I'm surprised that a thread hadn't been started yet for this film since winning the Golden Globe for best picture. So here it goes (no spoilers):
- Good movie, yes, but not great. And by no means Best.
- The two main actors (that I don't recall seeing previously) are pretty damn good. Bravo.
- Cinematography and editing was fantastic. There are some long continuous shots through the trenches that are amazing. I found myself searching for cuts/edits (fairly obvious) but overall it was very cool to see a film from a single POV from opening fade in to fade out. Bravo.
- Story followed a very typical formula. No real surprises. One scene for, what I consider shock-value, was disappointing.

B+

Thoughts?

Felt about the same. Neat approach, fun and impressive to watch. The night sequence after the "break" was truly incredible imagery.

Script was pretty bad. The main actors carried the film well despite that. The star cameos were pointless and distracting but the entire movie ended up kinda anti-immersive anyway so being distracted was fine.

Really wish the trailer hadn't ruined so many of the film's surprises.

**

As one of the resident proponents of indie film, I'd be remiss not to say: The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open arrives at around the same time and with a similar approach. Totally different and in some ways the polar opposite of 1917, but for my money a much better movie, more thought-provoking and more emotionally impactful by far.

I loved 1917, thought that for all the talk about how technically brilliant it is (and it is!), it is still a very human story, which is surely the point about war, they're not just faceless soldiers but young men, real people in impossible situations.

For me that worked really well, and there were some sequences that were so tense I found myself scrunching into a ball in the cinema seat.

I wish the trailer hadn't been so revealing, but that's the problem with modern trailers and why I try and avoid them.

Great start to my cinema going year.

On my watch list

I enjoyed it. It was very emotional and entertaining.

Probably fair to say it falls a little short of greatness, but it was great watch.

Caught this the other day.  Overall, a very good film, with incredible action scenes.  I just think it’s too slow, but it’s a beautiful movie to watch.

Ghost