Directed By Denis Villenueve

Starring – Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya

The Plot – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides (Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images and suggestive material

Dune | Official Main Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

– Exceptional direction. Once again, Villenueve has taken a time honored property, and prescribed depth, in both a thematic sense, but especially in a technical one. Epic is not a word that I use lightly when it comes to contemporary cinema, but the combination of picture perfect framing, razor sharp editing, and wide angle photography allows the imagery to flourish with such breathtaking emphasis that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible. In addition, the intentionally plodding, methodical movement of the lens conveys a consistency in demeanor that serves wonderfully for the story’s abundance of palpable uneasiness and untimely dread, alluding to a constant bigger picture to unforeseen circumstances that often get the best of our protagonists, while always getting the better of us the audience. Simply put, Denis’ visionary pulse and ambitious drive crafts one of the more astonishing aesthetics to take shape during the pandemic age of cinema, and for the first time in nearly two years illustrated everything fantastically mesmerizing about the elements of an immersive environment that easily obscures life’s many problems.

– Three-dimensional setting. In my opinion, world building is a pivotal ingredient to any endearing science fiction film, and with two and a half hours at the disposal of Denis and screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, they’re more than able to indulge audiences on the unique beats of this planet that feels like a full fledged evolution of the planet we currently inhabit. Believability is the key here, so the science and technology of the many gadgets are creative to the capabilities they entail, but mean so much more when audiences can wholeheartedly interpret how each of them run without using the future as a convenient plot device. Aside from this, the foreshadowing of a political war proves that very little was learned in man’s cultural evolution, continuing to damn the tribes of the film in ways that constantly divide each of them for the worse of mankind. Finally, the conditions of the various landscapes not only get brought to life with a visual and audio rendering that wholeheartedly immerses us into its influence, but also with psychological logic that surprisingly pays attention to the laws of bodily endurance much more than a film rightfully should, giving us impressive detail in exposition that filled in the gaps of any questions I may have conjured up during my experience.

– Complete film. Just last week I mentioned how “Halloween Kills” underscored the meaning and merit of its second chapter in an already promised trilogy, and while “Dune” is equally promised a second climactic effort to follow, it doesn’t waste away the appeal of this important introductory chapter. For one, there’s a clear arc here with Chalamet’s coming of age narrative, resulting in a clear cut resolution that not only produces a thrilling climax at the end of this film, but also one that hints at things to come in a nearby sequel. What’s even more complimentary is that the aspect of a second film doesn’t hinder or condemn its story to predictable waters, instead giving us inexperienced fans a twist every thirty minutes that reassesses the stakes, and expands the complexity of the external conflicts in ways that measure internally with simultaneous emphasis. It’s very much a film that could stand on its own if box office numbers don’t meet demand, but it’s also one that lays the bricks for a full-fledged foundation for war epic that is hinted at in premonitions by Paul, in order to give us a taste of the terrifying trepidation that inevitably awaits them.

– Surprising pacing. There’s not many films that I can say feels every inch of its run time, yet not one that I was ever bored or tediously tested by. “Dune” is a first in that department, using its bloated screenplay to fully flesh out characterization and materializing conflicts with the kind of focus that would make even Frank Herbert proud, while constantly keeping the story moving in ways that continuously bottle the urgency of the impending doom that awaits these people. Are there scenes that run too long? Sure, but there’s absolutely no scene scattered throughout the film that I would even think about cutting all together. Every interaction, foreshadowing, and intuition plays into something meaningfully profound for the integrity of the narrative, and with nine books and one of literature’s most passionate fanbases looking to pick this film apart, I think it’s the nuances and subtleties that Villenueve most appreciates, offering as faithful of an adaptation for the first book and a half that you’re ever going to find with film.

– Accessibility. Even with the Atredies’ family in “Dune” pertaining to a hierarchy in royalty that oversees literally hundreds of thousands of worshippers at their feet, there’s a refreshing relatability that Denis uses to construct a connection to the audience that anyone can interpret, regardless of social stature. At its core, “Dune” is very much a coming of age story, but one pertaining to themes of destiny, mortality, and ecology, to which drives a lot of its tribal conflicts. Each of these are not only prominent in each of our everyday experiences, but they also cement an idea that regardless of social stature or environmental parallels, they are still matters that everyone faces, alluding to the idea that we’re all really not as opposite as pre-determined notions would write us as. It manages all of this without ever sacrificing the fantastical aspect of its appeal, allowing me empathy for characters who I otherwise rightfully wouldn’t.

