June 1944. Allied forces are based on Britain's southern coast, ready to invade Nazi-occupied Europe. There they wait to find out whether Churchill will decide to pursue the invasion. Afraid of repeating the mistakes he made on the beaches of Gallipoli during WWI, exhausted by years of war, suffering from depression and obsessed with the thought of failing in his duties and ruining his historic legacy, Churchill must also face the constant criticism of his political opponents, General Eisenhower and Marshal Montgomery. Only the unwavering support of Churchill's wife, the brilliant and calm Clementine, can prevent the prime minister from collapsing physically and mentally.

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The lecturing tone of Jonathan Teplitzky, the director of the equally preachy The Railway Man, is inescapable throughout Churchill, which looks at the dark period in the history of Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister. Inescapable and soporific. As dusty as the contents of the couple's house, as doddering as Brian Cox, this biopic struggles to break out of the constraints of the genre. There is, however, a clear and strong desire to draw a complex portrait of this famous figure – warts and all – who is haunted by his own demons at a time when the world is invaded by darkness. Cox delivers a solid performance and is well-supported by the excellent Miranda Richardson. But Churchill is ultimately too conventional, weighed down by a script that lacks passion and finesse, even though the photography is quite exquisite. The result, once again, is a Hollywood production that pretends to be much more than it actually is.