Dunkirk

Cast: Fionn Whitehead, Damian Bonnard, James Bloor, Tom Hardy, Jack Lowden, Cillian Murphy and Harry Styles.

Director: Christopher Nolan

Release Date: 2017

Running Time: 1hr 46 minutes

Genre: Action/War

Rating: 12

Format: Theatrical Cinema Release

Synopsis:

Soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German army and are evacuated during the fierce battle in World War 2.

Director Christopher Nolan once again delivers an incredible masterpiece! Dunkirk is one of those films that I wished I had seen in school, it's very emotional and deeply educating! The evacuation of allied soldiers from Belgium, The British Empire and France took place between May 26th-June 4th 1940, during the battle of France in World War 2! There honestly, aren't very many war films that I have seen that haven't hit me hard. This one felt the most real. Christopher Nolan really did his research when it came to writing the storyline, not only is it interesting for those who aren't sure what happened, it's extremely convincing too. Very thought provoking. Tom Hardy delivers a fantastic performance as British pilot Farrier! His character took me by surprise a little bit, his portrayal of a British soldier was very realistic and genuine. His performance really supported his character. Farrier is a hero, as all of them are!

I must admit, I was expecting a bit more from actor Cillian Murphy, his character has great significance to others characters. Rescuers. I haven't really seen Murphy in that much, however his performance was very, very good! There are certainly a few surprises when it comes to his character! Harry Styles is an actor that honestly took me by surprise the most, known more for singing in the British group One Direction, he most certainly proved his could have an acting career ahead of him too! It's incredible how the characters in the film interact with another, all fighting for survival, it's only natural it's going to affect everyone differently. I love that Nolan was able to show that on screen between character interaction.

I will be very honest in explaining that there isn't a great deal of dialogue in the film, believe me it doesn't need it, it really doesn't! The visuals and the cinematography tell the story all on it's own, very impressively! It's one of the first films that's made my heart race from beginning to end! The incredible score by Hans Zimmer really helps in allowing audiences to experience that! It's incredible at supporting the mood in each scene, is a bomb going to be dropped? Are they going to survive? These were the questions, I found myself constantly asking, through out the whole film? Why? Because, you honestly didn't know, Nolan has been so amazing in his directing in only showing so much to an audience at one given time. The fear in Tom Hardy's eye is really quite remarkable! It's all you need to understand what is happening in any given scene. Someone's reaction, can tell so much!

Visually, one of the most spectacular war films I've ever seen! Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema really deserve the highest praise! Oh my goodness, spectacular visuals of bombers, perfect close ups of the actors, especially Tom Hardy when flying, absolutely excellent! The underwater sequences look exceptionally genuine and real, this film will hit home for some! Graphic is probably the one wrong word. Nolan was quite respectful in not showing certain elements of scenes, instead allowing his audience to use their imagination. You would hear it, but you wouldn't always necessarily see it. When Steven Spielberg directed "Saving Private Ryan" he wanted his audience to be touched immediately by graphic content. I love that Nolan, chose to hold back that and get you to understand the characters first. In "Saving Private Ryan" you could practically predict what you were going to see, Nolan waits to surprise you. Both films are very genuine and real, but they are shown in different ways.

Gripping, emotional and absolutely terrifying! An absolute, must watch!

5/5 stars