Friday 2 December
The Impossible
8:30pm, SBSAvailable after broadcast at SBS On Demand
M
Spain, USA, 2012
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Language: English, Thai, Swedish
Director: Juan Antonio Bayona
Starring: Geraldine Chaplin, Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor
What's it about?
Oscar nominee Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star as real-life couple Maria and Henry, whose family was among the hundreds of thousands caught in the grips of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time: the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Don't miss this harrowing tale of survival, made even more terrifying and realistic thanks to phenomenal sound effects and cinematography.
Friday 9 December
The Big Blue
8:30pm, SBSWatch it now at SBS On Demand
M
France, 1988
Genre: Drama, Romance
Language: French, Italian
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Jean-Marc Barr, Rosanna Arquette, Jean Reno
What's it about?Inspired by Besson's own passion for diving and by real-life deep sea diver Jacques Mayol, The Big Blue recounts the competition and friendship between quiet loner Jacques (Jean-Marc Barr) and larger-than-life Enzo (Jean Reno) first in their youth, and then when they meet again at the World Free Diving Championships in Sicily years later. Set to the melancholic and dreamy score by long-time collaborator Eric Serra, The Big Blue became a cult movie for a whole generation, playing in French theatres for a year after its release.
The Big Blue review and interview
Friday 16 December
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
8:30pm, SBS
M
USA, 2003
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, War
Language: English
Director: Peter Weir
Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd
What's it about?
Peter Weir's superb epic recreates with extraordinary detail the adventures of British Navy captain Lucky Jack Aubrey (played by a formidable Russell Crowe) during the Napoleonic Wars. After his ship is attacked by a French privateer, Aubrey decides to set sail in a high stakes chase across two oceans to intercept and capture the enemy. It's a mission that can decide the fate of a nation, or destroy Lucky Jack and his crew. A magnificent achievement, rated five stars by both David Stratton and Margaret Pomeranz at the time of its release.
Watch The Movie Show original ★★★★★ review
Friday 23 December
Kon-Tiki
8:30pm, SBSWatch now at SBS On Demand
M
UK, Norway, Denmark, 2012
Genre: Action, Adventure, Biography
Language: English
Director: Joachim Ronning, Espen Sandberg
Starring: Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen, Gustaf Skarsgard, Anders Baasmo Christiansen
What's it about?Oscar nominee Kon-Tiki follows the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl's epic 1947 attempt to cross the Pacific ocean in a wooden raft, in order to prove a theory about South American settlement in Polynesia. The small crew endures an arduous three-month voyage atop their flimsy sea vessel. Directors Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg's impressive epic adventure film led to them being approached to direct the fifth Pirates of the Carribean movie Dead Men Tell No Tales, due in 2017.
Kon-Tiki: Joachim Rønning interview
Friday 30 December
All Is Lost
8:30pm, SBS
M
USA, 2013
Genre: Action
Language: English
Director: J.C. Chandor
Starring: Robert Redford
What's it about?In J.C. Chandor’s (Margin Call) gripping tale of survival, cinema icon Robert Redford plays a yachtsman adrift on a sinking boat in the cruel seas of the Indian Ocean. Without uttering a word, Redford delivers an exceptional performance as the nameless, besieged sailor who, as one catastrophe follows another, finds himself staring his mortality in the face.
Watch interview with Robert Redford and J.C. Chandor
