‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’ First Look: Ang Lee Unveils An Unusual Wartime Dramedy
Four years after the technically audacious, jaw-droppingly gorgeousLife of Pi,Ang Leeis back this fall withBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. Based on the novel byBen Fountain, the modern wartime drama follows a squad of heroic American soldiers brought home for a victory tour culminating in a showy appearance at the Thanksgiving Day game. Get yourBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkfirst look below.
Sony shared theBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkfirst look photo.
Much of the buzz surrounding this movie has concerned its all-star cast, which includesKristen Stewart,Chris Tucker,Garrett Hedlund,Vin Diesel, andSteve Martin. Still more of it has centered around Lee’s unprecedented use of a 120 frames per second. None of those things are really on display here. The only character we get a good look at is unknown leadJoe Alwyn, and as a still photo it offers no clue whatsoever as to how Lee’s 120 fps gamble will work out.
The photo does, however, do a good job of capturing the almost surreal feel of Billy’s experience at the game. And maybe that’s the right approach.Billy Lynnwill make headlines for Lee’s use of 120 FPS, but at its heart it’s a sharp dramedy about a young soldier thrust into the limelight, experiencing first hand the uneasy relationship between American civilian society and the men and women we send into battle. The technology might impress, but those emotions will be what lingers. We hope.
With the first-look photo out, it shouldn’t be too much longer before we get our first trailer. While we wait: Petercaught some early footage fromBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walkat CinemaCon (albeit not in 120 FPS),and you can hear his reaction here.
