Here’s my “Quick and Dirty Review” of “1917.” The film is an incredible technical achievement--it's one of those films where you spend half the film wondering how they pulled it off. It’s a Cinematic Masterpiece...it's just missing a story. The cinematography, coupled with the seamless editing between "scenes" makes this feel like one long take, with only a few recognizable breaks. If I had to nitpik anything, it would be that the story itself felt thin, but I've read that the producers were going for something simple and timeless.

A complicated story would have made production even more of a nightmare--as it was, I can't believe they pulled this off. The pacing never lets up and never lets you catch your breath. I think Sam Mendes is probably a shoe-in for Best Director, even though I liked "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" better. Best Film Editing is also probably a lock--except it didn't get nominated, when films like Joker and Jo Jo Rabbit did. Confused? Me too! And the score was haunting and memorable. Catch this on the big screen if you can!