My reviews for half of the movies nominated for Best Picture at 2020's Academy Awards. My second part will be coming out soon!
1917
1917 is the latest movie by Skyfall and Spectre director, Sam Mendes, and stars Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay as well as Benedict Cumberbatch, Andrew Scott, Colin Firth and Mark Strong. It has gained a lot of attention for its use of a seemingly unbroken camera shot, which follows the protagonists throughout the film.
Set on the front lines of World War One, 1917 tells the story of two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake, who are given the mission to cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could save the lives of 1,600 men including Blake's own brother.
The very first teaser trailer for 1917 centred around the use of a single tracking shot to tell the story. It was instantly high on my 'most anticipated movies of the year' list. The cinematography and editing on display to stitch several 6-8 minute long shots together is unarguably masterful and the film will stand the test of time as a technical masterpiece. Roger Deakins (the acclaimed cinematographer behind movies like Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, Skyfall, The Shawshank Redemption and O Brother Where Art Thou?) delivers some of his best work throughout the film but especially in a scene lit solely by flares.
Having said that, I believe that your overall opinion of the film is very much dependent on how you view the use of the technique. There are some who, even within other movies, dislike the use of a long shot- it calls attention to itself and to the fact that we are watching a movie. It can begin to feel like manufactured film-making rather than spontaneous and immersive. Personally, I love the technique and have even written a list of my 'favourite long take shots' on this blog.1917's central selling point had the potential to be a gimmick but it is perfect for the narrative of a war film. Like the characters, it feels as though we cannot escape the situation and that the only way is forward. In addition to maintaining a perpetual sense of tension, Deakins and Mendes utilise the ever present camera to linger on the atrocities of war that the characters have taken as a fact of life: craters, dead animals, corpses, discarded artillery. All of this imagery makes for a haunting world that our heroes have to traverse through.
Perhaps the style works against the story in moments here and there - it certainly reminded me of a video game in its pacing at times - however, it is impossible to deny the true power of choosing to use this technique when we reach the breath-taking finale of the film. Set to Thomas Newman's soundtrack, the finale is utter cinematic magic. Watching the characters' harrowing experiences in real time (apart from one time jump in the middle) means that I was 100% invested in their mission and seeing their efforts to save the men was a truly cathartic moment in the cinema. I have been listening to the track 'Sixteen Hundred Men' on repeat and get chills every time.
Comparisons to 2017's Dunkirk are inevitable, and Houston's wonderful Letterboxd review captures the difference between the two films the best. Despite aesthetic similarities, the two films are quite different in their approach to the war genre. 1917 feels more deliberative and emotional than Dunkirk which focuses more on narrative and tension, which is ironic when you think of the fact that 1917's primary story telling feature is non-stop action. Due to its narrative simplicity, 1917 feels more emotional by its climax (seriously, the Sixteen Hundred Men sequence is stunning) whereas Dunkirk utilises its creative editing to sustain tension and unpredictability. Right now, I can't pick between the two, both are incredible.
Other random thoughts...
- The host of supporting characters, all played by well-known British actors, may feel slightly distracting amongst the realism but each actor does well with the limited screen-time they get, especially Andrew Scott who continues to solidify his status as one of the best British actors working.
- My favourite tracks from Newman's score: Sixteen Hundred Men, The Night Window, Englander, Come Back To Us
TL;DR 1917 is one of the best war movies I have seen, on par with Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. This is a technical wonder on all levels and following the main characters in real time makes the finale hugely cinematic and satisfying.
Jojo Rabbit
Jojo Rabbit is a movie that demands a little forward knowledge before going to watch it so maybe read the synopsis or watch the trailer first. It follows the story of a young German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) whose dream it is to become a Nazi. After discovering that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic, Jojo must navigate his place in the war aided by his imaginary friend - Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi).
Taika Waititi is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most sought after directors since displaying his quirky sense of humour in movies like Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do In The Shadows and Thor Ragnarok. It was perhaps an unusual move to make a comedy movie about Hitler straight after directing Disney's third Thor film, but fortunately for Waititi, this bold move paid off since the film is nominated for Best Picture at this year's Oscars.
Jojo Rabbit balances its satirical concept with a genuinely moving "anti-war" story. The blend of tones will work for some and not for others, something that is true with a lot of comedies. Not all of the jokes are laugh out loud funny, but there are a fair few stand out moments, particularly a scene involving Stephen Merchant as the leader of a group of Gestapo. For those worried about the film handling the subject matter with bad taste, this is certainly a valid opinion, but I found that the content of the film was not as controversial as it first seemed. Comedies about war have been a thing for decades. Charlie Chaplin parodied Adolf Hitler in his movie, The Great Dictator, which released just one year after the war started. Then there's also Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove, which satirises the Cold War.
