It’s not as memorable as Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” or as emotional as Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan”, but “Greyhound” gets the job done by delivering some pulse-pounding action scenes that needed to be experienced on the biggest screen possible (Apple TV + will have to do for now). It also helps to have Tom Hanks in the lead, playing captain Ernest Krause during the early days of WWII. His mission? Command a U.S. destroyer across the North Atlantic  in order to deliver soldiers and supplies to Allied forces while being pursued by Nazi U-boats. The film, well-directed by Aaron Schneider with a keen eye for detail, doesn’t waste much time with character development. Instead, it cuts right to the chase. And for 90 minutes, we’re right there with Hanks and his crew, as they battle enemy ships. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then “Greyhound” will more than satisfy you. As someone who likes his WWII movies with a dose of emotions, I wish the film had more heart and soul. No matter. It’s the well-staged action sequences that matter most here, and “Greyhound” does a fine job at that. Just know straight away that it won’t leave you with a sense that you’ve just witnessed something unforgettable.

 In 1947, a movie called “The Best Years of our Lives” won 7 Oscars, including best picture, for its harrowing portrayal of  World War II veterans, who return home only to realize that their lives will never be the same again. The movie was shockingly powerful, digging deep into the psychology of soldiers, long after the war. You can think of “Thank you for your Service” as something similar. It’s not quite as powerful (or memorable for that matter), but it gets the job done. Miles Teller and Beulah Koale play two U.S soldiers returning from Iraq, after months of being away. But it doesn’t take long for them to discover that integrating back into family and civilian life isn’t as easy as they thought it would be. The actors are all fully committed to their roles, especially Teller who’s never been better. My only problem with this entirely watchable film is that it feels a lot like déjà vu. Personally, I’ve seen many movies that tackle a similar subject, so in a way, nothing was truly fresh. It’s still a well-made portrait of soldiers struggling to lead a normal life, and if this sounds like something you’d like to see, I suggest you check out “Thank you for your Service”. Just don’t expect something new.

Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” is a knockout. But it’s also a rare example of a war movie that isn’t purely made to satisfy a mainstream audience. In a recent interview with Criterion, Nolan has named Terrence Malik’s 1998 masterpiece “The Thin Red Line” as one of his favorite films. After watching “Dunkirk”, one might even say that he was inspired by it. What I’m trying to say is that “Dunkirk” isn’t your typical war movie, but rather a project born out of passion. In telling the story of 400,000 British, French, Canadian and Belgian soldiers trapped by Germans on the beaches of a small French town called Dunkirk during WWII, Nolan puts you right there with them. You breathe like they do, you feel like they do and panic like they do until, after 105 minutes of heart-pounding tension, you breathe a sigh of relief. With enthralling detail, Nolan offers thrills, unforgettable images, poetic vision and a chance to see a group of talented actors giving it their very best. Cilian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh and newcomer Fionn Whitehead all score points for their committed performances. Nolan counts on some of these familiar faces to give us rooting interest, despite a lack of character development. No worries. It takes a supremely confident filmmaker to trust his content by disregarding character development and cutting right to the chase, but that is why Nolan ranks among the most daring directors of his generation. Is he showing off? Most ambitious filmmakers do, using revolutionary techniques to make you feel as if you’re taking part in the action. That’s the beauty of “Dunkirk”, and that is why it has to be seen on the biggest screen possible. The script, by Nolan himself, rarely drifts into familiar territory, but the film’s images- from a terrifying opening sequence, to an incredible climax, shot with a poet’s eye by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema and scored by the great Hans Zimmer- speak eloquently of courage and survival. Nolan fans have waited too long for this, but at least the hype is justified. “Dunkirk” is one the year’s best films and an early Oscar contender.