Unique and breathtaking

Rating: 9/10 (10 January 2020)

Is Sam Mendes capable of making a bad film? It seems not because he is yet to do so, and if '1917' is any indication he seems to be getting better as his career goes along. This was one of the most unique films I have ever watched. Filmed to look like one shot, despite the film being nearly two hours long. Just think about that for a moment. The amount of problems and difficulties it must've caused, and yet they fought through the adversity and got it done. The final product is one of the best films of 2019.
The one shot isn't just a gimmick either. It adds immensely to the film. It makes everything feel so much more realistic and almost like you're actually a part of the movie. Without even realising it, cuts in films subliminally take you out of the movie. Here that problem doesn't exist. If it wasn't so beautifully made you could be watching a video someone took on an Iphone. There was a point where the characters were in the back of a truck on rough roads and I actually got an overwhelming feeling that I myself needed to put a seat belt on. That might sound silly, but that's an indication of how amazingly well executed this film was.
Then to top it off the story is incredibly powerful. It makes no bones about the fact that the war was extremely grim for everyone involved. The film was sad, powerful and tense, often all at once. Finally some superb acting from the entire cast was the icing on the cake. I can't say enough good things about this film, and I would be very happy to see it win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in February.