What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 22nd January 2015.

As Sydney sizzles in the sun drenched heat of Summer we have two more big ticket movies hitting our big screens in the coming week - both of them in Oscar contention, and both of them riding the crest of a publicity wave that is generating much excitement and anticipation. Already we have seen a very solid start to 2015 with some big name films coming our way that are also in the Academy Award running, and with those released on 22nd January have already done well at the recent Golden Globes.

The year ahead is sizing up pretty well so far with lots more on the way. For the immediate future though we have a formidable presence in front of the camera as well as behind it, and for his most recent outing he is sat in the Director's Chair delivering us a very recent true story of one of America's finest war heroes leading a very fractured life because of the actions he has had to undertake on behalf of  his country. On the other hand we have an ever increasing Hollywood star on the rise retelling this memoir for the big screen of a long walk to freedom, redemption and rebirth.

When you have seen your movie choice of the week and sat in the relative comfort of silver screen surround sound air conditioning, drop a line in the Comments Box following this or any Post, and share your cinematic experience with our ever growing readership across the world. Enjoy your movie.

AMERICAN SNIPER (Rated MA15+) - Based on the autobiographical book of Chris Kyle (here played by Bradley Cooper) this very recent true story of his life as crack US Army sniper is Directed by  Clint Eastwood. Having first been a US Navy SEAL, following the events of 9/11 he signs up for sniper duty, and in time becomes so expert at his job that he is dubbed 'The Legend' by his colleagues, 'The Devil of Ramadi' by his enemy and sees out four tours in Iraq taking out a confirmed 160 kills of gun toting, bomb carrying, suicide fuelled men, women and child insurgents. Eastwood has a deft touch for such home-spun character heroes whose everyday lives are fuelled by violence, anxiety, tragedy and loss in some way, that he delivers drama and thrills without being over dramatic and keeping to the heart of the story. American Sniper appears to be no exception, and with it both he and Cooper have delivered quite possibly one of Eastwood's best films in more recent years, and, possibly of the best of the War in Iraq movie offerings that we have yet seen.

But, for every such hero there is a flip side? What happens when our hero goes home at night to an empty house and lies awake all night pondering the outcomes of the day? What happens when close family members have to be confronted with the harsh realities of 'the day job', and what happens when your very existence begins to fall apart because of what you do for that 'day job' and those confirmed kills, living on the edge, and not knowing if today will be your last? Starring Sienna Miller as tough as nails wife Taya, we see the impact all of this has on Kyle's life and his emotional state, we see the gun battles in Iraq, those confirmed kills and his own obsession with taking out 'The Butcher' - a high-level insurgent official. Gripping stuff, expertly delivered on all fronts and all the more real for being seen on our TV screens and newspaper pages in recent years and still today. With a nomination for Best Picture and a nomination for Best Actor for Bradley Cooper at the upcoming Oscar's this is one to watch!

WILD (Rated MA15+) - when Reese Witherspoon kept being handed nondescript parts for female actors, and after lobbying several studios for lead roles in upcoming movies that required a female lead, and getting diddly squat, the Queen of Hollywood took her destiny into her own hands. Having created her own production house - Pacific Standard - she set about convincing Nick Hornby to write the screenplay based on the Cheryl Strayed memoir - whom Witherspoon portrays in this film. So as both Producer and Actor, she had Jean-Marc Vallee Direct - he of 'Dallas Buyers Club' fame, who put this Actress through the rigours and torment of playing a troubled character on a journey (both physical and emotional) of discovery and reawakening - much like McConaughey in the aforementioned Oscar winning 'DBC'. Here we see the 20something Strayed embarking on a self-imposed trek of 1,770kms along the 'Pacific Crest Trail' carrying a 27kgs back pack with everything necessary for her survival supposedly. Running along the Pacific coast from the US border with Mexico in the south to the US border with Canada in the north Strayed makes the decision to hike the route to escape her empty life of grief, addiction, desolation and loneliness in the hope of discovering herself, overcoming her own life's adversities, and battling her inner Demons along the way to redemption and inner peace. Of course along the way too she is largely unprepared for both the emotional and physical challenges that Mother Nature will throw at her, and she does, in spades, and often! 'Wild' and Witherspoon is creating Oscar buzz with a Best Actress nominations for Witherspoon and a Best Supporting Actress nomination for Laura Dern - go see for it for yourself to see what the fuss is all about!

Two hot new films to whet the appetite in the week ahead and creating a little buzz around Oscar time. When you have checked out either, or both, of these films, or any of those others doing the rounds and as Reviewed or Previewed in previous weeks, share your thoughts with your like minded friends here at Odeon Online - it's always good to get another opinion!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-