What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 10th January 2019.

The 8th annual AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) International Awards were held at The Mondrian Hotel, Los Angeles on Friday 4th January 2019 and hosted by Australian Television Presenter Renne Bargh. The AACTA International Awards honour the best achievement in film excellence from the previous twelve months irrespective of geography, and as determined by the Australian Academy’s International Chapter who vote across seven award groups. Amidst all the attendant glitterati and glamourati, this years winners and grinners were announced as :

* AACTA International Award for Best Film : 'ROMA' beating out 'A Star Is Born', 'Vice', 'Blackkklansman' and 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Direction : Alfonso Cuaron for 'ROMA' beating out Bradley Cooper for 'A Star Is Born', Spike Lee for 'Blackkklansman', Warwick Thornton for 'Sweet Country' and Yorgos Lanthimos for 'The Favourite'.



* AACTA International Award for Best Screenplay : Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara for 'THE FAVOURITE' beating out 'A Quiet Place', 'Blackkklansman', 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'Roma'. 

* AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actress : Olivia Colman for 'THE FAVOURITE' beating out Glenn Close for 'The Wife', Toni Collette for 'Hereditary', Lady Gaga for 'A Star Is Born' and Nicole Kidman for 'Destroyer'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Lead Actor : Rami Malek for 'BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY' beating out Christian Bale for 'Vice', Bradley Cooper for 'A Star Is Born', Hugh Jackman for 'The Frontrunner' and Viggo Mortensen for 'Green Book'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actress : Nicole Kidman for 'BOY ERASED' beating out Amy Adams for 'Vice', Emily Blunt for 'A Quiet Place', Claire Foy for 'First Man' and Margot Robbie for 'Mary Queen of Scots'.

* AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor : Mahershala Ali for 'GREEN BOOK' beating out Timothee Chalamet for 'Beautiful Boy', Joel Edgerton for 'Boy Erased', Sam Elliott for 'A Star Is Born' and Sam Rockwell for 'Vice'.

This week we have three new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We launch with a tale of divided loyalties and mounting pressures in the face of racial injustice as confronting one teenager who must learn to speak up and have the courage of her convictions. This is followed up by a comedy drama of a married couple who in order to fulfil their lives, decide to adopt not one, not two but three siblings with life changing consequences for them all. Wrapping up then, we have a documentary following the lives of five Labrador puppies from birth until two years as they are brought into the world to be trained ultimately to be Guide Dogs for the blind.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three 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.

'THE HATE U GIVE' (Rated M) - this American drama film is Directed by George Tilman Jnr. whose previous Directing credits include 'Men of Honour', 'Notorious', 'Faster' and 'The Longest Ride'. Based on Angie Thomas's 2017 novel of the same name, and Written for the screen by Audrey Wells who died aged 58 on 4th October - the day before the film saw its theatrical release in the US. The film Premiered at TIFF in early September, was made for US$23M, has so far grossed US$33M, and has been universally acclaimed, in particular for the performance from Amandla Stenberg in the lead role.

Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) seems to spend her life switching between two worlds - the poor, mostly black neighbourhood of Garden Heights where she lives, and the wealthy, mostly white Williamson Prep School that she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses one night the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil Harris (Algee Smith) at the hands of a Police Officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community, including a local gang 'The King Lords' who control the neighbourhood, Starr must find her voice and decide to speak up for what's right and stand her ground in the face of racial injustice. Also starring Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Anthony Mackie and Common.

'INSTANT FAMILY' (Rated PG) - released in the US in mid-November, this American comedy drama offering is Directed, Co-Produced, and Co-Written for the screen by Sean Anders, cost US$48M to make and has so far grossed US$76M and has been generally well received by Critics. The story here surrounds Pete (Mark Wahlberg) and Ellie (Rose Byrne) Wagner who determine there is a void in their lives and decide to start a family. They subsequently stumble into the world of foster care adoption. Initially hoping to take in one small child, but when they meet three siblings, including a rebellious 15-year-old girl Lizzie (Isabela Moner), they find themselves speeding from zero to three kids overnight, including also Juan (Gustavo Quiroz) and Lita (Julianna Gamiz). Now, Pete and Ellie must try to learn the ropes of instant parenthood in the hope of becoming a happy family. Also starring Octavia Spencer and Tig Notaro as a pair of social workers who guide the Wagners through the foster care process.

'PICK OF THE LITTER' (Rated G) - this documentary feature film is Directed by Don Hardy and Dana Nachman who between them also Produce, Wrote and take Cinematography credits. The film charts the life story from birth of five Labrador puppies as they undergo the lengthy training process on the journey to become guide dogs for the blind. Named Patriot, Potomac, Primrose, Poppet and Phil the five guide dogs in training were born on the campus of Guide Dogs for the Blind’s San Rafael, California campus. Barely a day old before their training begins, and eight weeks later, each young pup is farmed out to 'puppy raiser' - individuals or families who’ll foster them through up to sixteen months of socialisation training and other preliminary preparations for lifelong roles in the service of a blind or vision impaired person. After their period of fostering, the dogs head back to the campus for ten weeks of 'formal guide work' with an assigned staff member who often wears a blindfold to test the dogs’ reactions to obstacles, traffic hazards and verbal commands. The successful canine graduates are then matched with the lucky few among some 1,100 applicants per year in the US alone. The film was released in the US in late August last year, has done the festival circuit, and has received generally widespread acclaim. Cute and heart warming, this is a story for dog lovers everywhere.

With three new release films 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. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-