What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 24th June 2021.

This past week has seen three international film festivals draw to a close. Running from 9th June through to 20th June was the 20th Tribeca Film Festival staged in New York; running almost concurrently was the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival held from 11th June until 20th June and is considered by many to be the second largest film festival in Asia after the Tokyo International Film Festival; and then there was the 61st Annecy International Animation Film Festival which occurs in the French town of Annecy, and which this year ran from 14th June through to 19th June. 

The 'Annecy International Animation Film Festival' abbreviated as AIAFF, was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of June in the town of Annecy, France. Initially occurring every two years, the festival became an annual event in 1998. It is one of the four international animated film festivals sponsored by the International Animated Film Association. The festival is a competition between cartoon films of various techniques (animated drawings, cut-out papers, modelling clay, computer generated imagery, etc.) classified in various categories, namely, feature films, short films, films produced for television and advertising, student films and films made for the internet (since 2002).

This years feature films once again comprised an international line up, consisting the following :

* 'FLEE' - is an international Co-Produced animated documentary film Directed and Co-Written by Jonas Poher Rasmussen with Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau both serving as Executive Producers. The film had its World Premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival in late January this year, where it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Documentary section. 'Flee' won the top Cristal Award for a feature film, as well as the Gan Foundation Award for distribution, and its composer Uno Helmersson received the award for Best Original Music in a feature film.

* 'HAYOP KA! THE NIMFA DIMAANO STORY' - is an  adult animated romantic comedy film from the Philippines and US and is Directed and Co-Produced by Avid Liongoren.

* 'JIANG ZIYA : THE LEGEND OF DEIFICATION' - is a Chinese 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure film Directed by Cheng Teng and Li Wei. Featuring the mythological and fictional version of the popular Chinese figure Jiang Ziya, the plot is loosely based on the novel 'Investiture of the Gods' by Xu Zhonglin. It is a follow-up to 2019's 'Ne Zha' and the second instalment of the 'Fengshen Cinematic Universe'.

* 'LAMYA'S POEM' - is a US and Canadian Co-Produced film Directed by Alex Kronemer.

* 'JOSEE, THE TIGER AND THE FISH' - is a Japanese animated romance comedy drama film, based on a Japanese short story of the same name by Seiko Tanabe. The film is Directed by Kotaro Tamura.

* 'THE CROSSING' - is a German, French and Czech Republic Co-Production that is Directed by Florence Miailhe. This film collected the Jury Distinction Award for a feature film. 

* 'MY SUNNY MAAD' - from the Czech Republic, France and Slovakia and Directed by Michaela Pavlatova. This film picked up the Jury Award.

* 'SNOTTY BOY' - from Austria and Germany and Directed by Marcus Rosenmuller and Santiago Lopez Jover.

* 'THE APE STAR' - from Sweden, Norway and Denmark and Directed by Linda Hamback.

* 'THE DEER KING' - is a Japanese fantasy novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi. An anime film adaptation is scheduled to premiere in September this year, Directed by Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji.

* 'POUPELLE OF CHIMNEY TOWN' - from Japan and is an animated fantasy film Directed by Yusuke Hirota, featuring character designs by Atsuko Fukushima. The film is based on a picture book authored by Japanese actor and comedian, Akihiro Nishino, whom also wrote the film's screenplay and was the film's Executive Producer.

For the full details of the 61st Annecy International Animation Film Festival, the other categories showcased, the winners and the also rans plus a whole lot more, you can visit the official website at : https://www.annecy.org/home

The Winter Solstice has come and gone this week which means it's all down hill to Summer, and while it's still mid-Winter what better way is there than to spend a couple of hours in a dark place with a bunch of a strangers staring at a big screen catching a movie of your choice. And so to that end, this week we have six latest release new movies coming to your local Odeon, kicking off with a sequel to a successful 2017 film that this time sees the bodyguard continue his 'friendship' with the hitman as they try to save the assassins wife and thwart a megalomaniac from over throwing Europe. This is followed by a film version of the Broadway musical in which a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life. Next up is a story that unfolds a year after the loss of a young lads father, so he and his mother move to Western Australian to live with boys estranged grandfather. Then we turn to filmmaker Edgar Wright who explores how one rock band can be successful, underrated, hugely influential and criminally overlooked, all at the same time, as he charts a musical odyssey exploring five weird and wonderful decades celebrating the inspiring legacy of your favourite band's favourite band. Next is a Brazilian offering about a caretaker for luxury condominiums who relies on her resourcefulness and her eye for opportunity over three summers as her employers are caught in major corruption scandals. And we close out the week with a German animated feature about a young boy who embarks on an enchanting journey together with a couple of sidekicks to rescue his little sister from the evil Moon Man.

