Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

Dune Part II 

This film is visual eye candy and narratively incredible cementing itself as one of the greatest sequels ever put to screen! Now I am a huge fan of the first film and loved the world building and sheer scope of how Denis Villeneuve captured the sheer atmosphere of the first film. Now I remember when the first film ended it very much felt like their was so much more story to tell as he didn’t tell the full story in the first film he went about it in such a smart way by splitting the story into multiple films so the story itself can be told properly and not rushed. So I was on edge if the studio would green light a follow up to the first film thankfully the confidence in his vision was heard as it was I think a few days after its release when they announced Dune would be getting a second part. I am so glad the studio has such confidence in his voice on these films as what he brings to Dune Part II is masterful storytelling at the highest level. As the first film was setting up the world and explaining the politics and characters that surround the story the second film really gets into the deep state of each characters arcs and the explosive set pieces are so much more bigger this time around. So I always knew Dune Part II would have a bigger canvas and so much more that would draw audiences in due to the amazing amount of story left to tell in what is shaping up to be a trilogy. Dune Part II not only surpasses the first film but the sheer amount of passion and love for this story is felt through each frame and their are visual moments that will have your eyes pop out of your head in amazement it’s a science fiction masterpiece and truly is a masterpiece on both a technical sense and narratively Dune Part II is a perfect sequel. 

Firstly, the film’s execution  of the narrative this time around is pitch perfect! As the film picks up seconds after the last film was which I love as it feels like continuous film in the way they started the second instalment. Your thrust right into the action with no time wasted and within just a few minutes we are shown what the conflict will be for Paul on his journey on figuring out his place in this world. As the film delves with themes of religion in a way I’ve not seen tackled to such a in depth degree before as the last film gave us the sense he could be something special and what the film does so greatly is explore what would happen if their were believers that were so intensely driven to the fact he is the chosen one of some leader like personality to bring peace to this massive war and bring a end to the suffering that’s been going on. That within itself is such a engaging way into a story not only are we given that as the main driving force of the film but it’s able to explore what’s happening outside of Paul’s inner conflict and checking in with everyone else we saw from the previous film without it feeling overwhelming or overly bloated in side plots it’s greatly balanced so then all of those side narratives intertwine with the main plot by the third act in such a genius way. The way this film is constructed narratively is not only amazingly pieced together but it’s able to flesh out its characters in a way that has the audience finds out more about its characters we’ve grown to get attached to without explaining everything though and leaving some things still a mystery for the audience to figure out on their own. On top of its already ability to present more of the characters from the first film it also expand its world with new characters without it ever feeling like theirs two many characters to keep track of we get a few new faces all that contribute greatly to the narrative. The way this film tackles themes of family, trust, love and power is incredible it’s able to go into such a emotionally charged way of all of those themes in a way that has you hooked from the first frame. The way the writing has strengthened which feels like it wouldn’t be able to top from the last film but it does in such a fantastic way that shows such layers and incredible depth towards it’s characters and themes throughout the film that will amaze you. After its great writing you have the sheer scope and style of the film that will have in total awe. Denis shows the landscape and sheer beauty and horror of what this world is in front of the audience in such a striking way that you can pause any moment of the film and hang it as a painting on your wall each shot is beautifully composed and shown in such a mesmerizing way. He makes such simple conversations feel so intimate and personal while then showing the big action sequences in such a way that feels like it’s taking up every inch of the frame and thrusting the audience right into the middle of the action. The films visual artistry can’t be overlooked the way the camerawork is done to help tell the story is brilliant as it’s a character itself the cinematography and how it elevates the narrative by using visuals to convey the emotions of the characters and the feeling of the scene with not having to say anything at times and letting the visual speak for itself. It’s amazingly well shot in a way that will stick with you long after it’s over both the narrative and camera work compliment on another by presenting a explosive screenplay that is matched by its beautiful images that help the story truly come to the screen in a other worldly eye popping sense. Dune Part II goes above and beyond with its artistry both with the camera and the writing its masterful work on every front. 

