The central problem of 1917 is that it's single-take format gimmick is highly distracting, taking away from what could and should have been a moving and exciting war story.

I'm not debating the technical brilliance at play, nor the realism of combat (although there is surprisingly little of the latter). Storytelling must come first, especially in conveying the true horror of war. And 1917 falls well short of the mark here, with neither of the main characters (especially the rather irritating Dean-Charles Chapman) putting in a gripping enough performance.

There are much more affecting war films out there, and far better films about the Great War that truly show the madness of the conflict because they put the soldiers - and not the filmmaker - at the heart of the story.