Dir. Peter Richardson, 2004, UK, 93 mins
Cast: Christian Slater, Neve Campbell, Anthony Sher
American GI Winston Churchill (Slater) travels to England to convince King George to send British forces to the front line against the Nazis. But his effort are continually thwarted by the King's confidante, Lord W'ruff, whose Nazi sympathies have lead him to invite Hitler himself to Buckingham Palace, with the intention of gaining the King's support. Together with Princess Elizabeth (Campbell) Churchill must overcome the efforts of W'ruff's underlings in order to save Europe from Nazi rule.
It's well known that, by and large, American films have a tendency to be somewhat liberal with facts, and it's this very tendency which Peter Richardson's latest offering seeks to explore and thence to ridicule.
As usual, Slater is engaging to watch. He's always full of energy and seems to have been caught up in the spirit of the film (hard not to, I'd imagine, when you're surrounded by some of Britain 's leading comedians). There's no need to consider his plausibility in playing our beloved Winston, since plausibility is the least of this film's concerns. Campbell too leaves an impression, with a surprisingly accurate portrayal of Elizabeth (albeit one who's living in a parallel universe of Richardson and Richens' devising). Her accent is on point and comic timing well placed. She, like Slater, seems to be comfortable in a comedy roll; not something she's done much of before.
It's a shame, though, that, with the exception of the odd line, the rest of the cast fail to bring anything substantial to the picture. With a list of names that includes Vic and Bob, Rik Mayall, Phil Cornwall and Harry Enfield, you might expect to find yourself deafened by the theatre's abundance of laughter. This though, is not the case. The drafting of these talented performers fails to cover up the fact that the jokes are old hat, the dialogue dull and the plot's outcome visible from the shores of France . In fact, the general impression given is that the cast had more fun making the film than the audience will have watching it.
The problem with Churchill is that, while a relatively original idea (Richardson's Strike being an earlier example of his interest in Hollywood 's perceptions of our country), the rest we've all seen before. We've seen the English as a nation of camp, scone-scoffers, the Germans as laughably sadistic buffoons, and too many times have we been subjected to scenes where white guys 'rap' in a bid to draw cheap laughs (the only thing worth laughing at is the fact that a comedy would still deem a 'white rap' funny).
But tired gags and the employment of stereotypes doesn't just fail Churchill on a comedic level, they also prevent its use as a viable commentary on Hollywood's attitude to, not just history, but any world outside its own. Richardson 's intention is to ridicule its portrayal of foreigners by sending-up the stereotypes it's nurtured, but without a new twist to these he only serves to enforce them.
Having said that, there is the odd moment of genuine inspiration, but rather than coming from the script, they come from characterisations. It can't be disputed that Enfield 's representation of King George leaves a smile on the face. With his blustery, drunken foolishness you can't help but warm to him and feel his plight (namely the preservation of his fortune from the sponging attitudes of high society). Cornwall 's take on Martin Bormann will undoubtedly have you scratching your chin; was the head of the Nationalist Party really a bruiser from the East End?
Churchill: The Hollywood Years is a satire of ambitious proportions. With its big-name Hollywood leads and supporting cast of home-grown comedic talent, it's plain to see that Richardson was after something big. And it is, though not in the sense the Comic Strip writer/director had hoped. Rather than a big-budget satire of blockbuster potential, Churchill is a big-budget satire of limited imagination. Which is a great shame, since the premise itself is full of promise, and it's unfortunate that this promise is not fulfilled.
Frazer Ash
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