In need of a jolt to wake you up today, or merely the sight of Colin Firth to soldier on? Well, then this trailer for the “based on a true story” submarine period piece film, Kursk, is just what the doctor ordered.
Now it may seem like a slight, but Kursk seems like a road we’ve been down before. The images call to mind other doomed submarine pictures or true story efforts. That’s no always the worst thing in the world though. Last year’s space film Salyut 7, felt like a Russian made take on Apollo 13, but worked like gangbusters. What is on display here still looks solid. Submarine films are to few these days, so if done right, this one could easily catch on with audiences. It also helps when you have a cast as stacked as this.
The other thing that helps separate Kursk is Thomas Vinterberg. The Danish director and co-founder of the dome95 movement has put out some great films in the last decade, including Far From The Maddening Crowd and The Hunt. As celebrated as his works are in critical circles, he hasn’t yet made the transition to Hollywood. In this case, that’s probably in the film’s favor. Without the studio pressure to make a blockbuster hit, Vinterberg has a chance for something special on his hands.
Here’s the official synopsis for Kursk:
“It is the first major Russian Navy exercise since the end of the Soviet Union, but the K-141 Kursk is deemed unsinkable and its crew recognized as the best in the Northern Fleet. Among the crew is Captain-Lieutenant Mikhail Kalekov (Matthias Schoenaerts), a devoted naval officer with a loving wife (Lea Seydoux), and child, and another on the way. He and his crew board the Kursk and descend into the Barents Sea with a sense of optimism and fraternity.
Then come the explosions…Once the sub’s seismic activity is detected, Britain, France, and Norway offer their assistance, but Russia insists it has the situation under control. Time is of the essence, but time keeps passing.”
Kursk is set to have its world premiere at TIFF on September 6th, followed by an international release in November. While there’s no word on a release date for the US, STX Entertainment has picked up the rights for distribution here. Should the premiere garner good to great reviews, this will likely get a quick end of the year theatrical run. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as more info becomes available.
