Good looking movie, slightly underwhelmed by the rest of it!

Rating: 7/10 (17 January 2020)

This movie looks beautiful in places and the story of two soldiers chasing through no mans land to stop a doomed assault is an interesting one. The film certainly has a handful of stand out moments - the tunnel scenes and plane crash to mention a couple. One or two scenes are also shocking and one in particular made me jump out of my seat. However it all becomes a bit 'arty' and slightly surreal in places. The ending in particular is weak. The much talked about continuous shot works well in some places but bogs the story down in others. Acting is okay but I found the two leads a little stilted in places and the procession of British character actors in cameos a bit distracting. Do not go expecting a trench based version of Saving Private Ryan..you will be disappointed! Overall an interesting movie which I enjoyed but was slightly disappointed by given all the hype. Look up 'The Lost Battalion' if you want an action packed WW1 film with a great story and likeable characters.