Film Review – Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

For his last effort, 2012’s “Life of Pi,” director Ang Lee took a creative risk, electing to tell a story that’s light on spectacle in 3D, hoping to create a more immersive viewing experience to boost dramatic potential. It worked to a certain degree, making the movie a box office success, inspiring Lee to cook up new plans for cinematic experimentation. “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” doesn’t feature any bold moments of disaster or animal threat to give it the same scale as “Life of Pi,” forcing Lee to dig deep into his bag of tricks to sell what’s actually a very intimate story of shock and grief. Shooting the picture in 3D and high frame rate, Lee breaks down the barriers of film to put viewers into the moment. It’s a striking endeavor, going for a specific feel of you-are-there drama. It’s too bad few people will actually experience “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” in its native format. Stripped of gimmicks, and the movie is substantially dulled, exposing a feeble story at the heart of all the technical wizardry. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com