“Canopy” is an inspiring and dramatic movie about brotherhood and the horrors of war. There are two main characters in this film that takes place during World War II in Singapore. Jim is a fighter pilot from Australia, and the movie begins with him waking up hanging from a tree by the strings of his parachute. He manages to free himself and flee when he hears the sounds of explosions and fighting nearby.

The film’s cinematography is beautiful, especially in several scenes of the trees and lush foliage against the blue sky. Amid the greenery, while fleeing with a wound in his upper back, Jim runs into a Singapore-Chinese resistance fighter named Seng, played by Mo Tzu-Yi. They soon realize they are allies and Jim cares for the wounded Seng despite his own wound. They flee together, give each other water, share food and later, in a touching moment, Jim shares a photo of himself with his wife and infant son.

These scenes are contrasted with the sounds and horrors of war, including seeing a plane shot out of the sky. The tension is palpable as Jim and Seng hide, many times just a few feet from approaching soldiers, during their trek through swampy land and mud. It becomes obvious, as we watch Jim and Seng trying to survive, that there two sides to life: one side believes in brotherhood in this world, and one would snatch that away and call it war. We are pleased to award this moving film our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal for ages twelve plus, due to a couple of scenes with blood on a few characters, including a character’s back, one character’s stomach, and bloody hands. The blood is not gratuitous, but we want to note that the film is not for the fainthearted. The strength of “Canopy” is its fine cinematography and touching moments set against the backdrop of an ugly war.