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sanctum

Australia 2011
Directed by
Alister Grierson
109 minutes
Rated M

Reviewed by
Andrew Lee
3 stars

Sanctum

Synopsis: A bunch of cave divers get trapped and have to explore further in to find a way out. With limited supplies and torches slowly dying, the pressure is on.

Several years ago I got my dive certification. Diving is an amazing experience and probably the closest you can get to being an astronaut without joining NASA. I was so hooked I decided to buy my own gear. I jumped online and researched buoyancy compensators, air regulators, etc. and then rocked along to my local dive shop for some more advice. I checked out the gear I had in mind but the girl at the shop mentioned a different kind of rig that she used, one that was good for cave diving too. And when she saw the glint in my eye she said it was pointless getting the gear I wanted because if I wanted to go cave diving then in a few years I’d just be back buying a new set of gear. So I’m the proud owner of a rig that one day will see me diving caves, though I’ve got maybe 100 more dives before I’ll be skilled enough to take that kind of thing on.

So you can understand why I quite like Sanctum. It speaks to the part of me that looks forward to exploring underwater cave systems and checking out sights few people will ever get to see. And in 3D, the sights are pretty cool to behold. The visual beauty of the world beneath us is artfully presented. And the diving, the caving, the action as the trapped people battle their environment to survive, is all gripping stuff. There’s really only one problem with the film and it happens anytime someone opens their mouth.

Seriously, Sanctum will go down in history as one of the most godawful scripts ever to be greenlit to production. It’s like a bunch of monkeys were set loose in a Robert McKee seminar and scrawled every sad whiteboard cliché using their own poop.  From the insufferably self-conscious Aussie colloquialisms to the laughably bad attempts at tender moments, if there’s a hackneyed idea you can think of, Sanctum has it. Even moments of “shocking” ruthlessness are tawdry. Apparently the most loving thing you can do for an injured comrade is to drown them, since saving them seems unlikely. And while people weep for the choices they make, the audience laughs, then chuckles when the next person to be sacrificed becomes obvious.

Structurally, the script is solid and it hits its marks with precision. The story points are all in place but it’s an empty exercise and you don’t care as it leads you to the next great caving or diving sequence. Those sequences are really well done, and that’s the only reason I’ve given this three stars. But if I’m honest, Sanctum doesn’t deserve it. The writing will have you variously wincing or falling out of your seat laughing. So you’ve been warned. If you persist, sneak in a few beers, it’s definitely going to become that kind of film once it hits DVD. For the rest, enjoy the beauty and the adventure. There’s a joy there that transcends the mediocrity.

 

 

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