The definition of a crowd pleaser, the many charms of Their Finest overcomes any wonky resolutions, thanks to its winning performances and near perfect blend of comedy, drama & romance.

There is a familiarity to Their Finest, a tone and texture that sits comfortably alongside the likes of Made in Dagenham & any number of Richard Curtis films (Notting Hill, etc). That is not in any way a bad thing. In fact, Their Finest is a sterling example of how to make the old hat feel fresh again. Perhaps it has to do with the film being directed by Danish filmmaker Lone Sherfig, who of late has made a career of tackling British dramas such as An Education (her breakthrough) and One Day.

Set in 1940 London, Gemma Arterton plays Catrin Cole, a writer hired by the Ministry of Defence to bring a female perspective (aka “the slob”) to a film based on the supposed true story of two girls attempting to rescue British soldiers during the Dunkirk evacuation. With the war needing a morale boost, Catrin works alongside cynical scriptwriter Tom Buckley (Sam Claflin) to create a propaganda film with heart, starring ageing movie star Ambrose Hillard (Bill Nighy) in the role of a lifetime.

Based on the book “Their Finest Hour and a Half” written by Lissa Evans, Their Finest represents something of a rarity: based on the book written by a woman, adapted by a woman (Gaby Chiappe), directed by a woman & starring a woman.

Sherfig perfectly balances the comedic romance & period drama elements to make Their Finest a pleasantly entertaining watch, albeit with some grizzly moments that a WWII set movie can inspire. Half the enjoyment of watching Their Finest is the film-within-a-film aspect, the structures and rigours of making government sanctioned propaganda on display, as art battles bureaucracy with the hearts and minds of the public on the line.

Winning performances are found throughout, especially from Gemma Arterton who delivers one of her best turns yet as an emotionally conflicted, yet professionally steadfast writer. Good too is Claflin as the quick witted and steadfastly cynical Buckley, and Nighy who although familiar in his turn as an aging movie star, still rocks that shtick unlike any other.

It’s when the film ventures down an unpredictable, eyebrow raising avenue does Their Finest feel much less than that. Sherfig’s outsider view helps in tweaking those familiar British rom-com-drama tropes at just the right amount. It can also lead to oblivious decision making that devalues the films final outcome.

Regardless, there is a lot to like here. Although its end result doesn’t quite match up to its potential, Their Finest is indeed a fine WWII film of light hearted tone and good intentions.