What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 6th May 2021.

The 36th Film Independent Spirit Awards were held two days before the Academy Awards on Friday 22nd April at the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California and hosted by the American actress, stand-up comedian, impressionist, visual artist, and singer Melissa Villasenor. Founded in 1984, this years awards honoured the best independent films and television series of 2020 with the winners initially presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the bare budgets of independent films. Since 2006 however, winners have received a metal trophy depicting a bird with its wings spread sitting at the top of a pole with the shoestrings from the previous design wrapped around the pole. The show is produced by Film Independent, a not-for-profit arts organisation, and Film Independent members vote to determine the winners of the Spirit Awards.

For the full list of this years winners, and the runners-up, refer below :-

Best Feature

* Awarded to 'NOMADLAND', beating out 'First Cow', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', 'Minari' and 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always'.

Best Director

* Awarded to CHLOE ZHAO for 'NOMADLAND', beating out Lee Isaac Chung for 'Minari', Emerald Fennell for 'Promising Young Woman', Eliza Hittman for 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always' and Kelly Reichardt for 'First Cow'.

Best First Feature

* Awarded to DARIUS MARDER for 'SOUND OF METAL', beating out Radha Blank for 'The Forty-Year-Old Version', Heidi Ewing for 'I Carry You with Me', Edson Oda for 'Nine Days' and Channing Godfrey Peoples for 'Miss Juneteenth'.

Best Documentary Feature

* Awarded to 'CRIP CAMP', beating out 'Collective', 'Dick Johnson Is Dead', 'The Mole Agent' and 'Time'.

Best International Film

* Awarded to 'QUO VADIS, AIDA?' from Bosnia and Herzegovina, beating out 'Bacurau' from Brazil, 'The Disciple' from India, 'Night of Kings' from the Ivory Coast and 'Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time' from Hungary.

Best Male Lead

* Awarded to RIZ AHMED for 'SOUND OF METAL', beating out Chadwick Boseman for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', Adarsh Gourav for 'White Tiger', Rob Morgan for 'Bull' and Steven Yuen for 'Minari'.

Best Female Lead

* Awarded to CAREY MULLIGAN for 'PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN', beating out Nicole Beharie for 'Miss Juneteenth', Viola Davis for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', Sidney Flanigan for 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always', Julia Garner for 'The Assistant' and Frances McDormand for 'Nomadland'.

Best Supporting Male

* Awarded to PAUL RACI for 'SOUND OF METAL', beating out Colman Domingo for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', Orion Lee for 'First Cow', Glynn Turman for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' and Benedict Wong for 'Nine Days'.

Best Supporting Female

* Awarded to YOUN YUH-JUNG for 'MINARI', beating out Alexis Chikaeze for 'Miss Juneteenth', Yeri Han for 'Minari', Valerie Mahaffey for 'French Exit' and Talia Ryder for 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always'.

Best Screenplay

* Awarded to EMERALD FENNEL for 'PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN', beating out Lee Isaac Chung for 'Minari', Eliza Hittman for 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always', Mike Makowsky for 'Bad Education' and Alice Wu for 'The Half of It'. 

Best First Screenplay

* Awarded to ANDY SIARA for 'PALM SPRINGS', beating out Kitty Green for 'The Assistant', Noah Hutton for 'Lapsis', Channing Godfrey Peoples for 'Miss Juneteenth' and James Sweeney for 'Straight Up'.

Best Cinematography

* Awarded to JOSHUA JAMES RICHARDS for 'NOMADLAND', beating out 'She Dies Tomorrow, 'Bull', 'The Assistant' and 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always'.

Best Editing

* Awarded to CHLOE ZHAO for 'NOMADLAND', beating out 'The Invisible Man', 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always', 'Residue' and 'I Carry You with Me'.

In addition, Special Awards are given as follows :-

* John Cassavetes Award given to the best feature made for under US$500K - recipients are the Writer, Director, and Producer and awarded to 'RESIDUE'.

* Robert Altman Award given to its film Director, Casting Director, and ensemble cast and presented to 'ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI . . .'.
* Producers Award given to emerging Producers, who despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to create quality independent films. The winner receives a US$25K unrestricted cash grant, and presented to GERRY KIM.

* Someone to Watch Award given to a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The winner receives a US$25K unrestricted cash grant, and presented to EKWA MSANGI for 'FAREWELL AMOR'.

* Truer than Fiction Award given to an emerging Director of non-fiction features who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The winner receives a US$25K unrestricted cash grant, and presented to ELEGANCE BRATTON for 'PIER KIDS'.