Secondly, The Performances from the whole cast are incredible! Dune Part One had a massively stacked cast and so it’s hard to imagine how they would be able to top that cast but somehow they pulled it off. Here they have gigantic talent like Christopher Walken then they have the new wave of fresh actors like Florence Pugh and Austin Butler who give terrific work on the film most notably Butler who brings a terrifying and powerful antagonist that is one of the most chilling and amazingly well presented villains I’ve seen since Christoph Waltz in Inglorious Basterds. He isn’t on screen for a ton but when he is you can’t take your eyes off of him he is captivating and deliciously dark. Then you have returning faces like Javier Bardem who wasn’t given a ton to do in the first film as he came in at the last act of the film so it was great to see him have more to do and really flesh his character out more so we have a better sense of who he is. He’s given a lot of screen time and gives a very subtle but yet emotionally driven performance that I think was fantastic he’s a supporting player in the film but really left a solid impression on me as sure everyone is going to be talking about Timothee and Butler but I feel Javier Bardem gave a equally solid performance that deserves to be talked about. I could say the same about Zendaya who also wasn’t very much in the first film but is a co lead in many ways to Paul in this film as she is the heart and centre trying to keep Paul’s feet on the ground and his heart in the right place she has a very layered and in many ways devastating performance that is full of love and sadness wrapped into this one character and she brings such a vulnerability to the character that has you hooked into her arc from the first moment you see her again Zendaya is outstanding. Then the man of the hour you have Timothee Chalamet who returns to his role of Paul the chosen one in many ways and I loved his performance in the first one as it was very tragic what his family goes though and how he’s thrust into such a intense political war in space with his dads enemies having to take on the burden on leading his family in many ways. So we see the toll that takes on his heart and mind here and the way Chalamet presents that is incredibly complex as you can’t pinpoint the direction he’s going in if it’s a good path or bad one and that way he has you constantly guessing that he could go both ways makes for such a entertaining performance as we see him explore so many sides of his mind we never saw him tap into the first time around. It’s a sensational performance that will give have your jaw on the floor in amazement of the high caliber performance that is at hand. Everyone else all gave such terrific performances from Rebecca Ferguson and Dave Bautista everyone just brought their A game in such a great way you can’t point out one weak or forgettable performance everyone made sure regardless of how much screen time they had that they gave their one hundred and ten percent to their scenes and I love that. 

Lastly, Dune Part II is one of the greatest sequels I’ve ever seen it joins the ranks of Empire Strikes Back, Terminator 2, Godfather Part II, Two Towers, and The Dark Knight as one of the most impressive follow up films ever put to a screen. It not only is a masterfully told film with a incredible adaptation once again from the book but its ability to tell the story through its visuals is so impressive this is the Star Wars for this generation we’ve always compared Science Fiction to the massive fandoms of Star Wars and Star Trek as the staples of that genre which they are. Dune is the genre defining trilogy of science fiction I don’t see any other three series of films even coming close to topping this if Dune Part III can stick the landing as solid as these two your looking at what is going to easily be one of the most compelling trilogies ever made. Denis Villeneuve is the Canadian equivalent to Christopher Nolan if people didn’t know his name before they will now as his voice on these films are essential and the way his vision is to bringing this epic story to life he tops his last film by bringing the story to such heights both visually and narratively that will have people studying this film for years to come. It’s a astonishing film that redefines the genre in so many ways of what you can achieve technically in this genre while also giving a layered story that continues the plot and expands on everyone’s arcs in such a brilliant way not one moment is wasted each performance is incredible Dune Part II is a perfect sequel and easily one of the best films of the year. I recommend everyone go see this film on the biggest screen possible you would be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t see this in IMAX run don’t walk to see this film. 

The film centres around Paul where his path on this incredibly tough road will go in trying to bring an end to this war. 

Rated PG - 13 : Sequences of Strong Violence|Brief Strong Language|Some Suggestive Material