– Visual gratification. If even just one aspect of production gets nominated for an Academy Award, let it be the radiant aspect of its many aspects of jaw-dropping production design. It starts with the variety of costume designs between three respective tribes, which are every bit diverse in designs as they are purposeful for the specifics in particular environments. These simply aren’t just clothes, but rather armory for the purpose of a confrontation, proving even further the instability in mentality between these respective groups. The futuristic feng-shui of bountiful set designs equally invigorate uniqueness and identity to the franchise in ways that are practically lifted from the book, proving once more Villenueve’s irreplaceable value for harvesting such familiarity. Finally, and my personal favorite, the cinematography from Greig Fraser offering such a viscerally evocative experience to the senses that could easily be used as desktop backdrops on anyone’s laptop. There’s such a noticeable variety of color used for certain locations and settings in this film that it never allows the consistency of its color correction to feel bland or stale with repetition, speaking volumes about the advantages of articulating a science fiction film, where expression is the prescription for a novel that felt literally decades ahead of its time.

– Musical mastery. At this point, is there anything that the iconic Hans Zimmer can’t do? After personal disappointments in “Wonder Woman 1984”, “The Boss Baby: Family Business”, and “Hillbilly Elegy”, Zimmer returns to form here with a rampantly echoing, yet mesmerizingly melodic series of compositions that feel unlike anything that the composer has done in a long time. To say that these tones marry themselves with the various imagery that decorates their appeal would be underselling their impacts, so instead I will say that Zimmer is every bit as important to the integrity of this latest resurrection of Dune as Villenueve himself is. Part of his work here isn’t just the way he persists in the darkly ominous, but also in the synth and harmonic encompassing of the opening act of the movie, offering a consistency that is every bit as ambiguous as the mysteries of the planet that the story sifts through. Nothing feels conventional or predictable by the standards of a man who has been composing music for film for nearly forty years, instead redefining himself in ways that have already made him one of the greatest composers working today, as well as someone deserving of his own chapter in the story of cinema.

– Special effects. The balance of practical and computer generated effects work lend themselves to no shortage of impressive visual feats that the movie is able to illustrate without even a hint of obviousness littered along the way. Some of this is as small and intimate as a character’s eye color, yet as monumental and impactful as a complete character appearance. One such example pertained to Stellan Sarsgaard, who not only completely disappeared into a transformative fat suit, but also allowed me to see him as the character, and not just an actor portraying the character. In addition to this, some of the artificial backdrops breathe life into the visual intoxication of the movie’s aforementioned visuals, which elicit an air of authentication to their believability. It proves that no cent was spared in providing a canvas for actors to physically influence and interact with, and gives us the audience plenty to chew on and debate while marveling at the peak of cinematic achievements.

– Ensemble first. I don’t mean it as an insult when I say that no one actor or actress stands out as being above the rest, in terms of the layers of their performance, but instead it’s the work of everyone collected that carves out certainly one of the best ensembles of 2021. All time Villenueve guests like Josh Brolin or Dave Bautista are matched with first timers like Stellan Sarsgaard or Zendaya. But for my money, if you do tip your hat, it has to be the trio of Chalamet, Ferguson, and Oscar Isaac, who captures so much of the love and honor of this prestigious family. Timothee silenced any doubts that I previously had about his ability to play an action protagonist, articulating much of the spontaneity of emotions within a teenage boy, but also providing much physicality for a duo of fight sequences that offered a new layer of depth to his limitless capabilities. The chemistry of Ferguson and Isaac is mostly what carries their respective integrities, but they’re both given ample time to shine away from each other, with Isaac’s charm and bravado being matched by Ferguson’s impeccable timing and cunning intellect.

NEGATIVES

– Plot conveniences. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed “Dune”, I can’t say that it succeeds without the occasional stumbling, mainly in some contrivances and inconsistencies that it overlooks to keep the story moving. Far too often, moments of lazy sequencing played into devices that frequently took me out of my faithful investment to the film, and made me roll my eyes in ways that no other Villenueve film has prior to “Dune”. On top of this, some of the corresponding exposition is initially a bit clunky in its delivery, and made even worse when it is quite literally echoed at just the right moment, when it comes back into frame. To anyone who often reads my work, you will know that this is one of the more aggravating issues that I have with screenplays because it proves that producers have no faith in audience investment, so they pound us over the head once more with reminder, in case we forgot, somewhere between Milk Duds and Goobers. It’s one of the things that I hope the second one will fix, especially since so much of the production is a gargantuan spectacle that I couldn’t look away from.

My Grade: 9/10 or A-