What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 15th October 2020.

The British Film Institute London Film Festival is currently in full swing having opened on 7th October and running through until 18th October. This year marks the 64th BFI London Film Festival and this year the programme of cinema screenings and at-home viewings looks very different thanks to the ongoing impact of COVID-19. The festival is being showcased all across the UK, inviting its audience to experience the world’s best new films wherever you are. Twelve days of UK premieres are being made available to enjoy online via BFI Player or in cinemas at BFI Southbank, around London, and throughout the UK. Steve McQueen's 'Mangrove' opened the festival and the closing night film is Francis Lee's 'Ammonite'. 

Of the other fifty-six feature films either being shown virtually or in theatres dotted around the UK, those to watch out for include :

* 'Another Round' - Directed by Thomas Vinterberg , this Danish film stars Mads Mikkelsen. 

* 'Limbo' - Directed and Written by Ben Shurrock, this UK produced film stars Amir El-Masry and Sidse Babett Knudsen.

* 'Nomadland' - Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Chloe Zhao, this American film stars Frances McDormand and Davis Strathairn. 

* 'Notturno' - Directed, Co-Produced and Written by Gianfranco Rosi this is an Italian, French and German co-produced documentary. 

* 'One Night in Miami' - Directed by Regina King, this American film stars Ben-Adir Kingsley, Eli Goree, Aldis Hodge and Leslie Odom Jnr. 

* 'Stray' - Directed and Co-Produced by Elizabeth Lo in her feature film making debut, this is an American documentary.

* 'Mogul Mowgli' - Directed and Co-Written by Bassam Tariq in his feature film making debut, this British film stars Riz Ahmed and Alyy Khan. 

* 'Shirley' - Directed by Josephine Decker this American feature film drama stars Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young and Logan Lerman. 

* 'Siberia' - Directed and Co-Written by Abel Ferrara, this Italian, German and Mexican co-produced thriller film stars Willem Dafoe.

* 'Wildfire' - Directed and Written by Cathy Brady in her feature film making debut, this British film stars Nika McGuigan and Nora Jane Noone. 

* 'David Byrne's American Utopia' - Directed and Co-Produced by Spike Lee this American concert film stars David Byrne.

* 'The Disciple' - Directed and Written by Chaitanya Tamhane, and Executive Produced by Alfonso Cuaron, this Indian production stars Aditya Modak and Arun David.

* 'The Painter and the Thief' - Directed by Benjamin Ree, this is a Norwegian documentary film. 

* 'Ammonite' - Directed and Written by Francis Lee this British drama film stars Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones and James McArdle. Selected a the Closing Night feature film. 

* 'Herself' - Directed by Phyllida Lloyd this Irish and British co-produced drama stars Clare Dunne, Harriet Walter and Conleth Hill.

* 'Lovers Rock' - Directed and Co-Written by Steve McQueen as part of his 'Small Axe' anthology this British film stars Amarah-Jae St Aubyn, Michael Ward and Shaniqua Okwok.

* 'Supernova' - Directed by Harry Macqueen this British drama film stars Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci.

* 'Undine' - Directed and Written by Christian Petzold, this German drama stars Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski.

* 'Possessor' - this Brandon Cronenberg (son of David) Written and Directed thriller is a Canadian and British co-production starring Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott and Sean Bean. 

* 'Relic' - Directed and Co-Written by Natalie Erika James this Australian and American co-produced horror film stars Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin and Bella Heathcote.

* 'Rose : A Love Story' - is Directed by Jennifer Sheridan in her feature film debut. This British horror film stars Sophie Rundle, Matt Stokoe and Olive Gray.

* 'Identifying Features' ('Sin Senas Particulares') - Directed and Co-Written by Fernanda Valadez this Mexican and Spanish drama film stars Mercedes Hernandez, David Illescas and Juan Jesus Varela.

* 'Mangrove' - Directed and Co-Written by Steve McQueen as part of his 'Small Axe' anthology this British drama film stars Letitia Wright, Malachi Kirby, Jack Lowden and Shaun Parkes. Selected as the Opening Night feature film.

* 'Time' - Directed and Co-Produced by Garrett Bradley this is an American documentary.

* 'Soul' - is Directed by Pete Docter and Kemp Powers in this Pixar animated feature film starring the voices of Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs and Angela Bassett. 

