It’s been four years since Life of Pi was released, and now Ang Lee looks set to once again shake up the world of film with Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. The filmmaker used new technology, shooting at an ultra-high frame rate for the first time in film history, to create an immersive digital experience helping him dramatize war in a way never seen before.
Based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the war with America’s perceptions. The film also stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, with Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin.
That’s one heck of a cast, and the movie is already attracting a fair bit of Oscar buzz.
Peter Jackson’s decision to shoot The Hobbit trilogy in 60 FPS proved to be more than a little controversial, so it’s going to be interesting to see how people react to 120 FPS. For now though, we have the first trailer for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, so check it out below.
