War Horse

A new Spielbergian epic classic is born! Fantastic, beautiful direction with a rousing epic storyline that brings you from the back lands of an English farm to the trenches of war, from the French field of hope to barren cemetery of No Man's Land. An equine love story that unabashedly aims to make your eyes moist and heart cheer on for the most unlikely journey a horse can ever make. Jeremy Irvine has a stunning debut and his acting-naïveté is brilliant in bringing out the heart of the story. Nonetheless, all the cast which includes Loki's Tom Hiddleston, Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch and Emily Watson, are just there to support Joey, the eponymous horse. Spielberg's direction is top notch here; a master film-maker and storyteller that knows absolutely how to draw out the suspense and tension, tug at the heartstrings without being overly cheesy, immerse you into the chaos and tragedy of war, but yet also illuminates the ability of love to exist no matter what. He is of course accompanied throughout by the rousing, epic score of John Williams. "War Horse" is not just a story about a boy and his horse, but also about love and war, faith and compassion, equality and hope. The one fault is that this show is how plainly obvious that the film-makers/producers have designed it to break down one's inner grinch. Definite Oscar-bait! Front runner for Best Director, and tied for Best Picture with "The Artist" (drama vs nostalgia). Run, Joey, Run! Next up, "War Goose"!

Update (15 Jan 2012): Looks like many international critics/awards disagree. On hindsight, I still think it was a great show, perhaps too heavy-handed and lacking in the "acting"-wattage to shine.