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

'THE HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD' (Rated MA15+) - Directed by the Australian Patrick Hughes this action comedy film is the sequel to 2017's 'The Hitman's Bodyguard' which he also Directed as well as 'Red Hill' in 2010, 'The Expendables 3' in 2014 with 'The Man from Toronto' set for a 2022 release. The first film collected US$177M at the global Box Office from a budget of US$69M making this sequel inevitable I guess, but that initial success is no guarantee of further acclaim, as this instalment has so far garnered largely negative Reviews and has taken US$25M off the back of a US$60M production budget since it opened in the US last week. 

And so here, the world's most dangerous and deadly odd couple, bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) are back in action for another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius's even more volatile wife, the infamous international con artist Sonia Kincaid (Salma Hayek). As Bryce is driven over the edge by his two most dangerous protectees, the trio get in over their heads in a global plot and soon find that they are all that stand between Europe and a vengeful and powerful madman Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas). Also starring Morgan Freeman, Richard E. Grant, Frank Grillo, Gary Oldman and Tom Hooper. With a cast that good, what could possibly go wrong??

'IN THE HEIGHTS' (Rated PG) - is an American musical drama film based on the stage musical of the same name by Quiara Alegria Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda which opened on Broadway in March 2008. Originally set to be adapted into a full length feature film in 2008, when that version fell through, the project was eventually started back up in 2016, with Jon M. Chu set to Direct. Chu has previously helmed other features including 'Step Up 2 : The Streets', 'G.I.Joe : Retaliation', 'Now You See Me 2', and 'Crazy Rich Asians'. And of course Lin-Manuel Miranda is the man behind the immensely successful stage play 'Hamilton' who also Co-Produces here. In Washington Heights, New York the scent of warm coffee hangs in the air just outside of the 181st St. subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies a vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is a likable and magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life. Also starring Corey Hawkins, Jimmy Smits and Marc Anthony. The film has garnered universal critical praise and has so far taken US$22M at the Box Office off the back of its US$55M budget since its release in the US earlier this month.

'BUCKLEY'S CHANCE' (Rated PG) - this Canadian and Australian Co-Produced drama film is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Tim Brown whose previous film making outings are 'The Cradle' in 2007, 'Devil in the Dark' in 2017, the video 'Treasure Hounds' that same year with 'The Retirement Plan' due in 2022 with Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman. And so here, following the loss of his father, the young boy Ridley (Milan Burch) is forced to move to the Australian outback to live with his estranged Grandfather Spencer (Bill Nighy). During his adventures he becomes lost and befriends a dingo excluded from its own pack. A strong bond is formed in the harsh Australian outback as the two try to make their way home. Also starring Martin Sacks and Victoria Hill.

'THE SPARKS BROTHERS' (Rated M) - is a documentary film Directed and Co-Produced by Edgar Wright whose prior film making credits take in the likes of 'Shaun of the Dead', 'Hot Fuzz', 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World', 'The World's End', 'Baby Driver' and the yet to be released 'Last Night in Soho'. The film is about Ron and Russell Mael, members of the pop and rock duo 'Sparks' who are still going strong having formed in 1967 albeit under a different name, and have subsequently released twenty-four albums with a 25th currently in production. Possibly their most successful hit was 1974's 'This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us'. Featuring interviews and conversations with film, TV and music personalities including Beck, Flea, Bjork, Jonathan Ross, Mike Myers, Vince Clarke, Andy Bell, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Nick Heyward and many others. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival in January of this year and was released Stateside last week to universal critical acclaim.

'THREE SUMMERS' (Rated PG) - this Brazilian dark comedy drama is Directed and written for the screen by Sandra Kogut. Unfolding over the course of three consecutive summers - 2015 to 2017 - the film follows Mada (Regina Case), a fifty-something caretaker for a cluster of luxury beach-side condos owned by a wealthy Rio de Janeiro family, as she invests in a roadside snack kiosk while tending to the every need of her condescending employers. She becomes a bystander in a major money-laundering scandal, which eventually launches a whole new career for herself. With every dizzying new turn of events, Mada manages to retain her high spirits, her sense of loyalty to those who deserve it - and her eagle eye for opportunity. It was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the September 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.

'MOONBOUND' (Rated PG) - this German animated feature film is based on one of Germany's most popular children's books and is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Ali Samadi Ahadi. The film tells the story of Pete who embarks on a magical journey to the moon to find his little sister Anne. Together with June bug Mr. Zoomzeman and the Sandman they seek to rescue Anne from the evil Moon Man.

With six 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-