Watched Mar 11, 2024
I think we should be careful about hyping films based on a singular aspect of the work, in this case the visual aspect. For all the value that it has, when the script is lazy it renders the acting as caricature and the film itself as unserious at worst and camp at best. This entry into Villeneueve’s take on the work is a step in the right direction nonetheless. While they don’t make up for the script and performances, the visuals do compensate significantly and are a sight to behold. There’s a richness to the contrasts he sets up between the different “worlds” of the film; they each behave differently and it’s refreshing to see a level of execution that is able to evoke reference and push the medium forward without losing itself. Scarily, this is the first time I’ve found Austin Butler hot. The Bene Gesserit are the scariest of them all, though, really. On a less cheeky note, it should be acknowledged that there’s a level of cognitive dissonance required to watch this film and not think of the several ongoing genocides and the war-state of the world. And maybe that’s the point of making this work now.