Timothee Chalamet : Chalamet delivers a powerful performance that gave me chills! Now this actor has been topping his previous performances in everything he does he finds ways to constantly keep challenging himself as an actor to one up the previous film he does. Which i admire as he’s constantly exploring new places emotionally and finding fresh ways to show such a range of emotions in all the characters he brings to the screen. Now his work on Paul Atreides is sensational as where we saw him from the first film to where he is by the ending of part II is such a different person and the sheer scope of emotions that he goes through in the course of this film alone is so utterly gripping to watch unfold onscreen. Now Paul in the first film was a shy kid who had very limited experience about what was waiting in the wings for him but after the tragic nature of what happens to his family he has no option but to become the face of his family and take on the sheer responsibility of keeping things in order. We saw how scared he was taking on such a big task and how he had no idea how much emotional stress this would take onto him but he had to be both mentally and psychically sharp so he dose not crack under the pressure so when we see his progress in this film he’s very much found his footing and seems more confident within himself to present to the world that he’s not some kid who was just given this  he knows he belongs in this huge position he’s been thrust into and he has earned his place in such a powerful position. Their are still naysayers who think he’s just unfit to lead so many people into battle and he still has to show them otherwise and the way he goes about was so layered and complex in its exaction as Paul has to both gain the trust of this group of people who half believe he is the chosen one and the other side think he’s some kid that has no idea what he is doing. All the while these people are incredibly strong in their religious beliefs and that is incredibly relevant to Paul’s rise to the top as their beliefs in a higher power is what motivates the group to function the way it does and they are very much motivated by their faith to lead them their through journey’s. Now how Paul slithers his way into this group is by gaining the trust of one of the naysayers played by Zendeya and he uses his charm and charismatic personality to get her attention and uses Romance as a way to get her to let her guard down. At first glance their chemistry is very much real and their bond they build seems genuine but as the film progresses and we learn more about Paul’s true intentions it makes you question if he is a protagonist or a antagonist and that is where Timothee functions so brilliantly he presents that morally grey area of the character and expands it to the audience torn on which path he has chosen as their is no direct one he takes he walks both and it makes for such a arc and performance and Chalamet gets so much more to work with here in terms of character as the sheer manipulative approach to the character was so greatly done as he deceives the audience just like how he does with Zendaya’s character as it is very much a hat trick of a performance as we are under the impression that Paul is taking on this larger then life personality to get ahead of others but his true heart and soul we saw in the first film we think is buried beneath this act he is putting on but once we learn that he has switched a part of his brain to become a more twisted person and had no idea he had such a malicious side to him it makes you feel like he has betrayed who you thought he was and so your very much put into the heartbreaking viewpoint of Zendeya’s character. Timothee brings such a gripping emotional intensity that pulls you in from the first frame to the last time he’s seen onscreen he reaches to the deepest parts of his heart and presents such a charming, sinister in ways performance that will have you in absolute awe of the places he goes to with Paul in this film his sheer passion and dedication to the role is staggering. Timothee delivers a truly nuanced performance that is layered in deception, charm and such raw emotion and he explodes in such incredible places we never saw him go in the first film. Its about how far Paul will go to further his political power and how much of his soul is he willing to give up of who he is as a person in order to have more power and that line is shown in such a brilliant way by Chalamet that gave me chills with his performance he is phenomenal. 

Zendeya : Zendeya brings such a romantic vulnerability to her character that results in the most heartbreaking performance of the film! Now when we first meet her in this film she is very hesitant to trust anything Paul says as she is incredibly sceptical about what his intentions are. She downright makes jokes and jabs at him because she thinks he is not to be trusted but as the film goes on we see him work up the confidence to get her to gain her trust. Now her feelings for him are very real as she isn’t one to trust someone so easily as she is so emotionally guarded due to past experiences of being burned or having that trust broken and here she sees why again that she is guarded the way she has been for so long because the way people take her willingness to open up to others for granted. Now Zendeya is able to play her in such a way that is both emotionally weary but then when that veil comes down and she can fully feel her emotions she hasn’t let herself feel in so long we see how she’s been depriving herself of that feeling of a genuine connection for so long. She dives head first into being such a great loving supporter for Paul but also trying to be the backbone that holds him up and keep his feet on the ground. She is able to hold her own against not just Paul but everyone else arounds her that she can and will be taken seriously as She does not mess around when it comes to protecting the people most important to her. The way you see those emotional layers shed over the film is so interesting to watch as we see such three arc emotional ride her heart goes on as she goes from guarded with no intention of letting anyone in to feeling again for the first time In ages back to being guarded but with so much more pain then before. We can see the wear and tear in her heart by the final act of the film and sheer feeling of betrayal it’s as if someone took a blade to her heart and we are seeing her heart bleed out as she vowed to never be hurt again and that’s exactly what happened so if she was closed off before she may never be as trusting to anyone ever again. Zendeya brings such vulnerability through her eyes and the delivery of her lines you can read everything her heart is feeling from her facial expressions it’s a powerfully driven performance that will shatter your heart. She wraps herself up in each moment and soaks in all her emotions so you can see everything she is feeling and in many ways she is the heartbeat of the film and the way Zendeya is able to bring such a raw emotional sensitivity to this hardened character made her performance stand out so much more. It is among some of the best work I have seen from her as she is given so much more to do with her character that we didn’t get to see the first time around and she truly blew me away and had me in awe of what she was doing onscreen a performance of love and heartbreak that will have you in tears Zendeya gives a moving emotionally powerhouse performance that is among some of the best work she has done. 

