Danielle’s review published on Letterboxd:
Dune: Part Two, co-written and directed by Denis Villeneuve, is the definition of epic storytelling. Thanks to the technical mastery that is going to rock the Oscars come next year, and captivating characters backed by great performances, it is no surprise that this film is already a wild success.
Dune: Part Two succeeds in almost all categories you can get a technical award for. The cinematography, sound design, hair & make-up, score and costuming is all of incredibly high caliber. There are so many things that had me in awe but without a doubt, my favorite example is the Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) arena brawl. I loved the choice to go black and white. It made Butler that more formidable looking. I also loved how massive it felt, I mean the crowd had to encom a good few thousand people. Epic!
Speaking of Butler, I am proud to see him absolutely nail yet another role and this one widely different from his last. Feyd-Rautha is menacing thanks to Butler’s cold eyes and sadistic smile. Everything about him is perfection.
I also really dug Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and Paul (Timothée Chalamet). Jessica’s look is gorgeous, I love the make up and Ferguson is commanding in a more powerful role. Chalamet is just as commanding himself in a call to arms speech.
I honestly thought this was going to be a sad 3.5 (which still means good) with the pacing of the first hour but then it went full-blown epic and I was on the edge of my seat for the rest of the film.
March 2024 First-Time Watches Ranked (1 out of 4 to date)
