Written and directed by Sam Mendes based at least in part on the stories of family, 1917 follows a daring and fairly poorly advised attempt of two soldiers to catch up to a force of about 1,600 soldiers who are about to spring a trap set by the Germans and get massacred. All this is known from the trailers, and all the characters even appear in at least one of them.

From those previews, one expects Dean-Charles Chapman of Game of Thrones semi-fame to be the lead of the film. This is true to an extent, as his brother is why general Colin Firth send him and a man he picks to go running across the lines on this mission. However, at some point in the movie between 45 minutes and an hour and a half (Not sure when, as I was mostly looking forward to the later viewing of Bad Boys For Life that was our carrot to go see this), Chapman is stabbed by a fallen German pilot as he tries to save him. From then, George MacKay must take this as his own mission, though he was upset to be on it in the first place.

MacKay, after being shot and falling down stairs and then running through a town and floating downriver, eventually catches up to the rear support of the attack and must run through the lines to deliver the message to Colonel Benedict Cumberbatch, who does not very much want to read the orders. The attack is called off before it gets too out of control, and the story ends.

The most fascinating part of this film is the cinematography. The whole movie flows in one continuous scene, so the camera work, editing, direction, and acting all had to be on point for this effect to be possible and look as good as it does. Whether through tunnels, around craters of the fallen, or down rivers, this film flows with an ease that then brings the viewer fully into the visceral and uncomfortable experiences of the protagonists. If one suffers motion sickness, take great care when viewing, as the camera angles and constant movement almost give the effect of the viewer being on the roller coaster ride of this story.

On the whole, this is a pretty solid telling of a war story that is important to writer/director Mendes. The cinematography is what keeps it from feeling like every other war film that seems to get the blessing of the Academy every year. As it shares so much, it has the same points of discussion. What will one sacrifice not just for country, but for kin and friendship? Who is the real enemy in war, war itself or the "bad guys?" It must be said for the previous film, Mendes focuses less on war being bad and more on Germans being terrible and tricky, which oversimplifies the dynamics of the Great War to its lowest denominator. Also present are friendship forged in adversity.

Perhaps most well-suited for a serious discussion is the character of Lance Corporal Blake, Chapman, as his motives for both war and the mission seem pure, and he really cares for those around him, though he does desire a medal a bit much. His genuine kindness can be seen when he pulls the German pilot from the burning plane and tries to care for him. Unworried for his safety, that's when he is killed by the pilot, who is so caught up in the fog of war that he does not allow himself to be saved. All this is good conversation, though the film is so graphic and visceral that any discussion will surely be only for adults.