While Ang Lee has thrown 3D shot at 120 frames-per-second with 4K HD quality at “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” trying to bring as much realism to the drama as possible, the emotional impact of a story doesn’t need all those bells and whistles. Since the dawn of cinema, film has sufficiently moved us with performances and terrific storytelling, but luckily for Lee, he seems to be bringing those qualities into his new movie with just as much power.
Led by newcomer Joe Alwyn, with Vin Diesel, Garrett Hedlund, Steve Martin, Chris Tucker and Kristen Stewart in supporting roles, the film follows Billy Lynn, who returns home from the Iraq War labelled a hero, but struggles to handle the attention he has received, and what he has witnessed overseas. Here’s the official synopsis:
Director Ang Lee brings his extraordinary vision to Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel. The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the war with America’s perceptions. The film also stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, with Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin. Lee used new technology, shooting at an ultra-high frame rate for the first time in film history, to create an immersive digital experience helping him dramatize war in a way never seen before.
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” opens on November 11th.