It is notable for having the entire film appear as one continuous shot – is it a gimmick or cinematography gold? Directed, co-written, and produced by Sam Mendes, 1917 is the epic war film starring George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, based in part on an account told to Sam Mendes by his paternal grandfather, Alfred Mendes. Two young British soldiers during the First World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldiers’ brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap. 1917 is available to rent now from a Video Ezy Express kiosk.