Technique gets in the way of any otherwise engaging film

Rating: 7/10 (12 January 2020)

This is something like a more traditional (and thus for my taste better) version of Dunkirk. The film is as much about what time means in light of death as it is about The Great War. It has an operatic scope. The storyline is sparse and the dialog spartan. But the characters are more clearly defined in this film than Dunkirk. There is a stronger central plot and a better sense of narrative momentum. If you hated Dunkirk but thought maybe the concept could work this is a film to see.
In any case I still found the film too technique driven to fully work. The film consists of long takes stitched together to form almost one continuous shot for the entire film. (There is one visible cut in the film, the rest are hidden). This technique-to various degrees-has been used several times already-usually to a better effect. You get it for comedic tone in The Player and Birdman. You also have it used for building tension about survival in Gravity. You have it for meditative effect it The Revenant or for that matter for a shot in Atonement. You have the time thematic application of it in Russian Ark. Having seen this trick a few times now how and where the cuts are hidden can be obvious. I found Mendes' use of the technique distracting. I spent much of the film looking for the seams. In any case I didn't find the long take all that immersive. To often the way the camera switches its general location-i.e. from behind the actors to in front-broke the atmosphere of the film by calling attention to the fact it was a film. It ended up feeling all a little staged.
It is a pity. Several sequences are well put together. The two main performances are quite good. The film works in fits and starts. When it works it really works. When it doesn't it really doesn't.