The Gathering Storm (2002)

 The Rise of a Fascinating Man
In this HBO drama you see the life of Winston Churchill, played wonderfully by Albert Finney just before the beginning of WWII. He is not quite the towering figure that you have read about, but he does still have the amazing ego, this is the part of his life where he is facing bankruptcy, he is a laughing stock, and he battles what he and his family call "the black dog" (depression). He is fighting the British government over their refusal to see the strength of Germany and the threat of Hitler. But all this refocuses his life, gives him new energy and with his devoted wife Clemmie (Vanessa Redgrave) adds the spunk that was missing.

Very enjoyable movie with quite memorable quotes throughout. My favorite being: "Dogs will look up to you, cats will look down on you, but pigs, they treat you as equals"

February 27, 2008

 Satisfying film charting the re-emergence of Winston Churchill during the 1930s
"The Gathering Storm" charts the gradual re-emergence of Winston Churchill from the wilderness as the threat from Hitler's Germany grew during the 1930s.

The film-makers cleverly frame the story around his domestic life at Chartwell - his country home. Not only does it save on production costs, but it allows us to see a different side of Churchill.

Albert Finney is a tour-de-force as Churchill and despite some awkward moments as Churchill gets gooey-eyed with his long-suffering wife Clemmie (a rather smug Vanessa Redgrave) this is a very satisfying film. January 25, 2008

 Interesting viewpoint on history
Much has been written about Winston Churchill in the years since WWII, but this film is an interesting retelling of the story. Albert Finney does a convincing job of portraying "the old man" in the years leading up to the war as he frets at being left out of the action. Vanessa Redgrave is believeable as his long-suffering wife "Clemmie," who with the couple's children learned to ride his roller-coaster moods. Unlike most books and films, this one tells Churchill's story before the war, not during it. Very enjoyable! October 26, 2007

  Winston Is Back!
The marvelous HBO production, "The Gathering Storm," needs to be reconsidered especially now that the 14 hour Ken Burns overview of America's involvment in World War Two, "The War" has been shown to television viewers across our fruited plain. What Mr. Burns and company have done for documentaries, HBO has done for docudramas - that is bring dramatic life to our history and make it relevant to today. Many of the major events which occured in both Europe and the Pacific prior to the official outbreak of World War Two were largely ignored both in the United States and England. While the Axis powers, (Germany, Japan and Italy,) embraced expansionist policies through much of the 1930s, the rest of the world countered with isolation and appeasement. Drawn from the first volume of Sir Winston Churchill's now famous historic overview of the war years, the HBO production bearing the same name, "The Gathering Storm" tells the story of how a once powerful man, (Sir Winston - masterfully portrayed by the great Albert Finney,) finds his way back to leadership in order to help prepare his England, (and by example a fair amount of the rest of the world,) to withstand the imminent diaster we now know as the Second World War. This beautifully produced film features a truely splendid cast to include Vanessa Redgrave, Jim Broadbent, Tom Wilkinson and Lena Headey. Production values to include sets, costumes and scenery are especially handsome and "The Gathering Storm" comes at a very attractive DVD price. After watching, perhaps you will consider joining me in encouraging HBO to start production on the next chapter in Mr. Churchill's six volume World War Two series, "Their Finest Hour." Enjoy. October 3, 2007

 Great actors portraying Great People
This is a slice of the life of the wondrous Winston Churchill, a man who changed the course of recent history. Most of us have seen or heard of his political feats. This shows us the human side---his depression, "the black dog," his despair when he felt his life was over, his love of England--the land, even the animals, and especially his love for his wife, Clemmie. From the ashes of his despair he rose again to perform a heroic act the world will never forget.

How fortunate we are to have this rendering of his life, done to perfection by the amazing Albert Finney! I'd like to give it extra stars just for his performance. September 8, 2007

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