What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th December 2019.

The Gotham Independent Film Awards are American film awards, presented annually to the makers of independent films at a ceremony in New York City. The city was first nicknamed 'Gotham' by native son Washington Irving (short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century), in an issue of 'Salmagundi' (a 19th-century satirical periodical created and written by Irving, his oldest brother, William, and James Kirke Paulding, and served to lampoon New York City culture and politics), published on November 11, 1807. Part of the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP), 'the largest membership organisation in the United States dedicated to independent film' (founded in 1979), the awards were inaugurated in 1991, and so 2019's awards ceremony mark their 28th year, and were presented on Monday 2nd December.

This years winners and grinners of a Gotham Award, were as follows :-

* Best Feature Film
Awarded to 'MARRIAGE STORY', beating out 'The Farewell', 'Uncut Gems', 'Waves' and 'Hustlers'.
* Best Documentary Film
Awarded to 'AMERICAN FACTORY', beating out 'Apollo 11', 'The Edge of Democracy', 'One Child Nation' and 'Midnight Traveller'.
* Best Actor
Awarded to ADAM DRIVER for 'Marriage Story', beating out Willem Dafoe for 'The Lighthouse', Adam Sandler for 'Uncut Gems', Aldis Hodge for 'Clemency' and Andre Holland for 'High Flying Bird'.
* Best Actress
Awarded to AWKWAFINA for 'The Farewell', beating out Elisabeth Moss for 'Her Smell', Mary Kay Place for 'Diane', Florence Pugh for 'Midsommar' and Alfre Woodard for 'Clemency'.
* Best Screenplay
Awarded to NOAH BAUMBACH for 'Marriage Story', beating out 'The Farewell', 'High Flying Bird, 'Midsommar' and 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco'.



* Breakthrough Actor
Awarded to TAYLOR RUSSELL for 'Waves', beating out Julia Fox for 'Uncut Gems', Aisling Franciosi for 'The Nightingale', Chris Galust for 'Give Me Liberty', Noah Jupe for 'Honey Boy' and Jonathan Majors for 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco'.
* Breakthrough Director
Awarded to LAURE DE CLERMONT-TONNERRE for 'The Mustang', beating out Kent Jones for 'Diane', Joe Talbot for 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco', Olivia Wilde for 'Booksmart' and Phillip Youmans for 'Burning Cane'.
* The Audience Award
Presented to 'MARRIAGE STORY'.
* Gotham Tributes
Presented to Producer Glen Basner, Actress Laura Dern, Director Ava DuVernay and Actor Sam Rockwell.

For the complete run down on all things Gotham Awards, you can visit the official website at : https://gotham.ifp.org

Turning attention back to this week, we have three new cinematic offerings coming to your local Odeon in the coming week. We kick off with the ninth and final instalment in this epic space opera franchise set somewhere in a galaxy far far away, that saw this massively popular film series first launch 42 years ago that has subsequently spawned spin off movies, television series, video games, novels, comic books, theme park attractions, merchandise and more. The anticipation is reaching fever pitch people! Next up is a story of a recently bereaved Chinese man living in New Zealand who retraces the steps of his courtship with his beloved departed wife seeking to fulfil a dream that she was never able to realise. And we close out the week with another Chinese offering that sees the fourth and final instalment in this martial arts franchise, as our hero travels to San Francisco in the search of a better life for him and his son, only to find deep rooted prejudices towards him and his chosen craft at almost every turn.

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 week ahead.

'STAR WARS : THE RISE OF SKYWALKER' (Rated M) - and so it is with much fanfare, hype and anticipation that the final instalment in the epic space opera franchise that saw its humble beginnings way back in 1977, finally draws to a close. 'The Rise of Skywalker' marks the third instalment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, following 2015's 'The Force Awakens' and 2017's 'The Last Jedi', and the final episode of the nine-part 'Skywalker Saga'. The 'Star Wars' franchise has spawned multiple films and animated movies and television series. The original trilogy was released between 1977 and 1983, the prequel trilogy between 1999 and 2005, and a sequel trilogy began in 2015, and will end this year with the release of this film. In between the sequel films, two anthology films were released, 2016's 'Rogue One' and 2018's 'Solo: A Star Wars Story', both set between the prequel and original trilogies. The combined global Box Office revenue of the films equates to over US$9B and is currently the second-highest-grossing film franchise, behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' currently sits at the top of the sales ladder with US$2.07B, followed by 'Star Wars : The Last Jedi' at US$1.33B, then 'Rogue One : A Star Wars Story' at US$1.06B with 'Star Wars : Episode I : The Phantom Menace' also in the one billion dollar club at US$1.03B. This films sees J.J. Abrams returning to the Directors and Screenwriters chair following his success with 'The Force Awakens' and after the ousting of Colin Trevorrow following creative differences with the Studio and a breakdown in his relationship with Producer Kathleen Kennedy. The film is released Stateside this week too.

The film once again stars an ensemble cast that includes Carrie Fisher (who although died in late 2016, will appear through the use of unreleased footage from 'The Force Awakens' and 'The Last Jedi'), Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong'o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams. Set a year following the events of 'The Last Jedi' the surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega) and Poe Dameron's (Oscar Isaac) journey continues, all the while coming to terms with the past and their own inner turmoil. Meanwhile, with the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the ancient conflict between the Jedi and the Sith reaches its climax, bringing the Skywalker saga to a definitive end.

'ONLY CLOUD KNOWS' (Rated M) - this Chinese romantic drama is Directed by one of China's foremost film makers Feng Xiaogang and stars Huang Xuan as Dongfeng, a middle aged man living in New Zealand. He has been suffering from sorrow and loneliness ever since the death of his beloved wife, Yun (Yang Caiyu). Unable to overcome his grief, Dongfeng decides to retrace the journey he shared with Yun during their courtship, but discovers that she held secrets in her past, as he seeks to fulfill a dream she never had a chance to complete. Also starring Lydia Peckham and Fan Xu, the film is released in the US this week too.

'IP MAN 4' (Rated M) - is a Hong Kong biographical martial arts film Directed and Co-Produced by Wilson Yip. This is the fourth and supposedly final film in the 'Ip Man' film series based on the life of the Wing Chun - grandmaster of the same name, and features Donnie Yen reprising the role. Wilson Yip has Directed all four films in the series, and Donnie Yen has starred as Ip Man in all four too. Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong Actor, martial artist, film Director, Producer, action choreographer, stuntman and multiple-time world Wushu tournament champion, who has displayed skill in an array of other martial arts disciplines including Tai Chi, Boxing, Kickboxing, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Taekwondo, Karate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Wing Chun. The first three films in the series grossed a combined US$229M off the back of a total US$61M Production budget. Ip Man’s (Donnie Yen) life remains unchanged after his wife’s death, but he and his son are slowly drifting apart. To seek a better future for his son, Ip Man decides to travel to the U.S. and to San Francisco where his student, Bruce Lee (Danny Chan), has upset the local martial arts community by opening a Wing Chun school. Once there, Ip Man finds the stable, peaceful life abroad is only skin deep. Underneath lies a deep rooted racial discrimination that is far worse than he ever expected. Ip Man re-examines his position and ponders on the reason he took up martial arts in the beginning. Also staring Scott Adkins and Vanness Wu, the film cost US$52M to make, and is released Stateside this week also.

With three new release movies 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-