Gathering Storm

A remarkable cast lends emotional richness to The Gathering Storm, an HBO movie about the life of Winston Churchill just prior to the onset of World War II. Faced with bankruptcy, his career in decline, Churchill (Albert Finney) is beset with depression until the impending danger of German rearmament--along with the British government's reluctance to recognize the threat of Hitler--gives him a cause that brings him back to energetic life. The movie focuses as much on the enduring relationship between Churchill and his wife, Clementine (Vanessa Redgrave), as his political struggles. But though The Gathering Storm clearly admires Churchill, it also acknowledges his tyrannical personality and astonishing ego, turning what could be a puff piece into a well-rounded and moving portrait. The truly topnotch cast includes Derek Jacobi, Jim Broadbent, Tom Wilkinson, Linus Roache, and Lena Headey, all of whom turn in superb performances. --Bret Fetzer