From chocolate-dusted temptations and fashion-world theatrics to whimsical animation and sun-socaked sing-alongs, The Galileo Open Air Cinema takes us on a nostalgic trip back to the early 2000s this week – when rom-coms ruled, soundtracks slapped and a touch of fantasy made movie nights feel extra magical.
Expect a double dose of Meryl Streep magic with The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, a little indulgent escapism with Chocolat and the dreamy, otherworldly wonder of Spirited Away. It’s nostalgia, sparkle and feel-good cinema all rolled into one starlit week.
So book your spot here, swing by when the doors open, grab your snacks and soak in golden-hour picnic vibes and lawn games before getting cosy in front of the silver screen after sunset (±8:30pm) with your fellow film fanatics.
Here is what’s on the silver screen this week:
21 January: Chocolat
Chocolat is a 2000 romance film based on the 1999 novel by the English author Joanne Harris, and stars Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp.
When mysterious Vianne (Binoche) and her child arrive in a tranquil French town in the winter of 1959, no one could have imagined the impact that she and her spirited daughter would have on the community stubbornly rooted in tradition.
Within days, she opens an unusual chocolate shop, across the square from the church. Her ability to perceive her customers’ desires and satisfy them with just the right confection, coaxes the villagers to abandon themselves to temptation – just as Lent begins.
- Day: Wednesday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Garden
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 8:30pm
- Genre: Romance Drama
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
22 January: The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 American comedy-drama film based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel of the same name, and stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci and Emily Blunt.
Ansy (Hathaway) is a recent college graduate with big dreams. Upon landing a job at prestigious Runway magazine, she finds herself the assistant to diabolical editor Miranda Priestly (Streep).
Andy questions her ability to survive her grim tour as Miranda’s whipping girl without getting scorched.
- Day: Thursday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Garden
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 8:30pm
- Genre: Comedy Drama
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
23 January: Spirited Away
Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese anime fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, and stars Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki and others.
Ten-year-old Chihiro (Hiiragi) and her parents stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park.
After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku (Irino), who explains that the park is a resort for supernatural beings who need a break from their time spent in the earthly realm, and that she must work there to free herself and her parents.
- Day: Friday
- Location: Kirstenbosch Garden
- Time: Gates open at 6pm, and the movie starts at 8:30pm
- Genre: Anime Fairytale
- Age restriction: PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
24 January: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is a 2018 British-American jukebox musical romantic comedy that serves as both a prequel and sequel to the iconic 2008 hit Mamma Mia! – itself based on the 1999 stage musical featuring the music of ABBA.
The film stars an ensemble cast, including Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Andy Garcia, Meryl Streep and Cher.
Set after the events of the first film, the story is interwoven with the present, in which Sophie (Seyfried) plans to reopen her late mother Donna’s (Streep) hotel in Greece, and flashbacks to Donna’s youth in 1979, when she journeyed across Europe after college and met the three men who are Sophie’s fathers.
- Day: Saturday
- Location: Rhebokskloof Wine Estate
- Time: Gates open at 5pm, and the movie starts at 8:30pm
- Genre: Musical Drama
- Age restriction: 10-12 PG
- Tickets: Webtickets
Also read:
The ultimate guide to a Galileo Open Air Cinema screening in the Cape
Picture: Supplied
