherfig, staring Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin and Bill Nighy and tells the story of a newly appointed female scriptwriter for propaganda films in the early stages of the second world war. The British Film Industry must come up with a concept to cheer up the nation whilst working tirelessly as the blitz surrounds them. 

BBC films have and will always be cozy, curl up on a Sunday afternoon type movies. Their Finest continues this trend of gentle yet well crafted cinema, offering a pleasant mix of warmth, whit and romance. Unlike last year's Hail Caesar, Their Finest successfully conveys the difficulties of film making at the time focusing mainly on story and structure rather than just characters. The film manages to swerve any sign of shallowness and blends together the right doses of wartime drama and comedy. 

​Whilst its not the 'female empowerment' movie of the ages, with her endearing charm, Arterton serves wonderfully as the film's strong female lead. And even more impressive than that, carries a welsh accent throughout. Arterton also creates a wonderful contrasting relationship between her confidence and Claflin's sharp mind. In classic Nighy style, he delivers most of the film's humour, differentiating it from just another war drama.

Most importantly, Their Finest sheds light on the British film industry, a topic that surprisingly is often unseen. It captivates all the real logistics into making a film and doesn't just share the glamours bits. What enables the film to feel rather special is how Scherfig explores the radiant personalities of the people behind the camera rather than just the fabulous actors on screen. 

In the end, with a slightly stretched out runtime, Their Finest achieves exactly as intended, a harmless, two hour dive into the world of British history that leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Though it doesn't enter award winning territory, Their Finest gently eases the direction of working women films into jobs other than Shuttle Calculations or Fashion Editors. 

8.2/10