We take a look at what is being said about Steve McQueen’s wartime set film, which has had its world premiere at the London Film Festival.
The Guardian: *** “It’s a bit broad-brush sometimes, and I wondered about the liberties perhaps taken with what is realistic and plausible – although stranger-than-fiction things routinely happen in the chaos of war. But McQueen has evidently made a decision to embody a kind of Ealing or Children’s Film Foundation spirit – forthright, muscular, uncluttered and most important of all uncynical. His films are always watchable and he always keeps the storytelling wires taut: things that look easy but aren’t.”
Deadline: “The object of a wide-casting search, newcomer Heffernan is perfect as the boy trying to get back to his family against all odds. Ronan is superb as usual as is Weller, a well-known British music star in a rare acting role. Clementine adds a nice touch of humanity amidst the carnage, and Dickinson makes the most of a smaller role as Jack. Singer Celeste wins points for her performance as Anita Sinclair in the nightclub scene, which marks a stunning contrast to the dire world outside where your average Brit was just trying to survive another day.”
The Telegraph: ***** “London Film Festival’s opener, which stars Saoirse Ronan and a brilliant young newcomer, is thrilling, moving and morally provoking.”
The Independent: ***** “The British filmmaker behind ‘12 Years a Slave’ and ‘Shame’ has returned with a terrifying, expressionist masterpiece starring Saoirse Ronan and newcomer Elliott Heffernan.”
Screen Daily: “Blitz excels in terms of world-building and costuming, Stockhausen joined by Jacqueline Durran and DoP Yorick Le Saux in conceiving and lighting this twilight-lived world to great success. Even the post-production effects are seamless, a tough ask for a period piece. Blitz shot partly in Leavesden Studios but also used Hull for locations, and there will be few who aren’t entranced by these dazzling recreations of a time barely-remembered now. A score by Hans Zimmer occasionally threatens to overwhelm, mostly when McQueen dips into arthouse mode, but keeps a respectful and impactful distance.”
Variety: ““Blitz,” befitting a film set in the European epicenter of World War II, has its share of destructive spectacle. But it is not, primarily, an action war film. It’s a human drama. What may take you by surprise, if you’re a McQueen fan, is what a shockingly conventional and middle-of-the-road Hollywood-style movie it is. Taken on its own terms, “Blitz” is well done, but it could almost be a Barry Levinson Oscar-bait movie from 1992.”
Digital Spy: **** “Blitz remains a powerful and unique take on a British war movie, anchored by one of the strong young performances of the year.”
The Wrap: “Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” isn’t just a movie, it’s a lot of movie. It’s one of the most enormous cinematic experiences in recent memory. It’s a World War II epic with a stunning sense of scale. It’s an intimate family drama about meaningful relationships in crisis. It’s an intelligent recontextualization of a historical era that’s too often viewed through a single lens. It’s a Dickensian melodrama with outsized yet believable characters. It’s an Irwin Allen-esque disaster film with impeccable visual effects. It’s got great musical numbers. It’s funny. It’ll make you cry.”
Metro.co.uk: ***** “We’ve all seen many good war films, but Blitz more than holds its own in the genre by taking a look at a specific time and through a specific lens that hasn’t been done with such devastating consequences before – I’m convinced it’s another major awards contender for Oscar-winner McQueen and co.”
The Hollywood Reporter: “However, while there’s much to admire here — including some bravura sequences, top-notch craft contributions and a long-overdue effort to show that London was more racially diverse than you might guess from watching movies from the time or made later but set in the period — the drama too often lacks the subtlety that distinguishes the British writer-director’s work at its best. Two hours long, practically to the second, this feels like a project that’s been excessively trimmed, snipped and tapered to fit an arbitrary running time.”
Blitz will have a limited cinema release from the 1st November before being available to stream via Apple TV.