War Horse
First screened in January 2012
Director: Steven Spielberg. Cast: Jeremy Irvine, Peter Mullan, Emily Watson, David Thewlis, Robert Emms, Gary Lydon, Gerard McSorley, Tom Hiddleston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Kennedy, Geoff Bell, Irfan Hussein, David Kross, Leonard Carow, Celine Buckens, Niels Arestrup, Rainer Bock, Sebastian Hülk, Nicolas Bro, Toby Kebbell, Matt Milne, Hinnerk Schönemann, Liam Cunningham, Eddie Marsan, Pip Torrens, Tony Pitts, Philippe Nahon. Screenplay: Lee Hall and Richard Curtis (based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and the play by Nick Stafford).

Twitter Capsule: Wistful, moving, wise. The I'm Not There of WWI movies, refracting myth through a prism of era-specific national styles.

VOR:   I thought this film got short critical shrift but I wouldn't call it a wild original, either. Spielberg or not, likely to live in the play's shadow.



Photo © 2011 DreamWorks SKG/Amblin Entertainment

Not yet reviewed in full. Grade: B+


Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture
Best Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski
Best Art Direction: Rick Carter
Best Original Score: John Williams
Best Sound Mixing: Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson, and Stuart Wilson
Best Sound Editing: Richard Hymns & Gary Rydstrom

Golden Globe Nominations:
Best Picture (Drama)
Best Original Score: John Williams

Other Awards:
Satellite Awards: Best Cinematography

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