Recounting the true story of how the Allied soldiers in World War II were evacuated from a beach on the coast of France, Dunkirk’s storyline interestingly enough complements the plot of another Oscar nominee this year – Darkest Hour. But where Darkest Hour explores the decisions being made in British parliament to save the stranded soldiers, Dunkirk opens a window into the desperate reality of the war itself.

Nolan takes Dunkirk a step away from what would be expected of a war movie by integrating three smaller subplots into the larger metanarrative of World War II. Each storyline takes place over different lengths of time, and yet they all end up in the same place by the end. This non-linear style could have benefitted from more clarification of the timelines, which are only vaguely suggested in onscreen text at the start. Though nevertheless, the order of events still eventually reveal themselves in due time as the plots start to overlap.

In our first storyline we spend a week following Tommy, one of many soldiers attempting to escape the German onslaught, who teams up with other young men to run, sneak, and lie their way to safety. Interwoven with Tommy’s perspective of the events is the journey of a small pleasure boat across the English Channel, on its way to rescue the stranded soldiers over the course of a day. Finally, the story of a Spitfire pilot taking down enemy fighter planes over Dunkirk is scattered in amongst the others, documenting the last hour of the pilot’s freedom before being captured by the Germans.

This deliberate choice to follow the evacuation of Dunkirk from three different perspectives illuminates so much more of the rescue operation than any individual story on its own. It paints a more rounded picture of this historical event than what we usually expect from war movies, particularly those that are also based on real conflicts. Despite feeling emotionally exhausted by the end of the film, seeing all the pieces fit together to form a cohesive historical account is immensely satisfying to watch.

Dunkirk also provides a wholly cinematic experience beyond its innovative storytelling techniques, pulling together its technical elements and integrating them masterfully. Action films tend to excel in the sound editing and mixing awards at the Oscars, but if Dunkirk was to keep with tradition and take out both of these categories then they would certainly be well deserved wins. Its intensely evocative sound design and cinematography capture every nightmarish detail of the war zone, conjuring phobias of fire, cramped spaces, heights, drowning, and so on. Nolan’s technical team moves past just the sheer horror of war too, every so often embedding tiny glimmers of hope, creating poignantly beautiful soundscapes and images of people coming together to save each others’ lives.

Watching a Christopher Nolan film often feels more like observing an impressive feat of engineering in action than it does seeing a movie. It isn’t just the cutting edge technology or huge budgets that make his films so consistently brilliant – it is his acute understanding of how to get the best results out of what he has to work with. Dunkirk works just as well as a piece of art as it does a technological accomplishment. It effectively maintains the key elements of Nolan movies that audiences continue to marvel at, while serving to show just how much he is willing to push beyond his comfort zone.

What do you think about Dunkirk being up for the 2018 Oscars Best Picture award? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

The post Oscars Countdown: Dunkirk appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover what will be hitting the cinemas this month and tell us what you’ll be seeing in the comments below!

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Several months after the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, with the help of his mentor Tony Stark, tries to balance his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens, New York City while fighting crime as his superhero alter ego Spider-Man as a new threat, the Vulture, emerges.

Starring Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Michael Keaton (Birdman), Marisa Tomei (Empire) and Zendaya.

War for the Planet of the Apes | Trailer

Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

Starring Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games), Judy Greer, Toby Kebbell and Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) and Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries).

The Emoji Movie | Trailer

The Emoji Movie unlocks the never-before-seen secret world inside your smartphone. Hidden within the messaging app is Textopolis, a bustling city where all your favorite emojis live, hoping to be selected by the phone’s user. In this world, each emoji has only one facial expression – except for Gene, an exuberant emoji who was born without a filter and is bursting with multiple expressions.

Voiced by T.J Miller (Silicon Valley), Anna Faris (Mom), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Patrick Stewart (X-Men), James Corden (Into The Woods), Maya Rudolph (Bridesmaids) and Christina Aguilera.

Atomic Blonde

The crown jewel of Her Majesty’s Secret Intelligence Service, Agent Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is equal parts spycraft, sensuality and savagery, willing to deploy any of her skills to stay alive on her impossible mission. Sent alone into Berlin to deliver a priceless dossier out of the destabilized city, she partners with embedded station chief David Percival (James McAvoy) to navigate her way through the deadliest game of spies.

Starring Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road), James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class), Sofia Boutella (The Mummy 2017), John Goodman (Kong: Skull Island) and Toby Jones (Captain America).

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets | Trailer

In the 28th century, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha-an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Starring Cara Delevingne (Suicide Squad), Dane DeHann (The Amazing Spider-Man 2), Ethan Hawke (The Magnificent Seven), Rihanna and Clive Owen.

 Dunkirk | Trailer

Evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada, and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk, France, between May 26- June 04, 1940, during Battle of France in World War II.

Starring Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road), Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders), Kenneth Branagh (Valkyrie), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Harry Styles and James D’Arcy (Agent Carter). 

Girls Trip | Trailer

When four lifelong friends travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival, sisterhoods are rekindled, wild sides are rediscovered, and there’s enough dancing, drinking, brawling, and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.

Starring Jada Pinkett Smith (Gotham), Queen Latifah (Star), Tiffany Haddish (The Carmichael Show), Regina Hall (Black-ish), Mike Colter (Luke Cage) and Kate Walsh (13 Reasons Why).

The post July Movies appeared first on The Nerd Daily.