By Susan Granger

What’s extraordinary about Sam Mendes’ epic World War I film “1917” is that it follows the harrowing journey of two, young British infantryman in one seemingly continuous shot.

On April 6, 1917, when all phone lines have been cut on the Hindenberg Line in northern France, Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) is summoned by General Erinmore (Colin Firth) to deliver an important message to Col. Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch), directing him not to proceed with a planned advance to the front because the Germans have set an ambush.

Blake has been chosen for this urgent, race-against-time battlefield mission because his older brother (Richard Madden) is part of Mackenzie’s 2nd battalion and the lives of the 1,600 British soldiers at Croisilles Wood depend on their alacrity.

Terrified Blake and his buddy Schofield (George MacKay) embark on a perilous overnight trek across a German-occupied wasteland, dodging barbed wire and booby traps. They’re given a brief lift in a convoy as far as the bombed-out French village of Ecoust, where they encounter a German sniper in the rubble, but, after that, they’re their own.

By Susan Granger

For the past several weeks, the 8,469 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences have been going to the movies or watching DVD/digital screeners of last year’s films.

By mail or online, their nominating ballots are due by Jan. 7 and, on Monday, Jan. 13, nominees will be announced, building anticipation for the 92nd annual Academy Awards on Feb. 9.

So how does the nominating process work?

All members can nominate the Best Picture, ranking up to five films on ballots which are then tabulated by a complicated accounting system. Ballots are sorted by the first choice, and only those listed at the top of at least one ballot remain in play. For nomination, a film has to be one of the top choices of at least 5% or receive 770 voters.

By Susan Granger

Susan Granger’s 10 BEST OF 2019: (in alphabetical order)

PICTURE

1917

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Ford vs Ferrari

Knives Out

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Parasite

The Farewell

The Irishman

The Two Popes

Toy Story 4

Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist Jerry Herman, whose Broadway shows included “Hello, Dolly!,” “Mame” and “La Cage aux Folles,” died Thursday in Miami. He was 88. In 1997, he appeared at Westport Country Playhouse in “An Evening with Jerry Herman,” a revue of his music, with Florence Lacey, pictured here with Herman. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Jason Byrd photo

By Susan Granger

On May 25, 1977, John Williams’ propulsive score introduced George Lucas’ sci-fi fantasy “Star Wars,” featuring Luke (Mark Hamill), Leia (Carrie Fisher), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Darth Vader (James Earl Jones), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo), Yoda and the indispensable droids: C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2.

While the Star Wars concept continues in various spin offs, that era has concluded. After George Lucas sold the franchise to Disney in 2012, J.J. Abrams has masterminded the final three ‘origin story’ episodes, introducing desert scavenger-turned-Jedi Rey (Daisy Ridley) and First Order Supreme Leader Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) — aka Ben Solo — under Sith Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid).

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” begins a year after The Last Jedi. And while the First Order has quashed the Resistance, Stormtrooper-turned-Resistance fighter Finn (John Boyega) and spice-smuggling ace pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) have been sent by General Leia Organa (the late Carrie Fisher) to search the galaxy for potential allies.

Obviously, J.J. Abrams’ greatest challenge was seamlessly integrating previously unused Carrie Fisher outtakes from Episode VII, “The Force Awakens,” dumping the “ghosting” technique that revived Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin in “Rogue One.”