1917 Review: 9 Ups & 1 Down

7. Sam Mendes' Excellent Direction

To the surprise of nobody, Sam Mendes directs the absolute hell out of this film, striking a remarkable balance between the narrative's human concerns and the action-packed concerns of most every war movie.

Much has been said of 1917's single-take gimmick, and while you can argue that the seams between the takes are themselves fairly obvious to spot, that Mendes manages to keep the film fully engaging all while unfolding the majority of it in "real time" is an undeniably staggering achievement.

Pulling a "one-r" in a drama is one thing, but doing so in a war film is an altogether greater level of challenge, and while the result perhaps sacrifices some dramatic depth, its blinding visceral impact ultimately speaks for itself.

Needless to say, Mendes will be nominated for the Best Director Oscar, and given how unique his work was on this film compared to every other filmmaker competing for the award this year, there's also a strong chance he takes the gong home.