Dunkirk Review

One of the most highly anticipated movies of the summer, Dunkirk, is captivating audiences across the world. This World War II biopic tells of the heroic mission to evacuate British and French soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk, after being trapped by the German army.

This methodically and well-thought out film, directed by the incredible Christopher Nolan, creates an intricate experience for the viewer by spanning across several time lines and points of view through out the film. During a recent interview, Nolan said, by creating that dynamic, it allows the audience to watch in a “subjective way that almost makes you feel lost in time.”

There are three timelines that you get to explore on screen – “The Mole” or the land where the troops are trapped, spans over the course of a week, “The Sea” covers the length of one day and “The Air” expands only an hours worth of time. Confused, yet? Because I sure was. Although these timelines are so different and widespread, they are all crucial to the storyline and come together for a shared experience.

One of my favorite things about this film was the cast. Dunkirk has a mixture of high profile actors including Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh, and new comers like Fionn Whitehead, who plays one of the main characters we follow, Tommy, and One-Direction-member-turned-solo-artist-turned-actor, Harry Styles. This balance creates a more realistic and believable essence to the film that I appreciated.

The cinematography and sound editing in this film blend together to form an immersive atmosphere that puts you into a place where you really don’t want to be – war. My one complaint? Although the music was menacing and imperative to certain points in the film, it never really stops playing, creating an intense (almost annoying) feeling throughout the film. I understand that was the point, however, I could have used a moment of dramatic silence here and there.

Overall, Dunkirk was incredible and an experience you can only have in theaters – go see it now!