It’s the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Mike Laidman with what’s new in local theaters.



[Report]

Powerful. Epic. Stirring. Thrilling. Terrifying. Here are some adjectives to start your weekend off the right way - in the theatre. Take a night to kick back after a long, hot week and take in the spectacle that is Dunkirk, or else chill your blood on the ocean floor with 47 Meters Down.

Whatever your choice, you’re sure to leave satisfied, as both this week’s new openers are likely to please.

[Slug CG]

Mike Laidman

Welcome to another edition of Film Focus. I’m Mike Laidman.

[Slug CG]
Dunkirk (2017, Christopher Nolan)
Allied soldiers are surround and evacuated during WWII.

Dunkirk is a brilliant portrayal of WWII - there’s no arguing about it, and firmly cements Christopher Nolan as one of his generation's greatest directors.

Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated from the French city of Dunkirk during a fierce battle in World War II.

Some who were hoping for Nolan’s take on a Saving Private Ryan were taken aback at the PG-13 rating, but there’s nothing that extra violence to add to this already intimate epic film. Intimate, you say? Dunkirk finds its power in individual tales of heroism, rendering them larger than life - something from which so many movies shy away.

And speaking of larger than life, this is a movie that deserves to be seen on the biggest screen possible. Sadly, we don’t have any IMAX theatres in Jeju to watch the proper 70mm version, but you should still find the largest theatre you can to watch this spectacle unfold.

One of the best war films ever made, Dunkirk is emotionally satisfying and brought to life by a tremendous ensemble cast that honours the fact-based story.


[Slug CG]
47 Meters Down (2017, Johannes Roberts)
Two sisters are trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor.

As the time when we all spend our weekends at the beach is now here, what better way to celebrate that fact than with a movie about killer great white sharks? Chances are you’ll never get eaten by one - a fact which is nice to know - but that doesn’t mean you can’t go watch others try to escape the same fate.

Two sisters vacationing in Mexico become trapped in a shark cage on the ocean floor in 47 Meters Down. As their oxygen starts to run out and with great white sharks circling them, the sisters must find a way to get to the surface alive.

The movie has a simple premise, but is visceral and intense, making it a perfect popcorn flick. It doesn’t take things quite as far as it could, or maybe even should, but it still makes for an enjoyable and thrilling B-movie for the hot summer months.