1917 (2019) ***1/2

Playing as a cross between Dunkirk (2017) (review) and Saving Private Ryan (1998) (review), 1917 (2019) is a riveting ride and a ridiculous technical feat (and exactly the type of film made for IMAX). The amount of choreography, blocking, and timing that went into this film to make it appear as one take boggles the mind. The challenges that the cast and crew undoubtedly faced must have been tremendous. But, much like Dunkirk, I found myself wanting more story and human connection outside of mere survival and traumatic experiences. So while director Sam Mendes accomplishes an insanely impressive level of "Hitchcockian audience manipulation" (Alonso Duralde), there are times when the "simulation of raw immediacy slips to reveal the calculated construct underneath" (Justin Chang) and it's there that 1917 falls short of being a truly excellent narrative film.