Austin Butler : Butler is terrifyingly good in this film! Now Butler has been making quite the name for himself since his work as Elvis that performance has cemented him as one of the new faces in Hollywood to keep an eye on. Since then he landed a role in this film and more solid projects on the way it seems he has a great bright career ahead of him and I am excited as he’s a truly terrific actor and what he shows in this film proves how he is such force to be reckoned with onscreen. Here he isn’t in the film a bunch but when he is onscreen he makes his presence known and you can’t take your eyes off of him. He is very much the prince of darkness in a way as his character has been thrust into the political landscape to combat Paul’s army and they train his mind and brain to show no mercy to anyone. Austin appears onscreen in one of the most jaw dropping entrances and he carries himself with such a swagger and also confidence that is intriguing and chilling to witness. He uses his ability to fight viciously to his advantage he also gets some sort of sick satisfaction out of showing others not to mess around with him or challenge him because he will cut them down in ways they didn’t think was possible. He is in so many ways a scene stealer and highlight of the film that will have audiences talking about him Butler brings such a unpredictability of this python like character through his eyes not knowing if he’ll be set off within a moments notice and what he is capable we have seen so knowing that and seeing him simmer in the quiet moments make you feel so uneasy because he says so much through just his body language and black eyes. Butler adapts his voice to even mirror another character in this film that had me doing a double take thinking it was being dubbed not no that is all Austin which is insanely impressive he dove head first into this film exploring the sadistic nature of this compelling character. He had the hairs on my arms standing up with the way he just brought such a darkness to life through the psychical nature and voice he presents to the screen Butler is truly astonishing delivering a tremendous performance that will both amaze you and rattle you its a truly deliciously dark character that is electrically outstanding. 

Javier Bardem : Bardem gives such a strong performance I think is not getting talked about nearly enough! Now there are so many solid performances from this entire cast but one that shouldn’t go unnoticed is Bardem that gives an obsessively passionate man driven to the verge of insanity with his place on his faith. The way he brings this to the screen is so rich and layered as you can see he is holding Paul on this pedestal that he is the chosen one that will save the world and his people. Now when we first met him in that first film at the third act of the film he seemed to give the confidence of a leader to his people and get involved in a fight if he has to. The more we get to learn about him in this follow up we see he is more then ever in the belief of inspiring his followers Now he has been out in the desert for years and knows how to survive and how to keep himself and his people fed but the thirst for water in any sense is so desperate he will tell anyone not to even cry as that is how bad the need for water has become. He puts all his emotional energy and time into making Paul see that he is the one and he has not miscalculated  that decision he knows in his heart that he just needs to see it from his eyes that he is special and so he puts him through tasks to convince himself and Paul that he was right about his theory that Paul is their for a reason. Now here is where things get interesting we see Javier go from that leader like position for his people to merely a man obsessed with his faith to put upon his followers that they will follow Paul into anything and they will do some morally grey things to live with there fact that Paul will protect them. You can see the sheer obsessive nature of this start chewing up at Javiers brain and soul and he does not mind it because he is so certain about his stance on Paul that he abandons any sense of rational logic to see this come to fruition. The way Bardem plays it is both confident but he taps into that insecure part of this person and sees that he needs to have something to believe in with his whole being in order to feel some need of being their and that is faith and so he holds onto that as strong as possible and the execution of that is powerfully brought to the screen in such harrowing emotional depth and to a degree madness by Bardem. In a performance that is both heartbreaking and emotionally gripping Javier delivers his dialogue with such emotional sincerity each word lands with such a wave of emotion and it is a performance that I think is among one of the best of his entire career he is sensational. 

