Blitz (Apple Plus)- It Could Have Been So Much Better
Quick Take: Steve McQueen is a great director. 12 Years A Slave, Widows, and Mangrove are all excellent.This is not. He made a very mediocre war film that was Apple’s final hope, that Oscar prognosticators had thought might find a groundswell at BAFTA, and it just ended up being one of the lost films of the year. Honestly, I didn’t hate Blitz. The audio description is insufficient, but it isn’t bad. It is just disappointing. Sometimes, it is bad to be disappointing. Like, while I still need to fully review Megalopolis and Joker Folie Aux Deux, those two are not good, but far more interesting. People would call them bad, but this is not bad, it is just OK. Realistically, Megalopolis and Joker Folie Aux Duex will last longer in the film language than Blitz, which will serve as a footnote in McQueen’s career. If he keeps directing, and amasses a list of films like Spielberg, Blitz will be his Always. An early film that people remember not hating, that they are certain isn’t his worst film, but at the same time doesn’t match the level of the filmmaker.
The movie centers on the bombing raids in London in World War II, and how a mother (Saorise Ronan) and her young son become separated. The film really follows the kid, though Ronan was getting the most awards buzz. As I write this, this was largely ignored by the BAFTA shortlists, which embraced a bunch of surprise nominees like The Apprentice and Kneecap far more than this. It is slow, but it has a decent score, and the sound design is pretty excellent. It should be. it is about bombing raids, and Ronan has an opportunity to sing in the film. Sound should be good here.
The audio description takes a movie from a black director, who has pretty much always put race front and center in his films, and has intentionally cast a biracial child lead, as well as give Ronan’s character a black love interest, and it never mentions ethnicity. but, if you watch the film, the fact that these characters are black, does have a purpose to the story, and is a clear choice from a black filmmaker.
In all, Blitz is fine. But movies chasing Oscar glory have to be great. Ronan didn’t even make the BAFTA long lists in Supporting Actress. For more, check out my video.
