Dune - Movie Review (10/10)

“Dune” by Denis Villeneuve was under a lot of pressure for me – it was my most anticipated movie for 2020 and after many delays, for 2021, and so the expectations were built quite high for the Quebecois director. But it is my pleasure to announce, this modern space (spice?) opera masterpiece was able to surpass everyone one of them. Walking out of the theatre, I was confident I liked it, but thinking about it for days now, I can confidently say how much.

Set in the far, far future, with humanity having colonized much of the known galaxy, Dune (2021) is an adaption of the 1965 classic by Frank Herbert chronicling the politics and ecology surrounding the planet Arrakis, known informally as Dune. We follow Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and house Atreides as they are tasked to oversee the extraction of the spice melange from Arrakis, and their conflict with the weather, sand worms, and the other major houses.

There are a few things you need to know before getting into film. First, this is only one half of a complete story with a sequel that seems likely to come but still not guaranteed. Second, being only half allows this movie to take its time and as a result may feel extremely slow to some. And third, though for me it felt fitting, the ending may also feel anticlimactic to some. But, if reading all of these you are still willing to take a dive, you will be rewarded by one of the greatest film experiences of the last few years.

Touching on it briefly, the story we see here is mostly a set-up for the next half but that doesn’t mean it lacks its own structure. We still see a glimpse of the inter-galactic politics with one of cinema’s creepiest antagonist, the Baron of house Corrino, being played perfectly by the always great Stellan Skarsgård. And Paul’s slow journey in accepting his dreams and learning of his role makes a great coming of age that makes the ending a satisfactory stop point for me. Learning of the rich Fremen culture also works as a great draw and lady Jessica’s desire to protect her son conflicting with her duty as a sister of the Bene Gesserit gives the film its emotional core.

The performances given here are all strong and satisfactory given the wide scope of the story. The standout performance comes from Rebecca Fergusson as Jessica, she just imbues her so much emotional and care that she doesn’t even need any lines to make me care for her. Timothée Chalamet is a good leading man, capturing Paul’s quiet demeanor and expressing much with his face. Jason Mamoa is charming as Duncan and Oscar Issac gives Leto Atreides an emotional touch that compliments his stoic nature.

And now, we come to the meat and potatoes of this whole thing – the visuals and the score. Oh man. Even days later, when I think of a scene, I can perfectly picture the moment I experienced it in my mind. When Villeneuve says this film was a love letter to cinema, I believe him completely. The cinematography done by Greig Fraser is out of this world (literally) and just makes me excited for his future work on The Batman. If you have the chance to, watch this thing in Imax. When the film wants to show you something and its aspect ratio quite literally opens up because it cannot contain the scope of this world, that’s the moments worth experiencing. The moment the sand worm first shows up stands out as the best scene in the movie, being a perfect display of the scope, the world, the weird, and the music. And the soundtrack, oh wow. At first, I was disappointed Hans Zimmer wasn’t able to work on Tenet due to his schedule with this but now that I see the finished product, I can say whole heartedly he made the right choice. The music does as much work to bring this movie to life as the visuals do, those echoing voicing ringing beside you as Paul is stuck in his visons truly take you into the sequences. There were moments I find myself thinking I bought 4D tickets because of how the music was shaking me in chair. If there is a worthy Oscar for sound design this year, it belongs to no one other than Dune.

Wrapping this up, I want to say, if you have even an inkling of motivation to watch this movie, do so in the theatre. Its scope is far to large to fit onto even the largest of television, and the soundtrack deserves no less than the best speakers. I had my doubts as to whether this film would hit or miss, but stands firmly as Villeneuve’s magnum opus, and if you are at all familiar with his filmography, you know it’s a high bar to reach. I will be watching this movie again in the theatres as soon as possible and I will also be reading the book as soon as possible. This is a world I cannot wait to get back into, and so I give Dune (2021) a solid 10/10.