Dunkirk Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs

2. It's Superbly Paced

There was a lot of surprise when it was revealed that Dunkirk clocks in at just 107 minutes in length, when going by the length of Nolan's more recent blockbusters, it was pretty reasonable to expect somewhere in the 140-160 minute range.

While for many films this would signal major worry (such as the already-dubious The Dark Tower recently confirmed to run just 95 minutes), it was much easier to accept in Nolan's case considering his experience at this level of filmmaking, and his insistence that the movie was always conceived as a lean suspense film rather than a portentous war epic.

For those fed up with this summer's glut of two-hour-plus tentpoles, here's one that doesn't even break 100 minutes by the time the credits roll, scripted, edited and directed for maximum efficiency in terms of presenting an enthralling experience without a lot of the typical, arbitrary baggage.

The film is essentially one giant set-piece compartmentalised, with small bursts of respite in-between to let you catch your breath. It's so refreshing to see the bloat cut away, especially by a director who once made a near-three-hour Batman movie.