Dune

For those that haven’t read the books, the sheer attention to detail in this film, more so in part one than in part two actually, is one of the most incredible things I’ve seen in cinema. Obviously there’s all the lore that if you know about, adds layers and layers of depth to the story, especially if you know about what happens past the original book. But to have the brain to take Frank Herbert’s words, fill in any blanks with what would make sense for the universe, and film it in a way that feels instantly recognisable, is just astonishing. Utterly genius. Even to something as small as the spacing guild heighliner, it’s so abundantly clear that every visual, every line of dialogue, every character, every theme, has been thought out meticulously, almost as if it was Frank Herbert himself directing it. This is a passion project for Denis Vilenueve. He loved the books long before he took on Dune. And that’s what makes it so special. He’s achieved a balance of allegiance to the source material and screenplay driven film-making, that I didn’t think was possible. It’s simplified enough to allow new watchers to understand the story, but also makes countless nods to the vast depth and detail that Frank Herbert’s novel comes with. And to think we still haven’t got Villeneuve’s full vision yet, makes it all the more exciting. Mythical film-making.