Churchill: The Hollywood Years – Review

Worth seeing: as a parody of Hollywood’s rewriting of history
Director:Peter Richardson
Featuring:Christian Slater, Harry Enfield, Neve Campbell, Alistair McGowan, Anthony Sher, Bob Mortimer, David Schneider, Jon Culshaw, Leslie Phillips, Mackenzie Crook, Miranda Richardson, Phil Cornwell, Rik Mayall, Sally Phillips, Steve Pemberton, Vic Reeves
Length:84 minutes
Certificate:15
Country:UK
Released:3rd December 2004

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

In his finest hour, Winston Churchill (Christian Slater) is a young foul mouthed, gun toting American G.I. who tries to defeat Hitler’s plan to convince King George (Harry Enfield) to join the war against the U.S.

Along the way Churchill becomes romantically involved with the idealistic Princess Elizabeth (Neve Campbell).

WHAT’S IT LIKE?

This is a complete send up of the Americans’ love of rewriting history for the big screen. Remember Pearl Harbor and U-571?

Christian Slater, with a big fat cigar and tongue firmly in cheek, plays Churchill as Bruce Willis in the Die Hard movies.

Neve Campbell is hysterical as Princess Elizabeth, sounding a cross between the Queen and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter.

It’s irreverent, it’s funny and reads like a Who’s Who of the best of British comedy.