Dunkirk - 8 nominations

Best Picture, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan
Director, Christopher Nolan
Original Score, Hans Zimmer
Cinematography, Hoyte van Hoytema
Editing, Lee Smith
Sound Editing, Richard King and Alex Gibson
Sound Mixing, Mark Weingarten, Gregg Landaker and Gary A. Rizzo
Production Design, Nathan Crowley and Gary Fettis

Dunkirk captures the story of stranded British soldiers on the shores of Dunkirk, France, who desperately want to be transported home but for whom there are not enough ships or planes to get them there.  Surrounded by the German army, this film makes the feeling of being a sitting duck quite palpable.  We see acts of heroism, acts of cowardice, acts of leadership, and acts of desperation - all of which seem perfectly reasonable under the circumstances.  

There is very little dialogue in the film, which certainly highlights the incredible score produced by Hans Zimmer.  The music carries the narrative because it signals to the viewer the requisite emotion tied to each scene.  With the music so prominent and the explosions in war scenes a given, it's no surprise that Dunkirk received Sound Mixing and Sound Editing nominations.  As I've shared in the blog before, you can almost always count on musicals and war films to appear in these categories.

I know many people loved this film, partly for the unique way that the stories are portrayed - with little dialogue, with lots of movement, with little character development.  I had trouble connecting to this film precisely because of that last one.  I think the intent had to do with the impersonal nature of war - for example, the irony of prioritizing injured soldiers to get on evacuating ships over hearty, healthy ones perhaps reminds us that even in desperation, good people prioritize compassion above reason.  

Bottom line, I didn't love this film and I'd certainly remove it from the Best Picture list.  Perhaps the best way to say it is that I got through it as one does a mildly interesting anecdote.  You pay attention, but not to every detail.  If you have limited time and can only see a few films, I'd give this one a pass.