Dune (2021, PG-13)

I’ve now seen half of the Best Picture nominees. This one is the big genre film of the year, although it much more of an “artistic genre film” sheen to it. It’s certainly a complex film that features some pretty stunning achievements in scope and design, and while some may chafe at the fact that it’s clearly only half of the story, I don’t mind. I’ve seen The Fellowship of the Ring, Empire Strikes Back, and Mockingjay: Part 1—I know that films can leave you on a cliffhanger until the next one arrives.

When House Atreides is told to take command of the planet Arrakis, whose indigenous spice is vital for space navigation, teenage son Paul receives visions of the desert planet. He repeatedly dreams about a girl from Arrakis and sees troubling things that may portend the future. Certainly, matters on Arrakis aren’t easy. Between the distrustful locals and the resentful Harkonnens (the house that controlled spice refinement before House Atreides took over,) Paul’s father has his work more than cut out for him.

That’s a clunky summary, but this is a very involved story featuring multiple factions, lots of history, and a strong dose of prophecy. I’ll confess that I haven’t read Dune, and given that book was often called unfilmable, I’m sure there are plenty of nuances that either aren’t in the film or went over my head. However, I did feel like I had a good handle on things as they were happening: who’s plotting against who, why the political situation is so tenuous, and the hints of Something Deeper with Paul that have his mother (and her sect, the Bene Gesserit) very interested in his destiny.

It’s just hard to summarize succinctly, which is probably why a movie that only covers the first half of the book is two-and-a-half hours long. Fortunately, director/co-writer Denis Villeneuve and co. employ a number of strategies to help the uninitiated (like me) keep things straight, which I imagine helped secure its Best Adapted Screenplay nod. There’s a lot at play helping to steer the ship here, but I’ll just mention a few that I found helpful. Distinctive costumes/uniforms and architecture clearly identify the various groups (the film also received multiple design nominations,) and little things help to drop in needed exposition, like the videos Paul watches to research Arrakis in preparation of going.

Another major thing the film has going for it is its bleakly-gorgeous desert landscapes and incredible scale. Seeing the giant sandworms is indeed quite an experience. I’m sure, as Villeneuve so vehemently insisted, that the film is even more impressive to watch on the big screen, but I also know we’re still in the thick of a pandemic that continues to kill thousands of Americans every day, so I’m grateful to have had the option to stream it instead.

But while I followed the story well and was impressed by the film’s ambitious scope, I did have a little trouble connecting with it. It left me a bit cold, and even though I’m curious to see where part 2 goes, I’m not super invested in it.

Where I connected most was with some of the actors. This is a big cast, and a lot of people have limited screentime, but a number of actors make the most of each moment they’re given. Oscar Isaac brings Paul’s father Leto to life with a deft subtly. Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin are equally good in very different ways as men loyal to Leto who both mentor Paul. I was excited to see Chang Chen, who I’ve liked ever since Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as a doctor serving House Atreides, and even though I wish we got more of him, he makes his big moments count. And as for someone who is given ample screentime, Rebecca Ferguson does great work as Paul’s mother Jessica.

I’m less interested in Paul himself, which is probably part of the reason the story didn’t move me as much as it might have. I’ll admit that, while I’ve liked Timothée Chalamet in different things, he’s an actor that hasn’t “clicked” for me the way he has for his legions of fans. There are individual scenes where Paul really comes alive and I feel engaged, but otherwise, the character and performance both strike me as a little bland. Zendaya appears as the girl of Paul’s dreams (literally,) but there hasn’t been enough of her yet to form much of an opinion about her character, Chani—one thing that I am looking forward to about part 2 is that it looks like she’ll have more of a presence there.

Honestly, that’s still only a portion of the cast. Also featured are Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, David Dastmalchian (Polka-Dot Man!), and Charlotte Rampling, among others. Phew!

Warnings

Violence (including torture,) brief nudity, language, space-drug use, and strong thematic elements (including imperialism, xenophobia, and references to rape.)