Why 'Their Finest' is a Movie For Our Times
—Why do you think people like films?
—It’s because story’s a structure, and there’s shape, purpose, meaning. And when things turn bad it’s still part of a plan. You know, there’s a point to it. Unlike life.
When Their Finest released almost four years ago, it was overshadowed by Christopher Nolan’s massive epic Dunkirk. While Nolan’s treatment of the famous battle was vast and masculine in its point of view, as was the Dunkirk episode in PBS's World War II drama World on Fire, Their Finest is understated, ironic, and feminist. Based on the book by Lissa Evans (originally titled Their Finest Hour and a Half), the film features a strong cast, fine storytelling, and an exploration of how movies—and stories—can help us endure hard times.
It’s 1940, and London is battered from nightly bombing raids, its population suffering from sleep deprivation and exhausted by the tragedies and aggravations of everyday wartime life. If a neighbor’s house has been bombed, chances are your water or gas are off, just when you're gasping for a cup of tea. You might catch a nap at a movie theater unless an air raid siren, or the howls of derision at the earnest, morale-improving government-made films, wakes you up.