Dennis Villeneuve : Dennis delivers in my opinion has cemented himself as one of the greatest directors of all time! Now I have been watching his films for a long time all the way back to one of his earlier films with Prisoners to Sicario and then arrival, Blade Runner 2049 I knew the moment I saw prisoners way way back that this way a director to keep a eye on as he has such a interesting style of storytelling. Now when he got his hands on the Dune book and that he was taking over directional duties to bring it to the big screen in this large scale epic I knew he would be there right man for the job on top of the fact he had shown his ability to do science fiction films with Arrival and Blade Runner 2049. So we knew he had experience in that genre before and could successfully showcase a narrative that people have responded to. So knowing how difficult Dune is to adapt is a understatement but Dennis found a way to bring it to the screen that would satisfy long time fans of the book and also keep it mainstream enough that casual viewers who haven’t read the book would be able to follow along and he proved that incredibly well with his outstanding presentation on Dune Part One. Having the idea to split the book into two films also really worked in his benefit because it gave him more time to take the proper time to set up the characters the world explain all the politics and really go into incredible detail without it feeling like it was being rushed along in a 2 and a half hour film that would skip over important plot points. Giving him the creative freedom to make a two parter for this book was genius because the first film was all very much the set up and explaining how the world operates and now already having the audience have all the exposition out of the way this second act is able to just hit the ground running in just thrusting the audience straight into the action and picking up seconds after the last film left off so it feels like no time had passed at all. Now what I respect about how Warner Brothers has respected his vision is yes this film is 100 percent a passion project for him because you can see the care, love and large amount of passion he brings to this world as he respects the book so much and you can tell is a huge fan of the text so giving him the ability to do what he wants creatively with few to no restraints from the studio worked out for both parties as he is able to give the creative mind blowing epic he has envisioned without compromising his dream of how to tell this story for financial greed by the studio heads as he is able to be both artistic in his approach and the film still gains a lot of money at the same time. I wanted to mention this because so many times studios get overly involved in projects that it messes up the voice of the filmmaker and thankfully they have had such confidence in him that they didn’t have any restrictions on him. Now for the way he brought this second part to the screen is science fiction perfection and just truly remarkable storytelling on his part due to how much ground he covers in this picture in such a visually striking way that will have your eyes pop out of your head in amazement. He explores each character in a more deeper way and fleshes them out in ways we never saw to this extent from the last time we saw them. Each character goes on a emotional arc and we see that arc realized for all of them by the end if their in a good place or not is up for discussion but he expresses the best path for these characters to take that made the most sense for narrative. For example having a romantic like plot point with Zendeya and Timothee Flourish in this never felt forced or cheesy it felt very fitting for that to take place as Paul approaches their relationship like a business  transaction and manipulates her about his feelings where her feelings are very real and opens up a great deal which makes their relationship more tragic when you look at it. It is very Romeo and Juliet in comparison but then he yes catches us up with the characters we have come to know but also introduce a few new faces and explain their place in this world and the reasoning for why they have a importance in the bigger picture. For instance showing Austin Butler’s character be essentially a sadistic version of Paul in many ways was such a interesting angle to throw into the story and then also showing the complex nature of the religion that Javier’s character and followers so strongly are involved into. It never felt like over the top the way they go into depth about their beliefs felt so detailed and made the world their story takes place in that more immersive. The sheer attention to detail is amazing as it makes the environment feel that more lived in and Dennis explores also the biggest theme of the film which is how far is one willing to go to obtain more power and how much is one willing to loose of their own soul in order to get it. That is brilliantly executed through Paul’s complex nature and the shady choices he makes to further his political stance and so as the audience your conflicted if you should be rooting for him or not and the way he is constantly teetering on both ends and has you guessing where he is morally made for such explosive depth and character work that really stood out. Then the action sequences also are some of the most visually striking action set pieces I have ever seen the whole part where Paul rides the Sandworm for the first time to show how he can handle something like that on his own was so greatly presented as the sound design, the camerawork the way the framing was done all of really just puts you right in the middle of the action like your with Paul experiencing and seeing what he is looking at the sheer immersion during the action sequences were astonishing. The way visually the film looks is one of the biggest things that makes Dune stand apart from other Science fiction stories the film never feels like this is a real place you can visit Dennis designed the landscapes and places we see as otherworldly and very strange looking destinations that transport you into another world. From the costumes to the way the buildings look down to the way the music sounds by Hans Zimmer really has you feeling totally thrust into this amazing but yet haunting place and Dennis has captured so much with his work on Dune Part Two he explores themes of Trust, love, manipulation, religion and he explores them all to such great depth as well and what I love about his style and Dune is they are a perfect match. I say that because no other person could of done Dune in the style Dennis has just like how Peter Jackson gave the genre defining trilogy with Lord Of The Rings becoming the greatest fantasy series put to screen this is that but for science fiction Dennis is the only man capable for brining audiences to this world and adapting it in a way that respects the text and truly takes your breath away The sheer passion put into this film is staggering and it is among one of the most outstanding directed films I have ever seen put to a screen this man is a genius I would put him next to Christopher Nolan as the modern filmmaking master his work on Dune Part Two is pitch perfect filmmaking.