books – The Nerd Corps

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune (2021) is a marvelous cinematic achievement that delivers on everything that it provides to the audience.

5/5

The long-awaited adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction novel, Dune, has finally hit the silver screen. What was supposed to be released last year is finally in our hands along with an already confirmed sequel coming October 20th, 2023. You can definitely say that audiences have been eagerly awaiting this film after its multiple delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, the film opened in theatres and on HBO Max as part of their day and date release strategy for this year. I had the privilege of being able to watch this film in the beautiful IMAX format at my local AMC theatre, which will live as one of my favorite theatre experiences of all time. Did Denis Villeneuve hit a home run or did the film fail to meet those expectations? Well, let’s talk about my current favorite film of this year.

Dune (2021) is directed by French Canadian director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario) and its screenplay is written by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Eric Roth. This film is the first of hopefully many collaborations between Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Greg Fraiser (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). The film includes an ensemble cast of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Joseph McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. I was not kidding it is a stacked ensemble cast that includes some of the biggest names we have right now in the industry. Of course, Denis Villeneuve returns to collaborate with one of if not the greatest composers of all time, Hans Zimmer.

For those who do not know about Dune, the story is set thousands of years into the future specifically 10,191. Paul of House Atreides’ (played by Chalamet) father, Duke Leto Atreides, has been given the planet of Arrakis by the emperor of the known universe. Why is this important? Arrakis is home to the most valuable resource in the universe, the Spice Melange, which is needed for space travel and other aspects. Whoever ends in control of Arrakis ends up in control of the spice has some major power in their hands in the grand scheme of things. Arrakis is of course like most places home to an indigenous group of people called, The Fremen. The story unravels itself into a somewhat confusing at times film but is highly interesting from start to finish.

Dune (2021) is an epic in every sense of the word, from the get-go we are thrust into the story of this film to experience it in every ounce of its cinematic glory. It should be noted that this is the first part of a two-part film. Nevertheless, there was not a single moment where I was not completely invested in the film’s monumental story. The performances are fantastic and some standouts are Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, and Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides but none of them compare to the incredible emotionally invested performance of Rebecca Fergusson’s Lady Jessica. The cinematography is exquisitely framed and lit. Hans Zimmer’s score is grand and one of the best aspects of this film, the music truly makes you feel like you are in Arrakis with these characters. Denis Villeneuve directs one hell of a film that cuts off at the worst possible moment because you just want to keep watching and experiencing more of this world that he is building. One thing is certain, Part Two cannot get here any sooner. I am invested one hundred percent in this franchise and I am sure that when the sequel arrives Villeneuve will surprise audiences again.

Watch Dune (2021) in theaters and on HBO Max until November 21st.

The Green Knight is exemplary in every way possible under the incredible direction of David Lowery as he creates one of if not the best film of this year.

It is safe to say that 2020 provided us some of our worst moments. It was a time that was met with a lot of sorrow, grief, and uncertainty about our lives. In the movie space, we saw many delays while some of our most anticipated films were moved to streaming services while theaters remained shut down. There was something else that we got in 2020 that really made us realize that 2021 was going to be worth the wait. I remember seeing that first trailer for David Lowery’s The Green Knight and I was amazed at what was shown. Immediately I was beyond excited to watch Dev Patel play Gawain and the visuals of the trailer propelled my excitement to the moon, but the summer came along and no news about the film came forward so we had to imagine that it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later on before the year ended, we received news that the film would release in July 2021. My anticipation for this film kept building and building for what I imagined would be a good Arthurian motion picture. Fast forward to the present, I went to my local movie theater (following COVID guidelines) to finally watch this movie and I was giddy with excitement to finally sit down and set my eyes on the film.

The film stars Dev Patel as Gawain the nephew of King Arthur as he sets on a quest to find and face The Green Knight that tests his courage to become a noble knight of the roundtable. The film is written, produced, edited, and directed by David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon, The Old Man & The Gun) based on the anonymous poem Sir Gawain and The Green Knight. The film also stars Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, and Ralph Ineson.

David Lowery’s The Green Knight meets all expectations and blows them out of the water. A concise and reflective film about the struggle between expectations and our quest to be who we want to be. David Lowery’s love and patience for the source material shows throughout the movie paired alongside its exquisite cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo. Along with its beautiful and moving cinematography, it is Daniel Hart’s groundbreaking score that helps create the atmosphere of our very contemplative and somber film. Dev Patel works wonders as Sir Gawain and truly captures every scene he is in. Him along with the supporting cast like Alicia Vikander’s two characters excel in the acting department.

The Green Knight is special and so far the best film to be released this year. The film takes its epic story to create a very patient film that speaks beyond its structure. Whether it is its daunting scenes of doubt in Gawain or its various moments that challenges the nobility of what it means to be someone as important as a Knight. We constantly are looking at the film hoping to see what Gawain will do to redeem himself and become the man he is set to be. The Arthurian world of David Lowery’s film is magical and never disappoints you throughout this quest of Gawain as we patiently watch a masterclass in filmmaking and storytelling.

Watch The Green Knight in theaters right now.