If you think Nolan doesn't show emotion, you've missed the boat.

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2017)

First off, I wouldn't say I am a massive fan of Nolan. I always find his dialogue a bit clunky. But you can see why the critics love him; he makes cinematic films, in that they need to be seen on the big screen. What he also does, like many of the great directors, is give you something every time you see the film again.
I watched Dunkirk on 70mm at the Odeon Leicester Square, and it was well worth it. The action starts straight away, and does not let up. The three perspectives play out well. The boys on land struggle against a continuing hail of bullets, bombs and torpedoes. The people on the boat see all sides. And the pilots showed just how impossible the odds were. The plane scenes were very good.
My personal faults with the film are - the dialogue again. It sounds a bit like one person telling a story rather than actors playing a part. The story of the boy on the boat and the soldier, I didn't think it worked. The unseen enemy were literally that. It would have given the film a bit more of that ticking time bomb conundrum if we the audience knew just how close the Germans were. Lastly, Michael Caine. when I heard his voice it put me off slightly, as I kept thinking, is that Michael Caine? The big plus, I thought the scene with the small boats was an emotional triumph; not overstated or overblown, just the right amount of tone for what was a minor victory in a much larger defeat. Nolan gets it right with the lighting, locations, cast and scenes. Even the music is good, especially the variation on Nimrod at the end.
Finally, we go back to why film critics love Nolan, he makes movies that deserve to be seen in the cinema. I have recently been to see Scorsese and Kubric retrospectives in London; both give the audience something to think about. Nolan will probably be spoken about in the same tones in the near future. Chances are, he will adapt a novel, and it will be hailed as a master piece. This one was close.