FREE THEIR FINEST HOUR AND A HALF PDF Lissa Evans | 416 pages | 01 Jan 2010 | Transworld Publishers Ltd | 9780552774710 | English | London, United Kingdom Their Finest Hour and a Half | Lissa Evans L ondon in Allotments in Highbury Fields and Soho Square. In Hyde Park, the Serpentine is a muddy puddle, Rotten Row a giant heap of rubble cleared from bombsites. Morale must be boosted. Looking for someone to add a woman's touch to scripts for propaganda films, the Ministry of Information spots Catrin Cole, a copywriter for Caradoc and Finch. They call her in. Catrin is a bit out of her depth in her new job, but she's keen - especially when the film division gets the green light for the "true story" of the Starling twins, Lily and Rose, who defied their father to bring 54 stranded soldiers back from Dunkirk in a purloined fishing boat. Catrin goes to interview the pair, only to discover that what little truth there is in their story is not the sort the ministry would like told. Lissa Evans's cast of contrasting characters each have their own viewpoint. Evans's first two novels were jolly farces, and this could easily have been another, but the comedy is quieter, and deeply shadowed. Buckley and Parfitt, Catrin's mentors, may be professional bachelors, offhand, cynical and complacent, but Evans risks some awkwardness to give them hearts, histories and political convictions, too. The monstrosity of Hilliard's Their Finest Hour And A Half is undercut by the poignancy of his plight. Even a Their Finest Hour And A Half part, Ambrose's ex-wife Anthea, is no callous harpy, but a woman who made allowances for him as long as she possibly could. It's perhaps not wise of Evans to cast so bright a light on the techniques of commercial fiction: Buckley and Parfitt with their index cards, their "prefigurings" and "payoffs", the remorseless contrivances to hold the attention of "all the Mauds and Annies sitting in the one-and-nines If it seems real to them, then they'll believe every word. Doesn't matter if Their Finest Hour And A Half not true. Evans Their Finest Hour And A Half the inspiration of a childhood reading of How We Lived Then, Norman Longmate's chronicle of domestic Britain in wartime. At its best, her Orange longlisted novel comes close to Michael Moorcock's Mother London, or even Sarah Waters's The Night Watch, in illuminating not just the deprivations, but also the liberations of the war years. In a way, Evans suggests, the shifts and shears of wartime are not unlike the fudges and forcings of fiction. In the spotlight. Colin Greenland on a picture of the deprivations and liberations of the war years. Colin Greenland. Topics Fiction reviews Reuse this content. Their Finest Hour and a Half by Lissa Evans Added by 5 of our members. London, Amidst the rubble and disruption, vital war-work continues as scientists, soldiers, politicians and doctors all strive to keep the hopes of a besieged nation alive. But there's other work going on, too - work that might just seem a teeny bit trivial by comparison. A bunch of people making a feature film, for instance For the cast and crew, however, this is a very serious business. It's never been easy, getting a film made - and it's even more complicated when every draft of the script has to be approved by the Ministry of Information; when anyone, from star to tea-boy, can be called up at any moment; when Their Finest Hour And A Half restricted, the studio's under fire, and the catering consists largely of spam fritters. But there's Their Finest Hour And A Half film to be made, a British film based on a true story of bravery and self-sacrifice at Dunkirk, with a nice touch of romance and comedy thrown in. Not to mention a hundred and seventy-five extras, one dog and an American. If this is to be their finest hour, the cast and crew of Just An Ordinary Wednesday will have to give much more than the usual blood, toil, tears and sweat. Genre: Historical. Belgravia Julian Fellowes. Thirteen Moons Charles Frazier. Please email webmaster fantasticfiction. Lissa Evans - Wikipedia Looking for a movie the entire family can enjoy? Check out Their Finest Hour And A Half picks for family friendly movies movies that transcend all ages. For even more, visit our Family Entertainment Guide. See the full list. In the line of her new duties, Cole investigates the story of two young women who supposedly piloted a boat in the Dunkirk Evacuation. Although it proved a complete misapprehension, the story becomes the basis for a fictional film with some possible appeal. As Cole labors to write the script with her new colleagues such as Tom Buckley, veteran actor Ambrose Hilliard must accept that his days as a leading man are over as he joins the project. Together, this disparate trio must struggle against such complications such as sexism against Cole, jealous relatives, and political interference in their artistic decisions even as London endures the bombs of the enemy. In the face of those challenges, they share a hope to contribute something meaningful in this Their Finest Hour And A Half of war and in their own lives. Written by Kenneth Chisholm kchishol rogers. It is also a fine punch in the ribs for British views of Americans — not only during the s but now also! During the London Blitz of World War II, Caitlin is recruited by the British Ministry of Information to write scripts for propaganda films that the public will actually watch without scoffing. As Cole labors to write the script with her new colleagues such as Tom Buckley Sam Claflinveteran actor Ambrose Hilliard Bill Nighy must accept that his days as a leading man are over as he joins the project. Together, this disparate trio must struggle against such complications such as sexism against Cole, jealous relatives, the drive to make the American movie public react n support of England in the war effort, and political interference from the Secretary of War Jeremy Irons in their artistic decisions even as London endures the bombs of the enemy. The film has complex characterizations Rachel Stirling is brilliant in what at first seems a minor but controlling role, Eddie Marsan has a meaningful cameo, Helen McCrory as Eddie Marsan's meddling sister and the entire supporting cast is superb. Yes, it is a film about making a film, but in the setting chosen it works splendidly well. Looking for something to watch? Choose an adventure below and discover your next favorite movie or TV show. Visit our What to Watch page. Sign In. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. Release Dates. Official Sites. Company Credits. Technical Specs. Plot Summary. Plot Keywords. Parents Guide. External Sites. User Reviews. User Ratings. External Reviews. Metacritic Reviews. Photo Gallery. Trailers and Videos. Crazy Credits. Alternate Versions. Rate This. A former secretary, newly appointed as a scriptwriter for propaganda films, joins the cast and crew of a major production while the Blitz rages around them. Director: Lone Scherfig. Watch on Filmtastic with Prime Video Channels. Added to Watchlist. From metacritic. Sundance Trending Widget. Sundance Spotlight. TIFF Galas. Movies through Movies to watch 2. Movies By Their Finest Hour And A Half. Share this Rating Title: Their Finest 6. Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Cast Cast overview, first billed only: Sam Claflin Tom Buckley Gemma Arterton Catrin Cole Nicholas Murchie Bus Conductor Richard E. Roger Swain Henry Goodman Gabriel Baker Rachael Stirling Phyl Moore Jack Huston Ellis Cole Bill Nighy Rex, the Clapper Loader Darren Clarke The Gaffer Ed Birch Richards Dubbing Editor Gaby Chiappe Taglines: Relentlessly Charming! Edit Did You Know? Trivia The character of the director is based on that of John Griersonthe documentary maker. That scene is used as a still for the trailer. Quotes Roger Swain : [ to Catrin Their Finest Hour And A Half Ministry wages start at three and ten, and obviously they can't pay you as much as the chaps. So shall we say two pound a week? Connections Referenced in La noche de Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report this. Add the first question. Country: UK Sweden France. Language: English Hungarian Polish French. Budget: EUR10, estimated. Runtime: min. Color: Color Black and White. Their Finest Hour And A Half page. October Streaming Picks. Back to School Picks. Clear your history. Gabriel Baker. Walter, the Director Careless Talk Film. Dolly Carrot Film..