What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th September 2021.

As reported last week, the 78th Venice International Film Festival was held between 1st and 11th September. Of the ninety-two films being showcased at the festival, twenty-one were in the Main Competition for the Golden Lion, the top award. South Korean Director and Writer Bong Joon-ho served as the Jury President for this category, with the In Competition winners as given below :-

* Golden Lion, awarded to 'HAPPENING' from France and Directed and Co-Written by Audrey Diwan. An adaptation of Annie Ernaux's 2000 novel of the same name looking back on her experience with abortion when it was still illegal in France in the 1960's.

* Grand Jury Prize, awarded to 'THE HAND OF GOD' from Italy and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Paolo Sorrentino. This drama film tells the story of a boy in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980's amidst the backdrop of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.

* Silver Lion awarded to 'THE POWER OF THE DOG', this international co-production is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Jane Campion. This drama film follows a charismatic rancher who inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, he torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.

* Volpi Cup for Best Actress, awarded to Penelope Cruz for 'PARALLEL MOTHERS' from Spain and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Pedro Almodovar. The drama film tells the story of two mothers who give birth on the same day.

* Volpi Cup for Best Actor, awarded to John Arcilla for 'ON THE JOB : THE MISSING 8' from The Phillippines and Directed and Co-Written by Erik Matti. This crime thriller offering is the sequel to 2013's 'On the Job' and here tells the story of a journalist who investigates the mysterious disappearance of his colleagues, and a prisoner who is temporarily freed to carry out assassinations.

* Golden Osella for Best Screenplay awarded to Maggie Gyllenhaal who also Directed (in her debut) and Co-Produced 'THE LOST DAUGHTER' based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The psychological drama film tells the story of a woman, who while on a summer holiday, finds herself becoming obsessed with another woman and her daughter, prompting memories of her own early motherhood to come back and unravel her.

* Special Jury Prize awarded to 'IL BUCO' from Italy and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Michelangelo Frammartino. This drama film recounts the extraordinary adventure of the young members of the Piedmont Speleological Group who, having already explored all the caves of Northern Italy, changed course in August 1961 and ventured south to explore other caves previously unknown to man and discover the almost 700 metre deep Bifurto Abyss in the caves of Pollino, in the southern Apennines in southern Italy.

* Marcello Mastroianni Award, presented to Fillippo Scotti for 'HAND OF GOD'. 

For the full run down of the other films showcased in the other categories plus, the winners in the Horizons section, the Venice International Critics Week and the other collateral awards, you can go to the official website at : https://www.labiennale.org

With Greater Sydney, where I live, still in COVID lockdown for another couple of weeks ending (at this stage) at the end of September, this means all of our cinema's are closed until this date, which further means that the release of the movies as given below, slated for release this week, will be delayed somewhat across certain parts of Australia at least. That said, these movies will either have been released or are set for an imminent release somewhere in the world, and as Odeon Online has an international audience, I thought it best to carry on regardless. 

Turning attention to this weeks four new release films, we start with a modern day retelling of a classic Shakespearean play that sees a New York City guy falling for the daughter of his fathers arch nemesis. Much violence will ensue. This is followed up with a drama about a man who desperately tries to keep his family of six together during a trial separation from his wife. They both agree to see other people but this man struggles to grapple with his wife's new relationship. Next up is an Aussie doco about the frightening extent to which money has infiltrated politics across all parties within the country's political spectrum. And we close out the week with a documentary film about a free-spirited 23-year-old free climbing mountaineer who makes some of the boldest solo ascents in history.

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 week ahead.

'DIE IN A GUNFIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this American romantic crime thriller is Directed by Collin Schiffli in only his third feature film outing following 2014's 'Animals' and 2018's 'All Creatures Here Below' both of which starred David Dastmalchian. The film is described as another updated retelling of William Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', was released in the US in mid-July, cost US$4M to produce, has so far earned back a paltry US$32K and has generated mostly negative critical Reviews. 

And so here, Mary Rathcart (Alexandra Daddario) and Ben Gibbon (Diego Boneta) are the star-crossed black sheep of two powerful families embroiled in a centuries-long feud – and they’re about to reignite an affair after many years separated. Their forbidden love will trigger the dominoes that will draw in Mukul (Wade Allain-Marcus), Ben’s best friend, who owes him a life debt; Terrence (Justin Chatwin), Mary’s would-be protector-turned-stalker; Wayne (Travis Fimmel), an Aussie hitman with an open mind and a code of ethics; and his free-spirited girlfriend, Barbie (Emmanuelle Chriqui). As fists and bullets fly, it becomes clear that violent delights will have violent ends. Billy Crudup provides the voice of the Narrator to this story. 

'THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS' (Rated M) - is an American drama film Directed, Written, Co-Produced and Edited by Robert Machoian, who has numerous film making credits to his name, but only four feature films taking in this one and 'When She Runs' in 2018, 'God Bless the Child' in 2015 and 'Forty Years from Yesterday' in 2013, with 'The Integrity of Joseph Chambers' currently in post-production. Here then David (Clayne Crawford) desperately tries to keep his family of six together during a separation from his wife Nikki (Sepideh Moafi). They both agree to see other people but David struggles to grapple with his wife's new relationship with Derek (Chris Coy). While going through a trial separation David contemplates killing both Nikki and Derek. The film had its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival way back in January 2020, was released in the US in mid-May this year, has so far taken just US$71K at the Box Office but has garnered universal critical acclaim and has picked up one award win and eight nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit.

'BIG DEAL' (Rated M) - this Australian documentary film is Directed by Craig Reucassel in his film making debut although he has been writing satirical Australian comedy shows since 2001, most notably multiple episodes of 'The Election Chaser', 'CNNNN : Chaser Non-Stop News Network', 'The Chaser Decides', 'The Chaser's War on Everything', 'The Chaser's Media Circus', 'The Chaser's Election Desk' and 'The Checkout' amongst a few others. This films asks 'Is our democracy for sale?' as it follows the Australian Actor, Writer, Director and video blogger Christiaan Van Vuuren, who bluntly confronts the dilemma of politics being influenced by money through his travels around the country to shine a light on public and private lobbying across all political parties. His unlikely journey shows us why we should care, and how we might be able work together to ensure our democracy is safeguarded from being sold out to the highest bidder. 

'THE ALPINIST' (Rated CTC) - Directed by the Sender Films partnership of Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen, and Executive Produced, Edited, and with additional cinematography provided by Mortimer too, this documentary film surrounds the mountain climbing exploits of the Canadian Marc-Andre Leclerc, the free spirited 23 year old who makes some of the boldest free climbing solo ascents in mountaineering history. LeClerc lives a nomadic and elusive lifestyle often off-grid and away from the cameras without a mobile phone or car, preferring to hitchhike from peak to peak in the pursuit of his pure vision of solo climbing. And so, LeClerc embarks on a solo climb in Patagonia that's more ambitious than anything he's done before. 'The Alpinist' is an intimate documentary of a young visionary who followed the trail of his own passion, despite the heaviest of possible consequences. LeClerc died in 2018 at the age of 25 having fallen from a cliff in Mendenhall Towers, Alaska. The film has garnered widespread Critical acclaim.

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 coming week, at your local Odeon, or perhaps not!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-