‘Their Finest’ Celebrates Unsung Heroes of the Film Industry in WWII-Era Britain

Sandra Miska

The stories of the unsung heroes on the homefront during World War II have been told time and time again in film, but the dramedy “Their Finest” focuses on an unlikely wartime industry – filmmaking. Based on the novel “Their Finest Hour and a Half” by Lissa Evans, the film follows Catrin Cole (Gemma Arteron), a young woman in 1940 London whose work as a copywriter – a position she has promoted to from secretary after several men were drafted –  catches the eye of Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin), the lead screenwriter at the Ministry of Information, who recommends her for a position writing dialogue between women, a.k.a. “girl talk” or “slop.” His boss, Swain (Richard E. Grant) hires her, but for a salary less than what he would pay a man, obviously. The work isn’t particularly exciting at first, but everything changes after Catrin is sent to interview two sisters, Rose (Lily Knight) and Lily Starling (Francesca Knight), who made the news after taking their father’s boat on a mission to rescue soldiers during the evacuation of Dunkirk. She discovers that the girls were unable to complete their mission due to mechanical failure, but the truth never stands in the way of a good based-on-a-true-story film.

Unlike most of her peers, Catrin has yet to face many of the harsh realities dealt by the war. Her older husband, Ellis (Jack Huston), has already been wounded in the Spanish Civil War, and his biggest problem currently is his failing art career. Catrin balks when he suggests sending her back to her native Wales, explain that her new job prevents her from becoming a financial burden, which only adds salt to his wound. Their relationship becomes further strained after Ellis’s work takes him out of London and Catrin chooses to stay behind to work on the set of the Dunkirk film. Despite his earlier willingness to part with his wife, Ellis is less that supportive of her decision. Further complicating things are Catrin’s growing feelings for Buckley. After initial tension between the two regarding her screenplay that results in some great back and forth scenes between the two – Catrin argues for the female leads to drive the action, while Buckley believes it should the male love interest who plays the hero – a mutual respect develops that shows signs of blossoming into something more.

“Their Finest” also boasts an excellent cast of supporting characters, which includes the always superb Bill Nighy as aging actor Ambrose Hilliard, who has a tough time accepting that at age 63 his days of playing dashing leading men are over. Cast as Lily and Rose’s drunken uncle, the humanity he brings to the role inspires Catrin to rewrite his one-dimensional character, thus creating a close bond between the two that makes her indispensible to him. Jake Lacy is quite the hunk as an American solider forced upon the production, despite his having no acting experience, by the government in an effort to make the story more appealing to American audiences, a move that they hope will win over enough hearts to incite the U.S.’s entry into the war (no pressure). Helen McCrory plays Ambrose’s agent Sophie, who steps in after his original agent, her brother Sammy (Eddie Marsan), is killed by a bomb, and proves to be rather tough and frank, despite her refined “ladylike” exterior. Rounding out the cast is Rachael Stirling as Ministry employee Phyl Moore, a lesbian who serves as an ally to Catrin.

So good is the film-within-the-film, as it has all the ingredients of a hit – action, a love triangle, girl power, and even an adorable little dog – that it is believable as an actual blockbuster. However, the final act of “Their Finest” is bittersweet as Catrin’s triumph as a screenwriter is marred by the war hitting increasingly closer to home in the form of the Blitz, along with other personal struggles. At the end of it all, this is a powerful story about those who were left behind – not just the women, but also the elderly, the generation represented in Ambrose who has lost loved ones in both wars. Although Catrin never addresses it directly, there is also the fear that she and others like her will be pushed aside after the war, as welcome as an end to the conflict is. Phyl puts it best, “A lot of men are scared we won’t go back into our boxes when this is all over…”

“Their Finest” opens April 7 in select theaters.