'Dune' Movie Review: Draws you in with Gravitas

A still from `Dune`; picture/PR

Dune
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, Babs Olusankokum, Golda Rosheuvel, Benjamin Clementine
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Action, adventure
Rating: 3.5/5

Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi fiction, Dune, a futuristic geopolitical allegory, gets adapted once again (decades after Alejandro Jodorowsky's aborted attempt in the1970s and the much later David Lynch directed Dino De Laurentiis production of 1984) - this time by Denis Villeneuve who brings to life this outer-space mythology with stark, emblematic reverence.

Herbert's book, despite its heavy duty prose and enigmatic dialogue, built in a thrilling experience with swirling suspense and other-worldly action. This new film adaptation, directed by Denis Villeneuve from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, does a fair bit of justice to Herbert's written words. As indicated in the opening credits, this is just one half of the book so we can definitely look forward to a second part whenever Villeneuve decides it's time for a release.

Dune is set in a distant future where Earthlings have adapted to other planets and presumably Earth itself has become unlivable, if not extinct. It's not very clear why the imperial family of Atreides is tasked with ruling the desert planet of Arrakis - a spice haven which fuels all forms of power across galaxies. We may not always become entirely conversant with the dramatics inherent here though. There's far more that is enigmatic and unexplained including the reference to young Paul Atreides (a wonderfully intense Timothee Chalamet) being a sort of chosen one with special powers, which he needs to come to terms with, and the Atreides family agreeing to pursue a destiny that is perilous for its own survival. But nevertheless, the somber-serious mood enveloping the representation of archetypes and the compelling screen presence of well-cast actors embodying them, make for compelling viewing. Oscar Isaac as Duke, Paul's dad; Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica, Paul's mother; Zendaya as Chani, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as the ecologist Kynes - all have a riveting presence that adds to the ensnarement.

The tone is serious and humour literally non-existent. Apart from the actors, it's the technical brilliance of cinematographer Greig Fraser, editor Joe Walker, and production designer Patrice Vermette that adds wings to the imagined universe that is sparse, rustic, unadorned yet grand. The CGI work is minimalistic. The film was made for the big screen and Villenueve draws you in with his monumental scale, arresting frames and intriguing set-pieces. Given the predetermined intent for a Part 2, this one does all the hard work in establishing a set-up (often laborious) for what is to come next - and it's definitely a more than worthy adaptation (from what we've experienced so far) of a revered sci-fi novel.