As 2019 comes to a close, cinema fans have a bevy of awards quality fare to look forward to. THE IRISHMAN hits Netflix this Wednesday with MARRIAGE STORY following suit on December 6. JOKER is also generating massive awards buzz as is Quentin Tarantino's ode to Hollywood's Golden Age with ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD. Yes, whether it's crowd pleasers like A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD or the harsh realities of class struggle with PARASITE, there's a deluge of quality cinema available.
However, one of the films being quietly overlooked is Oscar winning director Sam Mendes' upcoming WWI movie 1917. Recently, the flick screened for a select few critics and based on early reactions, it's safe to say 1917 will also be a major awards contender:
Although most of these reactions praise the visual side of 1917, it also appears to be quite the harrowing story as well. Sam Mendes has always been a master storyteller, going as far back as AMERICAN BEAUTY and the criminally underrated ROAD TO PERDITION. 1917 sounds like a perfect marriage of visceral story and stunning visuals. And with the GOAT Roger Deakins behind the camera that's hardly surprising.
Here's a brief synopsis of the film:
At the height of the First World War during Spring 1917 in northern France, two young British soldiers, Schofield (George MacKay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), are given a seemingly impossible mission to deliver a message which will warn of an ambush during one of the skirmishes soon after the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line during Operation Alberich. The two recruits race against time, crossing enemy territory to deliver the warning and keep a British battalion of 1,600 men, which includes Blake's own brother, from walking into a deadly trap.The pair must give their all to accomplish their mission by surviving the war to end all wars.
1917 starring George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Richard Madden, and Colin Firth charges into enemy lines Christmas Day.