When Sam Mendes came to the forefront of Hollywood with his astonishing 1999 debut feature “American Beauty,” he was primarily known as a director of theater in London. Suffice to say, his debut film changed his life, winning the Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Original Screenplay.. However, the next two decades would be a mixed bag for Mendes (“Spectre,” “Jarhead” and “Revolutionary Road,” and “Away We Go”), but he did manage to make a classic gangster movie (“Road to Perdition”) and an all-time great Bond (“Skyfall”)
In a Hollywood that has all but shunned artistic freedom for directors this past decade, it must be hard for Mendes to find the right project to satisfy his creative juices. Alas, that’s why his upcoming WWI film “1917” should be a cause for celebration. The film stars Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch and will have the luxury of being shot by DP extraordinaire Roger Deakins. However, even more striking, is the fact that [via IndieWire] as confirmed at CinemaCon yesterday, Mendes is attempting to film “1917” as one long take, ala Alejandro Iñárritu’s “Birdman.”