Review: Now I know that a lot of people think that this is a cinematic masterpiece and that Sam Mendes deserves every award under the sun, but I personally think that it is just a toned-down version of Saving Private Ryan with some dull actors. There are some A-listers popping in and out of the film, but the main character, Schofield (George MacKay) didn't have any screen charisma. I know that it was made to look like it was one shot, which was extremely clever, and an amazing achievement from Sam Mendes, but I personally think that the film wasn't anything that we haven't seen before. I appreciate the amazing effort that was put into the timing of each scene, which must have been difficult to achieve because of the flow of the film, but from an entertainment point of view, I did drift off a couple of times. If they had put an actor in the same category as Tom Hanks, then I would have agreed with the critics and a lot of the viewers, but I honestly can say that I wasn't in a rush to watch the movie again, once it had finished. It felt like a bit of an anti-climax when Schofield reached his destination, after everything that he had been through, and Cumberbatch made it clear how he felt about his presence. That's the main difference between this film and Saving Private Ryan. They actually fought together to get out of the mess they were in, once they reached their destination. I know that Schofield saved many life's by delivering the message but I was expecting fireworks at the end. Anyway, I'll give Sam Mendes props for the cinematography, but there are better war films out there. Watchable!

Round-Up: This movie was directed by Sam Mendes, who also brought you American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Jarhead, Away We Go, Skyfall and Spectre. 1917 won an Oscar for Cinematography, Visual Effects and Sound Mixing, along with a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Original Score and Best Director. It was tipped to win the Best Picture Oscar, but it was beaten at the post by Parasite, which I am yet to see. It was inspired by Sam Mendes grandfather's experiences in WWI: "The Autobiography of Alfred H. Mendes 1897-1991", so it really came from the heart. It took the actors 6 months to rehearse the movie, mainly because of the timing of the shoots, and with over 40 awards for cinematography, it's clear that it's getting recognition, more for the filming than the content.

Budget: $95million Worldwide Gross: $384million

Genre: Drama, War Cast: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth, Pip Carter, Andy Apollo, Paul Tinto, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch. 5/10