For the complete summary of awards winners from all categories, including TV, plus a whole lot more, you can visit the official website at : https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/

And so, turning the attention back to this weeks five latest release new films coming to an Odeon near you, we kick off with a thriller about a successful married man, who after a one night stand finds himself entangled in a cunning police detective's latest investigation. This is followed up with a story about a couple whose relationship is on the rocks and growing worse during a pandemic lock down, who attempt a high-risk, high-stakes jewellery heist at a renowned London department store. Next up is an Aussie tale about a woman who, after being given a medical miracle, has a few days to bring her estranged children together, bring the family business back from the brink of ruin and potentially reignite an old flame. Then comes a French biopic set in 1940 when France collapses to Germany and a newly appointed two star General heads to London to establish the resistance while his wife and children look to get the hell outta Dodge! And we wrap up the week with a determined young Saudi doctor's surprise run for office in the local city elections sweeps up her family and community as they struggle to accept their town's first female candidate.

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

'FATALE' (Rated MA15+) - this American thriller film is Directed and Co-Produced by Deon Taylor whose prior film making outings include 2010's 'Chain Letter', 2018's 'Traffik', and 2019's 'The Intruder' and 'Black and Blue'. It was initially scheduled to be released in late June 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then scheduled to be released in late October 2020, however, it was then pushed back to 2021 before being moved up to a mid-December 2020 release which ultimately became 8th January 2021 via VoD. The film has so far grossed close to US$7M and has generated mixed or average Reviews. 

After a wild one-night stand, Derrick Tyler (Michael Ealy), a successful sports agent, watches his perfect life slowly disappear when he discovers that the sexy and mysterious woman he risked everything for, is a determined police detective Valerie Quinlan (Hilary Swank) who entangles him in her latest investigation. As he tries desperately to put the pieces together, he falls deeper into her trap, risking his family, his career, and even his life. Also starring Mike Colter and Damaris Lewis. 

'LOCKED DOWN' (Rated M) - is a romantic comedy heist film Directed by Doug Liman whose prior film making credits include 'Swingers', 'The Bourne Identity', 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith', 'Edge of Tomorrow', 'American Made' and 'Chaos Walking' most recently. The screenplay was written by Steven Knight in July 2020, financed and filmed entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic over just an eighteen day period in October 2020 for a budget of about US$3M. The film was released in the US on HBO Max in January 2021, and has garnered mixed or average Reviews. And so here, waiting to go their separate ways after the end of a lockdown, Linda (Anne Hathaway) and Paxton (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a disgruntled London-based couple, attempt a high-risk heist at the Harrods department store that surprisingly brings them closer together. Also starring Stephen Merchant, Mindy Kaling, Lucy Boynton, Mark Gatiss, Claes Bang, Ben Stiller, and Ben Kingsley.

'JUNE AGAIN' (Rated M) - this Australian comedy drama is Directed and Written by J.J. Winlove in only his second feature film outing following 2015's 'Life Is Risky'. During an all too fleeting bout of lucidity from her dementia, June Wilton (Noni Hazlehurst) has precious little time to reconnect with her estranged now adult children Ginny (Claudia Karvan) and Devon (Stephen Curry) and subsequently learns that things have not gone quite according to plan. With limited time on her hands she sets about putting everything and everyone back on track including her children, while attempting to save the family business, and rekindle an old flame, but she quickly discovers that in fact she needs help from the very people she was trying to rescue. Also starring Nash Edgerton. 

'DE GAULLE' (Rated M) - Written and Directed by Gabriel Le Bomin here it is May 1940, where the war between Germany and its neighbours has intensified. Shockingly, the French army collapses, and Hitler seizes Paris. The government is in panic and considers accepting defeat, but recently promoted two-star General Charles de Gaulle (Lambert Wilson), wants to change the course of history. His wife, Yvonne (Isabelle Carre), is his first support, but very quickly events spiral out of control and separate them – she and their three children Anne, Philippe and Elisabeth (Clemence Hittin, Felix Back and Lucie Rouxel respectively) set out on the roads of exodus, as Charles travels to London to meet with Winston Churchill (Tim Hudson). He wants to make another voice heard, that of resistance! 

'THE PERFECT CANDIDATE' (Rated PG) - this Saudi Arabia drama offering is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Haifaa al-Mansour whose previous film making credits include 'Wadjda' in 2012, 'Mary Shelley' in 2017, and 'Nappily Ever After' in 2018. This film saw its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival back in late August 2019 where it was in competition for the Golden Lion, before its initial release in Spain in March 2020, has so far taken US$1.2M at the Box Office, now gets a limited release in Australia and has garnered generally positive critical acclaim so far. When Dr. Maryam Alsafan (Mila Al Zahrani) a hardworking young doctor in a small-town clinic, is prevented from flying to Dubai for a conference without a male guardian's approval, she seeks help from a politically connected cousin but inadvertently registers as a candidate for the municipal council. Maryam sees the election as a way to fix the muddy road in front of her clinic, but her campaign slowly generates much broader appeal. 

With five 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 coming week, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-