Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring: Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, Kenneth Branagh

Just a little message to everyone before I start this review. I've changed my format a bit while doing these to include taglines, and good/bad lists. I've decided I'm not going to do these anymore as the taglines just seem there for my own amusement and I struggle to think of them or even forget to put them on my reviews, so those are gone for good. I also feel like I summarise the good and bad on the review itself with more detail, so they feel a bit pointless! I'd rather let you all read what I thought of the movie and tell my story to accompany it. I feel I'll be able to put more detail in this way and not have to rely on finding something good or bad to talk about. Hopefully that'll work better and I hope you all enjoy this review and the ones to come. Thank you.

Christopher Nolan is one of those directors that, of course is amazingly talented, but I've never seen all of his films, and I think that is because I just haven't been too bothered about seeing them. That may seem quite obnoxious, as my films to watch list is comprised of many many films but not may of Nolan's are on there. So, when my dad was raving about Dunkirk, my interest grew in Nolan. By that, I mean it looked very different, being that it is his first film based on historical events and that, well obviously, we wouldn't have this massively complicated (or just head busting) story that his movies seem to have. I decided to go see the film and be optimistic, as I'm not really big into war movies really except a few. But I feel I may have been too cynical and hipster about Nolan because Dunkirk is just spectacular.

The story of Dunkirk is based on the evacuation of over 300,000 English and French troops from Dunkirk after the German army surrounds them and takes over in World War Two. Three different stories are told, one involving a trio of young soldiers trying to stay alive as part of the evacuation, a sailor (Rylance) and two young boys sailing out to save as many troops as they can and finally the story of a Spitfire pilot (Hardy), with all three stories being set in different times during the evacuation and eventually all coming together.

Nolan brings his expert cinematography once again to the table and creates some absolutely spectacular imagery. With him being against CGI (which I love him for) he creates some amazing scenes and areal shots. When showing crowds of troops, he chose not to just generate them with computers in, oh no. He respects his own integrity and throws cardboard cutouts in that do the job even better. And this is just the start. I knew from this moment in watching Dunkirk that Nolan would wow me over and over. The opening scene is a marvel, using a mix of a ticking pocket watch, flares of music and then absolute silence to create something that will keep you on your toes for the rest of the film. And it all feels real.

Yes, it feels like you're there. Like you were on those beaches experiencing this horrifying ordeal take place. And it is a horror, to an extent. Because the levels of empathy and shock that Nolan demonstrates upon you is horrific, and I feel that's why it really changes the way I would look at a war film. In fact, I can't call it a war film. There's fighting in it but its a rescue film, set in the backdrop of a war and I like that. I appreciate that Nolan decided to use three separate timelines, as without giving away spoilers, your feelings and attitudes start changing towards different characters and different moments. It's very unique and really works in the context of the story.

Hans Zimmer's score is again an absolute wonder, and it breathes much emotion and urgency that you'll be kept on your toes. The sound design and mixing is done expertly well and feels very realistic. I urge you to see it in a cinema as it really amplifies the tension and help you feel immersed. And that's something else, the film will always keep you glued. There's always something going on, theres always something that will make you fearful and there is always something that you'll take away from each scene that will make you think.

I want to see more films like this from Nolan in the future. There is so much here that I'd love to talk about and I think repeat viewings are in order. It's an emotional and well made film that will always have you guessing and feeling empathy for everyone. For me, it's the most emotional film of the year so far, but it also gives you the sense of pride. To understand the glorious achievements and sacrifices that were made for an event like this - and Nolan understands that completely. 

9/10