The acting in this film is laughably terrible from pretty much everyone, especially the main two actors, and alien guy (Benedict Cumbertwat). Best watched when fully relaxed and drinking some tasty beverages or whatever floats your boat. The feeling I got from 1917 is annoyance, irritation, and amusement.

Films that do mega long takes that follow characters around for 10 minutes without a visible cut need to do it so we forget the camera is there, or at least in a way that justifies the long take. 1917 never makes me forget the camera is there. It feels like a Wes Anderson movie trying to be serious, but in its attempt becomes unintentionally even funnier. The only good movie I can think of that did a long take following characters around was the one that popularised it; Children of Men. If you're going to use a mega long take, have actors who can act, make the shot impressive or engaging (not with camera lingering on nothing for minutes at a time), and don't use the camera in ways that break the fourth wall.

1917 falls in the same waste basket as all other modern war movies that think they're doing something cool but which fail miserably in my opinion, films like Dunkirk, The Darkest Hour, etc. Boring. Seen it all before in better films. Please do something unique or original, not rehashing the same old garbage over and over. Also you don't have to desaturate the film so much that any further desaturation would make it black and white. Learn from the greats of the genres 1917 is trying to emulate; Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Prisoner of the Mountains, Paths of Glory, Apocalypse Now, Come and See, Tangerines, The Edge, etc.

Overall I'd say 1917 is much better and worthwhile than Dune (utter garbage), largely coz 1917 is unintentionally funny, whereas Dune is pure desaturated boring shlock with the worst acting ever. The reason I mention Dune here is coz they feel in the same category of modern whiny films that think they're doing something impressive when in fact I'd rather watch reruns of Dad's Army despite not having seen it for at least 20 years.