New Darkest Hour Clip Features Gary Oldman And Ben Mendelsohn

Awards season nominations are heating up, and Focus Features wants you to remember just how good Gary Oldman is in Darkest Hour. The film, from director Joe Wright (Atonement, Pan), chronicles the election of the infamous Prime Minister and resulting effect he had.

Joined in the film by Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI, the pair begins at odds with each other, but ultimately find common ground in the defense of their Island kingdom.

Many early critics are favoring the master character actor for at least a nomination for Best Actor for this performance. Almost unrecognizable beneath the amazing makeup, Oldman walks with sure-footed purpose as the defiant leader, showing audiences a different side to the man behind the champagne and cigars.

Mendelsohn said at the recent Los Angeles premiere of the film about working with Oldman:

“Doing movies is sort of an act of faith, but here we are at the Academy. For actors, Gary Oldman is it.”

Director Joe Wright was also full of praise after speaking at length about how important it was that he have someone of “Gary’s ability” take the role of Churchill:

“Whatever suggestion you make, he amplifies it by 1000%. Gary is the greatest actor of his generation.”

I was lucky enough to see Darkest Hour during the SFFILM SF Honors earlier this month, and I cannot say enough good things about it. The passion and drive of all involved with film is palpable, and hopefully audiences will agree.

Darkest Hour opens in theaters on November 22nd.