Dune (2021)

I am sure that there are a couple of great movies that came out this year that Timothée Chalomet is not in, but this is not one of them, and the film is both lucky to have him and makes good use of him. I am not a huge sci-fi reader and I never have been, but I did read Dune in high school (which was about a decade after the first book came out, but it was still wildly popular and widely read in the mid-70's), but I didn't catch them all. It left a desolate feeling, a feeling of sadness for what the future might hold, and that pervades the film. The story focuses on Paul Atreides, the heir apparent and presumed messiah in this dystopian tale. Chalomet was a great casting call for this role. Even before the battles begin he lets the grief of both what the future holds and what is expected of him seep into his body, down to the drowsed slump of his shoulders and the toneless, contemplative wariness of his voice. He is low on the charm and cranking up the latent vulnerabilities he is so talented at portraying. Paul is the heir to House Atreides and he does them proud. This adaptation has a lot to recommend it, and even if you are not a fan of the genre, it is well worth watching.