As with Hunt For The Wilderpeople, Waititi manages to get wonderful performances out of his young performers, Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates, who give the film a real heart amongst the quirky humour. Scarlett Johannson and Sam Rockwell give solid supporting performances and Thomasin McKenzie, who plays a young Jewish girl names Elsa, is one of Hollywood's most exciting rising stars, between her roles in this and 2018's Leave No Trace.
Other random thoughts...
- Waititi as Hitler (a sentence I never thought I'd write) is clearly having a lot of fun in the role and the way he randomly pops into scenes is absolutely hilarious.
-One of the best PG-13 F-Bombs.
-This movie goes unexpectedly dark towards the end, which can be a bit jarring after the light humour but overall works well because we care about Jojo.
TL;DR Jojo Rabbit is one of the best movies of 2019, featuring charming performances from its child actors and some really funny scenes, however the blend of comedy and drama may not work for some viewers.
Marriage Story
Marriage Story tells the story of a gruelling divorce between a stage director and an actress. It is directed by Noah Baumbach (who incidentally is real life partners with Greta Gerwig, marking the first time that husband and wife have gone head to head during awards season) and inspired by his experience with divorce.
This film is the acting set-piece of the year with Adam Driver and Scarlett Johannson delivering powerhouse performances. The scene where the two of them have an explosive argument has attracted a lot of attention, but it's the quieter scenes that impressed me the most, especially the opening of the film where the two characters narrate the reasons why they loved their spouse. Though there are elements of the story that feel like Acting with a capital A, there's so much authenticity and subtle devastation in the movie.
Other random thoughts...
- Adam Driver absolutely stole this movie for me. Johannson is terrific too, but the movie does have a slight favour in perspective towards Driver.
-If I'm being honest, the son in this movie irritated me a lot.
-Is Laura Dern playing the same character that she does in Big Little Lies? Probably.
-The end of this movie is perfect.
TL;DR- Marriage Story is the acting achievement of 2019, and there are a few scenes and bits of dialogue that will stay with me for a long time for their sheer authenticity and power.
Little Women
Little Women is based on Louisa May Alcott's book of the same name and is the latest in a long history of adaptations of the story about the four March sisters navigating their transition from an idyllic childhood to the harsh reality of adult life as a woman in the 1800's.
I was completely on-board with this version as soon as I got word of the ensemble of actors set to star- Saiorse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen are perfectly cast and work wonders under Greta Gerwig's stunning direction.
Gerwig also wrote the script for the film, and her decision to reshuffle the chronology of the novel is one that has garnered a lot of attention. For those not familiar with the story, I can imagine the structure is slightly confusing. Personally, I thought Gerwig married up segments of the past and present very effectively, allowing each character and narrative beat to shine. Even aside from the charming script, the film's attention to detail in the cinematography, costuming and set design is astounding. Watching any interview with Gerwig on the making of this film is hugely insightful and shows how much care was put into every aspect of this production.
Another aspect of the film that has attracted attention is a slight change from the book. It's a meta addition to the story and works wonders to bring a fresh perspective to the character of Jo March in relation to Alcott herself, who was persuaded to change the original ending she had in mind for the book. Speaking of whom, Jo March is a character beloved by many readers, and very clearly by Gerwig herself. Following in the footsteps of Winona Ryder, Saiorse Ronan more than lives up to the task of bringing to life a head-strong, funny, intelligent and flawed woman and one of the best female characters in literature.
The book is also a love letter to sisterhood and family, and this movie captures that effortlessly. It's a movie that we absolutely need- uncynical, optimistic and beautiful. Where finishing 1917 was like waking up from a nightmare, Little Women is a dream that sweeps you away and stays with you like a sweet memory. Alexandre Desplat's music is a huge reason why- it's romantic and sweeping and devastating all at the same time. (It's Romance, The Book and Little Women are my favourite tracks from the soundtrack). There are so many moments that feel like paintings- vignettes of beauty, joy and sorrow captured on film. Moments like Jo and Laurie dancing on a porch, Mr Laurence listening to Beth play the piano or the sisters going to help a poor family on Christmas. It reminds me of gentle, character driven Japanese movies like Our Little Sister, Tokyo Story or Late Spring.
Other random thoughts...
-I don't know if I can pick between this version and the 1994 iteration; I'm just glad both exist.
- Timothee Chalamet continues to delight.
- A ranking of 2019 Laura Dern performances:
Big Little Lies, Little Women, Marriage Story
-After Jo, Amy is the next March sister that gets the biggest increase in emphasis in terms of her characterisation, whereas Meg and Beth get only a few moments to shine.
TL;DR- Little Women may just be my favourite movie of 2019, featuring stunning performances, beautiful cinematography and production design, sweeping music and an emotional story.
Thanks for reading this article- my personal picks from this list would be 1917 and Little Women from this list to win Best Picture.
I do not own any of the images used in this post.