Here's what films to see in Chinese theaters this month.
Now Playing: Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, The Prestige, Inception) served as writer, director and co-producer of Dunkirk, a sprawling, ambitious film that critics are calling one of the best war movies of all time. A dramatization of the WWII Battle of Dunkirk, in which 330,000 Allied troops were evacuated after being trapped on a beach as Germany invaded France, the nonlinear story switches perspectives between soldiers on land, in the water and in planes above the beach. The ensemble cast features several young and unknown actors alongside Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later, Inception), Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road) and, most randomly, the acting debut of Harry Styles from One Direction.
Now Playing: Baby Driver
This stylish heist film has garnered much buzz since debuting in the US in July. Written, produced and directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), the film follows Baby (Ansel Elgort), a talented young getaway driver in Atlanta who falls in love with a waitress (Lily James) and tries to extricate himself from his bad-guy bosses (a star-studded crew featuring Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, and Jon Hamm) in order to be with her. Though the plot may sound a bit too similar to Drive, Baby stands out thanks to his tragic backstory and a head injury that he copes with by listening to music all the time; this in turn allows the film to have an excellent soundtrack.
Now Playing: Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
Having explored the science fiction genre before to mixed reviews with 1997’s The Fifth Element, writer-director Luc Besson returns with an adaptation of a much-loved French comic book series, Valérian and Laureline. The film finds the comic book’s titular duo of special operatives tasked with the job of neutralizing a threat of potentially cataclysmic proportion within the very heart of a vast inter-planetary metropolis that they, and many others, call home. What entails is a story of rather predictable twists and turns, although grandly supplemented by its stunning visuals. The chemistry between its two leads, Dane Dehaan and Cara Delevingne, is regrettably lacking in what feels like an incredibly insincere and unrealized love story, no doubt due to the script.
Now Playing: Manchester by the Sea
The acclaimed drama that won Casey Affleck his first Oscar for Best Actor debuts in China this month, with all the artful seaside shots and heavy Boston accents that anyone could ask for. Set in the town of the same name just outside Boston,Manchester by the Sea tells the story of taciturn janitor Lee Chandler, who returns to his hometown to take care of his nephew after the unexpected death of his brother. As the plot unfolds through a series of flashbacks and the viewer learns the reason behind Lee’s erratic behavior, the movie becomes a devastating and poignant study in grief that critics raved about when it debuted last year.
Now Playing: Despicable Me 3
Steve Carrell’s Felonious Gru returns for the third installment of the Despicable Me franchise. Now a member of the Anti-Villain League, Gru must stop Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who can’t let go of the character he played in the 80s, from stealing a diamond and taking over the world. Things get complicated when Gru runs into his long-lost sibling, Dru, who wants him to return to his former life of crime. Bratt is voiced by South Park co-creator Trey Parker, and his moonwalking, shoulderpad-sporting villain seems like the movie’s highlight, along with the always-lovable minions.
Now Playing: Cars 3
Lightning McQueen, played by Owen Wilson, returns as a now-aging racer in the third installment of Pixar's Cars franchise. Conflicts arise when a bro-y young racecar named Jackson Storm (subtle) beats McQueen in several races because he’s a newer model car with fancier parts. After McQueen gets into a major crash, he trains with race technician Cruz Ramirez (played by acclaimed Latina comedian Cristela Alonzo), and the two return to the races in order to take back his title and win one for her. Critics have deemed the film surprisingly poignant despite its standard fare sequel storyline.
September 8: Spider-man: Homecoming
Though the world definitely didn’t need another Spiderman franchise, the third time might have been the charm for Peter Parker on the big screen. Spider-man: Homecoming depicts a slice of Spiderman’s early high school days, which play a big role in the comics but hasn’t really been explored in the films before now. Tom Holland is lovable and charismatic as 15-year-old Peter Parker, starring alongside Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei, Zendaya and Donald Glover. Critics have praised the film for its light, witty tone, and the beautiful shots of New York City throughout the movie only add to its appeal.
September 15: War for the Planet of the Apes
In the third installment of the critically acclaimed blockbuster series, Caesar and his apes go into a deadly battle against an army of thousands of humans led by the Colonel (AKA Woody Harrelson). When the apes suffer terrible losses, Caesar, portrayed Andy Serkis, goes on a plot to avenge his species. An epic, face-to-face battle between the Colonel and Caesar will decide the future of the planet. Critics have praised the film for its breathtaking special effects and surprisingly poignant — though bleak — narrative.
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