The 65th Sydney Film Festival may have closed its doors recently on 17th June on another year of showcasing the finest in filmed entertainment from around the world, but one final item of news worthy coverage are the winners of the 'Audience Awards - Features and Documentaries'. As voted by the cinema going public who sat through a film presentation at the SFF and were able to cast their vote electronically immediately afterwards, these awards are perhaps the most noteworthy as they are voted by a real audience who can make or break a film's release with its critical analysis and Box Office receipts.
Congratulations to the winners of the Audience Awards – Features :* 'THE INSULT' at #1: a Lebanese drama film directed by Ziad Doueiri and Co-Written by him too, and tells the story of a minor incident between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian refugee that turns into an explosive trial that ends up dividing the two communities. The film has eight award wins and another fourteen nominations including an Oscar nod as Best Foreign Language Film at this years Academy Awards.
* 'SEARCHING' at #2 : an American psychological mystery thriller Directed by Aneesh Chaganty. The film is shot from the point-of-view of smartphones and computer screens, and tells the story about a father trying to find his missing 16-year-old daughter, and stars John Cho and Debra Messing.
* 'RAFIKI' at #3 : Directed by Kenyan Wanuri Kahlu this story here surrounds two Kenyan girls set to become two Kenyan wives, but Kena and Ziki long for more in their lives. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between their own personal happiness, or playing it safe by falling into a life of domesticity, children and acceptance. This film was Kenya's first entry into the Cannes Film Festival this year, and is banned in its native country.* 'AN ELEPHANT SITTING STILL' at #4 : Directed by Chinese Hu Bo who took his own life before the film was released. Running at almost four hours, the film takes a deep dive into the lives of four protagonists; each in a terrible situation and each inter-connected in some way. A young man severely injures a school bully after pushing him down a staircase. His classmate, neglected by her mother, is having an unfortunate affair with a school teacher. A man witnesses and is tormented by a suicide, while an elderly man is being forced into a home by his son. These four damaged people set their sights on the city of Manzhouli, in Inner Mongolia, where the eponymous elephant sits still.
* 'LEAVE NO TRACE' at joint 5th: this American drama film is Directed by Debra Granik. A father and thirteen year old daughter (Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie) live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful urban nature reserve near Portland, Oregon. They rarely have any contact with the world, but when a small mistake tips them off to authorities, they are sent on an increasingly erratic journey that will change their lives forever.
* 'AGA' at joint 5th : Directed by Bulgarian Milko Lazarov whose story here centres around an isolated couple living in the snowy Northern Wilderness of the Arctic - one of the coldest places on Earth. Nanook and Sedna live isolated from the rest of humanity and each day for them is a difficult one, as their traditional way of life erodes, the environment becomes more and more unpredictable and they yearn for their estranged daughter Aga, to return home having left to work in a diamond mine.
Congratulations to the winners of the Audience Awards - Documentaries :
* 'BACKTRACK BOYS' at #1 : this Australian Doco by Director, Producer and Cinematographer Catherine Scott was made over a two year period and charts the unfolding story of three young Aussie lads who are on a rocky path towards jail until they meet a rule-breaking rough talking jackaroo named Bernie Shakeshaft who runs a youth training programme from a shed on the outskirts of Armidale, New South Wales. When everyone else has all but given up on troubled kids like Zach, Alfie and Rusty, they head to BackTrack. It’s a place where they can feel safe and continue their education, but most importantly, it’s where they learn to support each other and reach for their dreams, and it's where they join his legendary dog jumping team. This was followed up closely behind by 'TEACH A MAN TO FISH' at #2; 'I USED TO BE NORMAL : A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY' at #3; 'OYSTER' at #4 and 'JILL BILCOCK : DANCING THE INVISIBLE' at #5. For more details on all the awards given out at the SFF, and a brief synopsis of these films, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/
Congratulations to the winners of the Audience Awards - Documentaries :
* 'BACKTRACK BOYS' at #1 : this Australian Doco by Director, Producer and Cinematographer Catherine Scott was made over a two year period and charts the unfolding story of three young Aussie lads who are on a rocky path towards jail until they meet a rule-breaking rough talking jackaroo named Bernie Shakeshaft who runs a youth training programme from a shed on the outskirts of Armidale, New South Wales. When everyone else has all but given up on troubled kids like Zach, Alfie and Rusty, they head to BackTrack. It’s a place where they can feel safe and continue their education, but most importantly, it’s where they learn to support each other and reach for their dreams, and it's where they join his legendary dog jumping team. This was followed up closely behind by 'TEACH A MAN TO FISH' at #2; 'I USED TO BE NORMAL : A BOYBAND FANGIRL STORY' at #3; 'OYSTER' at #4 and 'JILL BILCOCK : DANCING THE INVISIBLE' at #5. For more details on all the awards given out at the SFF, and a brief synopsis of these films, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/
Turning attention to this week and we have four hot new release movies coming to an Odeon near you. We begin with a sequel to an acclaimed Mexican drug cartel story that was released three years ago, and this film reprises the roles of the two principal cast members who must team up once more to thwart an all out drug war on the US border with Mexico. Prepare for another gritty no holds barred all guns blazing drama. We then to move to the high seas and the tale of survival of two sailors aboard their stricken yacht after the mother of all hurricanes disables their boat. Stranded mid-ocean, injured and without a mast, what is a girl to do? Next up is a French foreign language film about a hard partying A-lister play boy who suddenly has a baby daughter thrust upon him that he never knew he had. What could possible go wrong? We wrap up the week with the third instalment in this animated feature film series that sees a mixed bunch of monsters taking a well earned holiday aboard a cruise ship - what's not to like about that prospect?
Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.
'SICARIO 2 : SOLDADO' (Rated MA15+) - this is the follow up film to 2015's Critically acclaimed 'Sicario' as Directed by Denis Villeneuve and Written by Taylor Sheridan and starring Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin, with Emily Blunt about a principled FBI agent who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and violent Mexican drug cartel. That film cost US$30M to make and raked in US$85M at the global Box Office and picked up fifteen award wins and a further 153 nominations including three Oscar nods, three BAFTA nods and two AACTA nods. Now three short years later, we have this follow up action crime thriller Directed by Italian film maker Stefano Sollima and once again written by Taylor Sheridan with Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin reprising their roles. The film goes on wide release in the US this week too.
The plot follows the drug war at the US and Mexican border as it has elevated to the point where the cartels have begun smuggling Sicario terrorists, forcing the CIA's Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to once again team up with ex-hitman and undercover operative Alejandro Gallic (Benicio del Toro) to eliminate the problem. The pair kidnap Isabela Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a drug lord, in a covert operation designed to incite war between rival cartels, but the mission goes south when it is rumbled by the Mexican authorities, prompting Graver to order Reyes' death. When Gillick refuses, he turns rogue to protect her as Graver assembles a new team to hunt them both down. Also starring Jeffrey Donovan, Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.
'ADRIFT' (Rated M) - this American romantic drama film is set on the high seas and is Directed and Co-Produced by Icelandic film and theatre Director, Producer and occasional Actor Baltasar Kormakur, whose previous Directorial efforts include 'Contraband', '2 Guns' and 'Everest'. Here he tells the true story based on Tami Oldham's 1998 book 'Red Sky in Mourning : A True Story of Love, Loss and Survival at Sea' in which two experienced sailors Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) embark on a four thousand mile journey to deliver a 44 foot yacht, The Hazana, from Tahiti to San Diego in 1983. The pair sailed directly into Hurricane Raymond, and whilst the boat survived, in the aftermath of the storm Tami comes round to find Richard badly injured, the boat is without a mast, their radio is down and they are drifting somewhere mid-Pacific Ocean. She has to muster all her wits to find a way to save them both, and get to the nearest port of call, Hawaii. The film cost a budgeted US$35M, has so far recouped US$32M, went on general release in the US on 1st June and has received generally mixed or average Reviews, although Woodley's performance has been praised, as has the Director's visuals.
'TWO IS A FAMILY' (Rated M) - here French Director, Producer, Writer and occasional Actor Hugo Gelin delivers us a remake of an original Mexican film titled 'Instructions Not Included' that was released in 2013. Now five years hence he brings us this European comedy drama version that was first released in its native France way back in December 2016, and only now gets a limited theatrical run in Australia. Starring Omar Sy as Samuel, a hard partying Francophile living the A-list sun drenched dream down Marseille way only to be woken one fine day by his former lover Kristin (Clemence Poesy) carrying a infant baby that she claims is his. She promptly drives off in the opposite direction at a rapid rate of knots leaving Samuel with the wailing baby Gloria in tow. Practically incapable of looking after a baby, Samuel rushes to England in an attempt to return the child to her mother, without any luck needless to say. He stays in London and, after finding work as a television stuntman, the father daughter relationship gradually begins to blossom. When Kristin eventually reappears, Gloria (Gloria Colston) has matured into a bright and bubbly eight year old … and the inseparable father-daughter team find their bond tested.
'HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 : MONSTER VACATION' (Rated PG) - aka 'Hotel Transylvania 3 : Summer Vacation' here sees the third instalment in this animated franchise that for the first two films in this series grossed US$821M off the back of a US$165M budget investment, making a third film almost a no brainer I guess! Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, this film features an all star voice cast and sets off a few months after the events of the previous film. The story here centres around Dracula (Adam Sandler), Mavis (Selena Gomez), Johnny (Andy Samberg), and the rest of their family, both human and monster, and friends as they take a well earned vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship. Dracula however, becomes attracted to the ship's mysterious captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), but what he doesn't know is that Erika is secretly the Great-Granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), the infamous monster slayer and Dracula's ancient nemesis. Now it is time for Mavis to step up to the 'Drac Pack' and rally up family, friends and those significant others so they can stop Erika and save Dracula, before it's too late. Also starring the voice talents of Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Fran Drescher, Mel Brooks, and Keegan-Michael Key. The film cost US$65M to bring to the big screen.
With four new release films out this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. Meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.
'SICARIO 2 : SOLDADO' (Rated MA15+) - this is the follow up film to 2015's Critically acclaimed 'Sicario' as Directed by Denis Villeneuve and Written by Taylor Sheridan and starring Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin, with Emily Blunt about a principled FBI agent who is enlisted by a government task force to bring down the leader of a powerful and violent Mexican drug cartel. That film cost US$30M to make and raked in US$85M at the global Box Office and picked up fifteen award wins and a further 153 nominations including three Oscar nods, three BAFTA nods and two AACTA nods. Now three short years later, we have this follow up action crime thriller Directed by Italian film maker Stefano Sollima and once again written by Taylor Sheridan with Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin reprising their roles. The film goes on wide release in the US this week too.
The plot follows the drug war at the US and Mexican border as it has elevated to the point where the cartels have begun smuggling Sicario terrorists, forcing the CIA's Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) to once again team up with ex-hitman and undercover operative Alejandro Gallic (Benicio del Toro) to eliminate the problem. The pair kidnap Isabela Reyes (Isabela Moner), the daughter of a drug lord, in a covert operation designed to incite war between rival cartels, but the mission goes south when it is rumbled by the Mexican authorities, prompting Graver to order Reyes' death. When Gillick refuses, he turns rogue to protect her as Graver assembles a new team to hunt them both down. Also starring Jeffrey Donovan, Matthew Modine, Catherine Keener and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.
'ADRIFT' (Rated M) - this American romantic drama film is set on the high seas and is Directed and Co-Produced by Icelandic film and theatre Director, Producer and occasional Actor Baltasar Kormakur, whose previous Directorial efforts include 'Contraband', '2 Guns' and 'Everest'. Here he tells the true story based on Tami Oldham's 1998 book 'Red Sky in Mourning : A True Story of Love, Loss and Survival at Sea' in which two experienced sailors Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) embark on a four thousand mile journey to deliver a 44 foot yacht, The Hazana, from Tahiti to San Diego in 1983. The pair sailed directly into Hurricane Raymond, and whilst the boat survived, in the aftermath of the storm Tami comes round to find Richard badly injured, the boat is without a mast, their radio is down and they are drifting somewhere mid-Pacific Ocean. She has to muster all her wits to find a way to save them both, and get to the nearest port of call, Hawaii. The film cost a budgeted US$35M, has so far recouped US$32M, went on general release in the US on 1st June and has received generally mixed or average Reviews, although Woodley's performance has been praised, as has the Director's visuals.
'HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 : MONSTER VACATION' (Rated PG) - aka 'Hotel Transylvania 3 : Summer Vacation' here sees the third instalment in this animated franchise that for the first two films in this series grossed US$821M off the back of a US$165M budget investment, making a third film almost a no brainer I guess! Directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, this film features an all star voice cast and sets off a few months after the events of the previous film. The story here centres around Dracula (Adam Sandler), Mavis (Selena Gomez), Johnny (Andy Samberg), and the rest of their family, both human and monster, and friends as they take a well earned vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship. Dracula however, becomes attracted to the ship's mysterious captain Ericka (Kathryn Hahn), but what he doesn't know is that Erika is secretly the Great-Granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), the infamous monster slayer and Dracula's ancient nemesis. Now it is time for Mavis to step up to the 'Drac Pack' and rally up family, friends and those significant others so they can stop Erika and save Dracula, before it's too late. Also starring the voice talents of Kevin James, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Fran Drescher, Mel Brooks, and Keegan-Michael Key. The film cost US$65M to bring to the big screen.With four new release films out this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. Meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
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