Gary Oldman is probably the frontrunner to win the best actor Oscar for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the historical drama Darkest Hour, which is also up for best picture. This week, we dive into the film to separate its stately ... well, Oscar-ness ... from its actual virtues. Do actors get extra points for playing real people? Should they? How much does it matter if an entire film turns on an invented scene?
Aisha Harris, the host of the Slate podcast Represent, joins the panel to talk about what Gary Oldman is doing, how it differs from what other actors are doing, and how it feels to watch this film in the same year as Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, which takes a soldiers'-eye view of some of the same events.
We also talked about what's making us happy this week. Glen is happy about a podcast he's been enjoying. Stephen is happy about a long piece of music. Aisha is happy about a film she saw at Sundance. And I am happy about a documentary about one of my favorite bands.
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