1917 (Film Review)

The First World War, from the first-person point of view. Let me just say, this film makes you feel like you lived it. It is tradgedy and triumph all in one. I really enjoyed it, and all of the performances, especially by the young up-and-coming stars of the film. 1917 (2019) Starring: George McKay, Dean-Charles Chapman Feat.: Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch “Time is the Enemy” the poster says, and this film 1917 definitely feels like you are sucked into a set timeline. I also, myself thought my rental would run out in 2 hrs, and the film is 1:58 so I too had a set time to watch it, with only one or two quick breaks, which added to the tight moving momentum of the film. War films, for me are hard to watch because I wonder why these young people end up in war. I’m a hippie, it’s in my nature. But I found the two leads extremely endearing, because they are just young men, barely past their teens, who have enlisted in the British Army for the ‘Great War’ or WWI mainly because that was what you did for your country, without question. I did want to see this film because I heard murmurs that cinematically it was brilliant. And I think it was. The rumor was that they shot the film all in one take. I did not think it was possible, but I wanted to see for myself. It actually isn’t shot in one take, but it is filmed in a manner where there are some very long takes, that are seamlessly put together. If you aren’t paying close attention, you’ll miss it. I, however, knew to look for the cuts, and I could barely tell when they happened. From the opening, when the two soldiers are given orders by the General (Colin Firth) that they need to cross the enemy lines to get a message to another British company to stop an attack, to about when they make it to a muddy subtrench in the middle of an open field (scary!) I only counted like 2 takes, the second being when the soldier Schofield jumps into the trench. I could tell that it was done with a handheld camera, with the cameraperson following the two young actors. When the soldiers change direction, or point of view, the camera swivels around, almost like the audience is the third soldier with these guys. You feel like you are on the mission, too. Boy, does that make your heart pump. The mud, grime, barbed wire, and rotting dead soldiers are all around, and I felt like I had to watch my surroundings too. The mission starts with Lance Corporal Blake (Chapman) as the primary lead, as he is asked first to meet the General, and bring a buddy. Blake picks Lance Corporal Schofield (McKay). Neither realize the importance of the mission, right away , they thought it was a menial task. Instead they learn that if they do not get this message to the other company, the British will attack and will fall right into a trap set up by the Germans. Schofield begrudgingly comes along, and Blake weakly offers for Shofield to go back, but they already made it across a battlefield, and an underground mine which nearly killed them… So, its really too late to turn back. It is set in France, but the provincial farmland and lovely city has been destroyed by Germans who have ruined everything in their wake. The story shifts to Schofield because (SPOILER) Blake is killed by a German in a knife fight. I won’t say the setup, but it is pretty intense. George Mckay plays this young man brilliantly. There are so many terrible things that happen to him, but we watch him steel himself up, and do things that seem superhuman. He also does things that I know I could not do, even in times of war, but he does it for necessity and survival. He loses his pal, he loses his provisions, he loses all comforts, at one point has to ditch his gun, just so he can survive. And he does it! That climax where he realizes there is no way he is going to stop the first wave of his fellow British soldiers if he doesn’t run for it is amazing. He knows he has to get the Colonel ---(played by Benedict Cumberbatch Ugh that guy is in everything, and always is so rude)-- and he can’t make it through the trenches fast enough… so he decides, against orders…. To RUN ON THE BATTLEFIELD parallel while the British begin their advance which goes against his path. It is one of the coolest images i have ever seen, with the bombs, and guns and him weaving through soldiers. He makes it, completed his mission, but Cumberbatch doesnt even say thank you. Ugh how rude. BTW kudos to the actor for doing that take in one long shot, and its awesome that they did most of those scenes as long scenes, because there is little to no chance for messing up. 10++ I

loved it.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: A Slapstick Masterpiece

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, and some talented character actors. I actually never saw this whole film, only parts. I distinctly remember Napoleon fighting with a little girl for the last bit of ice cream in the giant bowl. The rest, I remember because it is an iconic comedy. I really only know it from the cultural references. I thought that this was the less controversial version of Wayne”s World. It is less controversial, and more slapstick, yes -but- I was actually mistaken because Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure came before Wayne’s World. However, Wayne’s World might have been a sketch on SNL around the same time so the producers of this film might have borrowed from it. This film is iconic for a few reasons, like giving us funny yet now slightly dated references, like “Be excellent to each other” and “ Party on” (which might have been borrowed from WW of SNL). Other reasons might be having an electrified phone booth that is now in lots of other film and TV references, including a Tardis. I don’t know what came first, I just know that Bill & Ted was popular first. Another feature of this film that left a cultural mark on American pop culture is the California-based exaggerated way of talking, with a less-than intelligent inflection. However, again, it might have borrowed from SNL for this too. The main difference is this was much more PG than Wayne's World and probably more palatable for mainstream audiences. Parents of the 80s could take their 12 yr olds to this and not worry too much about their kids picking up anything offensive or overtly sexual for the most part. (except for reading “SHIT SHIT SHIT” for Napoleon’s translation of “MERDE MERDE MERDE”) This was not so for Wayne's World of 1992. So, the story goes that Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) want to be famous in their band Wyld Stallyns --but these plans get messed up because they need to pass a history report in order to pass the high school history class. They are both failing and know nothing about history. Ted’s father threatens multiple times to send Ted off to Military school. Bill has his own problems, being attracted to his own stepmom who used to be a high school classmate, but now is with his father. This bit is very self-aware, to the point when Bill meets Freud, he admits to having an Oedipal complex. It’s funny in context. Anyway, a guy from the future, and possibly another planet, Rufus (George Carlin), tells them that he can take the guys anywhere they want to go in history, but that they have to pass their history report. The entire future depends on it. Ted and Bill are understandably slightly reluctant, but saw a telephone booth come from the sky and land in front of a convenience store, so obviously things are out of the ordinary. Then another phone booth arrives in the same manner, and the guys talk to a future version of themselves. This is a fun set up because while I was watching the early set of Bill and Ted talk to the future Bill and Ted, I thought, they are going to bring us back to this spot, with future Bill and Ted. They did, and it was fun, silly and satisfying storywise. Anyway, the guys' not-so-genius plan is to capture historical figures and bring them back to their high school present day to basically do their report for them. A time in film where kidnapping is not questioned. Lol. Anyway, they lose Napoleon in modern times, because Ted’s little brother was supposed to watch him. The guy playing Napoleon was very funny. He sneaks into a water park, and somehow has an old timey bathing suit and cuts the line in front of kids to ride the water rides. The actor plays an nasty grump that you love to hate. It's pretty fun. Then they lose multiple historical figures in the modern-day mall. Joan of Arc ends up running an exercise class. Freud and Billy the Kid and Socrates try their hand at flirting with girls in the food court, and Beethoven is inspired by electric keyboards. Ghengis Khan discovers the power of a titanium baseball bat. The guys make their report, in the nic-of time and they also discover that they end up being idols of the future society that Rufus comes from. Bill and Ted also get to be involved with some medieval princesses. It is very silly, very slapstick, and just an easy watch. I liked it because it is something to turn on when you do not want to think about much and escape to a less-than intelligent reality. It’s a major cultural part of the 80s-90s. I’m glad I finally saw the whole thing in its entirety.