Ready Player One

Spielberg’s excessively non-self-referential spectacle races to the starting line then struggles to maintain the virtual velocity of its opening antics. Loaded with loving movie and pop-culture references the shining Oasis is effectively Imaginationland re-animated and vastly more satisfying than the grainy real-world parallels, including mustache-twirling Mendelsohn and Inceptionally illogical finale.

Dunkirk

In words: 25 - Compelling characters without Nolan exposition… 15 - Brilliant sweeping cinematography… 5 - Perfectly… navigates brutal but bloodless landscape… completely enthralls viewers… explores… in a chronologically complex structure… for maximum empathy… full… populated with riveting Stylistic performances… and historical gravity… cinematic… boldly succeeding militaristically and narratively. weighty but buoyant. artistry.

Bridge of Spies

A crisp and fascinating true story, backlit by brilliant cinematography and filled in with Coens’ comedy.  Hanks walks a narrow bridge between emotional detachment and raw likeability.  Film inverts interrogators by delving deeply into Rylance’s able Abel while all but ignoring less powerful Powers.  Weirdly over-happy ending, but hey… Spielberg.