DUNKIRK (2017)

Genre: War / Thriller
Running Length: 1:46
Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy, Harry Styles, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh
Director: Christopher Nolan
Screenplay: Christopher Nolan

What I learned from this movie is that regardless of our social position in our society, whether you're lame or able, we can still serve others. Because not only helping others makes us feel good, it gives us purpose.  

War movies like Saving Private Ryan and the recent Hacksaw Ridge are about characters in a war situation. DUNKIRK is all about the war situation. There are no dramatic Braveheart "Freeeeeedom!!!" moments, no inspiring war cry speeches, no small talk during downtime introducing themselves and their loved ones waiting for them at home. None of those.

The moment the first frame kicks in, the action starts. And the tension builds and builds and builds right until the satisfying payoff at the end. By the time the credits roll, I was just staring at the screen in stunned silence, breathless.

This movie is about the true story of the evacuation of more than 300,000 soldiers (allied soldiers from Britain, France and Belgium) at Dunkirk, France back to England. During this evacuation at the beach front (which happened between May 26, 1940 to Jun 4, 1940) they were attacked by the German forces.

The narrative sounds simple but the storytelling is not. Just like most of Nolan's films, this film unfolds itself in a non-linear-cross cutting-three perspectives manner. To me, it wasn't distracting as it actually kept me more focused.

Dunkirk is a cinematic event and it demands to be watched on the biggest screen available in your city (I watched it on IMAX). If you can't find one, then at least watch it in a cinema with the bestest sound available. I wouldn't be surprised if it wins an Oscar in the Best Sound categories next year. And coupled with Hans Zimmer pulsating tick-tock score, it really amped-up the intensity.

The performances in this movie are very good but Tom Hardy wouldn't be winning any awards (eventhough he's very good here with his eyes and eyebrows, just like how he used them effectively in The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max: Fury Road). Like I mentioned earlier, Dunkirk is not about any specific characters but it's all about transporting the audiences into an immersive experience of "being there" in the evacuation itself.  

With Dunkirk, Nolan has added another engaging chapter to his impressive body of work. He's arguably one of the few directors out there who still challenges himself with each film, and we're not talking about small films but big budget tent-poles. Dunkirk is akin to a roller coaster experience - it deserves to be watched again.

RATING: 9.5/10

INTERSTELLAR (2014)

 

Genre: Science Fiction/Adventure

Running Length: 2:49

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Wes Bentley, David Gyasi, Matt Damon, Michael Caine, Casey Affleck, Mackenzie Foy, Topher Grace, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow

Director: Christopher Nolan

 

"The depth of the love of parents for their children cannot be measured. It is like no other relationship. It exceeds concern for life itself. The love of a parent for a child is continuous and transcends heartbreak and disappointment." James E. Faust

INTERSTELLAR is arguably Christopher Nolan's most ambitious movie to date. He is one of today's great modern cinema showmen. He is a master at balancing cerebral storytelling with moments of grandeur. And Interstellar checks those boxes; it simultaneously displays complex physics (but yet accessible to laymen and sounded reasonable enough) told on an epic big-budget cinematic canvas, but at the heart of it is a simple tale of sacrificial love that binds a father and his daughter. And without a doubt Matthew McConaughey is the human factor of this movie. His believable love for his family (and the despair he has to go through) makes this one of Nolan's most emotional film. The scenes between father and daughter made me shed some tears (thankfully it didn't go the way of Armageddon). But Interstellar is not all weepy as its incredible imagery is an amazing achievement that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen with the best sound system possible (watch it on IMAX) - the space travel and new worlds feels like the real thing (and not CGI) and the scene where the rocket lifts off, the bass shook the entire cinema I was in. And Hans Zimmer's score (with heavy use of organs) is gripping. That said, Interstellar is almost too perfect and there lies the problem. It has just the right balance of everything; family drama, love, great effects, action, some light hearted moments, betrayal etc. Personally, I find things more beautiful when they are still imperfect than when they are too perfectly crafted. Also, this film may not provide enough traditional entertainment value compared to Nolan's The Dark Knight or Inception, and thus could leave certain movie goers feeling underwhelmed. On many levels, Interstellar is a very good film. I liked it but not as much I wanted too.

Rating: 8.5/10