Tag: War

Blitz (2024) | REVIEW

Elliott Heffernan in “Blitz,” now streaming on Apple TV+.

Directed by Steve McQueen — Screenplay by Steve McQueen.

Despite sharing a name with the celebrated American Bullitt-actor known as the so-called ‘King of Cool,’ this film’s director, the British Steve McQueen, has done a lot to cement himself as one of British filmmaking’s most clear artistic voices, while at the same time becoming not only a critical darling but also someone who has been celebrated at award shows and, in general, for his contribution to culture. After he burst onto the scene as a feature filmmaker with the capital-g great films Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave, and the underseen Widows, McQueen went on to make Small Axe, a phenomenal anthology series about racism, activism, and the joy and spirit of specific communities in mid-to-late 20th century Britain. Since then he has been knighted, and then gone on to make a couple of attempts at documentary filmmaking with his Uprising and Occupied City. Now, with Blitz, he has made his return to narrative feature filmmaking, and while it is not quite as good as his best output, it is absolutely consistent with the artistic interests for which we have come to know him.

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REVIEW: The Last Full Measure (2020)

Theatrical Release Poster – Roadside Attractions

The following is a review of The Last Full Measure — Directed by Todd Robinson.

Todd Robinson’s The Last Full Measure is a war drama that tells the true story of William H. Pitsenbarger (played by Jeremy Irvine), a Vietnam War-hero, who died defending a unit of soldiers during a tough battle in 1966. The film, however, primarily follows Scott Huffman (played by Sebastian Stan), a relatively young Pentagon bureaucrat, thirty-two years later. After having met with Pitsenbarger’s parents and the soldiers that he saved, Huffman risked his career to tell Pitsenbarger’s story in an effort to have him awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. Continue reading “REVIEW: The Last Full Measure (2020)” →

REVIEW: 1917 (2019)

Theatrical Release Poster – Universal Pictures

The following is a review of 1917 — Directed by Sam Mendes.

Sam Mendes’ 1917 is a World War One-film that is inspired by the director’s grandfather, Alfred Mendes, and his stories from the battlefield. The film follows two young British soldiers — Lance Corporals Tom Blake (played by Dean-Charles Chapman) and William Schofield (played by George MacKay) — as they try to complete a mission. Blake and Schofield have been tasked with crossing ‘no man’s land’ and warning a battalion that they are walking into a German trap that may lay waste to up to 1,600 British soldiers. Continue reading “REVIEW: 1917 (2019)” →

REVIEW: Midway (2019)

Theatrical Release Poster – Lionsgate

The following is a review of Midway — Directed by Roland Emmerich.

As the title indicates, Roland Emmerich’s latest film tells the story of the World War II ‘Battle of Midway,’ which, famously, was the subject of an Oscar-winning documentary from John Ford. The film tells the story of many individuals, but primarily the stories of Edwin T. Layton (played by Patrick Wilson), who worked as an intelligence officer, and Dick Best (played by Ed Skrein), a dive bomber pilot, both of whom were integral to the success of the American forces. Continue reading “REVIEW: Midway (2019)” →

REVIEW: Dunkirk (2017)

Theatrical Release Poster – Warner Bros. Pictures

The following is a review of Dunkirk – Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan is one of the most celebrated directors of the 21st century thus far, and it is for a good reason. In my opinion, Christopher Nolan hasn’t made a bad film yet, and I would even go as far as saying he has made multiple masterpieces and very few missteps in the last fifteen-to-twenty years. While Dunkirk doesn’t contain the most impressive story, it is an amazingly impressive film. Dunkirk is a technical masterpiece and the best film of the summer of 2017.
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REVIEW: War Machine (2017)

Release Poster – Netflix

The following is a review of Netflix’s War Machine – Directed by David Michôd.

In 2015, Netflix acquired the distribution rights to a film directed by David Michôd and starring Brad Pitt, one of the true movie stars of our day. Netflix acquired the film prior to having premiered both Beasts of No Nation and The Ridiculous Six later in 2015, and this film was thus one of the first major motion picture projects that Netflix had acquired.

Now, in the summer of 2017, the film now titled War Machine has premiered. It has been a long wait for people like me who were excited to see such a high profile production premiere on the streaming service, but it is finally here and, honestly, I don’t think it was worth the wait. Continue reading “REVIEW: War Machine (2017)” →