For all the latest news and views, you can visit the official website at : https://www.bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival

Turning to this week, we launch this weeks four latest release new movies with a crime drama film about an investigation by a LAPD cop and a reporter into the drive by shootings of two famed hip hop artists in 1996 and 1997, before turning to a drama about a couple living in an English seaside town when their relationship is rocked by the announcement of the husband who states that he wants a divorce after 29 years of marriage. Next up is a political comedy about the wheelings and dealings within the US political system to secure votes, and we close out the week with a documentary about a young teenagers quest to reverse the global impacts of climate change. 

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 or 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.

'CITY OF LIES' (Rated MA15+) - this American crime film is Directed by Brad Furman whose previous film making credits take in 'The Take', 'The Lincoln Lawyer', 'Runner Runner' and 'The Infiltrator'. Based on the 2002 book 'LAbyrinth' by Randall Sullivan, this film was originally scheduled for an early September 2018 release but was subsequently pulled from release due at the time to a later unsubstantiated legal claim. Following the films Premier screening out of competition at the Courmayeur Noir Film Festival in Italy as the closing film, it saw a limited release in Italy in January 2019, and has so far taken US$1.6M at the Box Office. Only now does it go on release in Australia. 

The film tells the story of former LAPD detective, Russell Poole (Johnny Depp), who in 1997 is working the homicide investigations of rappers Tupac Shakur (the highly successful American hip hop artist, who was fatally shot on 7th September 1996, in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was 25 years old) and The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace, better known by his stage names 'the Notorious B.I.G.' and 'Biggie Smalls', occurred in the early hours of 9th March 1997. The hip hop artist was shot four times in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, California. He was 24 years old). A reporter (based on journalist Randall Sullivan's collaboration with Russell Poole), 'Jack' Jackson (Forest Whitaker), teams up with Poole after nearly two decades to find out the truth. Also starring Xander Berkeley, Shea Whigham and Toby Huss.

'HOPE GAP' (Rated M) - is a British drama film Written and Directed by William Nicholson and based on his own stage play from 1999 'The Retreat from Moscow', and whose previous Screenwriting credits take in 'Shadowlands', 'First Knight', 'Firelight' (which he also Directed), 'Gladiator', 'Elizabeth : The Golden Age', 'Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom', 'Unbroken, 'Everest' and 'Breathe'. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September 2019, went on release in the UK towards the end of August and now it gets a limited release in Australia, having garnered mixed or average Reviews so far, and taking just US$113K at the Box Office. Here, Grace (Annette Bening) lives an idyllic life in a British seaside town, but her world soon comes crashing down when her husband Edward (Bill Nighy) of almost thirty years tells her he's leaving her for another woman. Through stages of shock, disbelief and anger, and with support from her son Jamie (Josh O'Connor), Grace in time, regains her footing while learning it's never too late to be happy.

'IRRESISTIBLE' (Rated M) - Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jon Stewart, this American  political comedy film was released in selected theatres and through Premium Video on Demand in the US at the back end of June, has so far taken US$212K and has generated mixed or average Reviews. Stewart's only other previous film making gig was with 'Rosewater' in 2014, although he has written television series and specials and has forty-eight Producer credits and thirty-four Actor credits to his name too. And so here we have successful Democratic Party campaign strategist Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell) who is in despair after the results of the 2016 presidential election. Gary is shown a viral video of Marine Colonel Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) giving a speech standing up for the undocumented immigrant population living in his hometown of Deerlaken, Wisconsin. Deciding that if he can run Hastings as the Democratic mayoral candidate in the next election, he can convince the American people in the heartland to vote Democrat in the next presidential election. If only it were that simple! Also starring Rose Byrne, Mackenzie Davis, Topher Grace, Natasha Lyonne and Debra Messing. 

'I AM GRETA' (Rated CTC) - this internationally Co-Produced documentary film is Directed by Nathan Grossman, saw its World Premier showing at the Venice International Film Festival in early September, then at TIFF the following week and goes on release here in Australia, the UK and Germany this week and in the US in mid-November. Having received generally favourable Reviews, this film starts with Greta Thunberg's one-person school strike for climate action outside the Swedish Parliament. Then following Greta, a shy student with Asperger’s, in her rise to prominence and her galvanising global impact as she sparks school strikes around the world. The film culminates with her extraordinary wind-powered voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City.

With four 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-