What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 2nd November 2023

The 29th Geneva International Film Festival this year runs from Friday 3rd until Sunday 12th November in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1995, this is Geneva’s oldest film festival and one of the first in the world to include television in its programmes. A crossroads of genres and disciplines, a place of experimentation, encounters and celebration, it offers every year for ten days, films, series, interactive installations and virtual reality works to some 50,000 festival-goers. The largest space in Switzerland dedicated to immersive arts, the GIFF has become one of the major events in Europe.

This years Opening Ceremony film presentation is 'DAAAAAALI!' from France and Written, Directed, photographed and Edited by Quentin Dupieux, and is about a French journalist who meets the iconic surrealist artist Salvador Dalí on several occasions for a documentary project that never came to be. The Closing Ceremony film presentation is 'MONSTER' from Japan and is Directed and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda and tells the story of a mother who demands answers from her young sons teacher when her son begins acting strangely.

In the International Feature Competition this year there are twelve titles, these being :-

* 'AFTER THE FIRE' - from France and Directed by Mehdi Fikri. Inspired by real events, a family is devastated after a young man dies at the hands of the Police. His sister leads the fight to uncover the truth. 

* 'BANEL & ADAMA' - from France, Senegal, Mali and Qatar and Directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy. In a village in northern Senegal, a young couple's relationship is thwarted by the ancestral weight of the community and its traditions.

* 'BLAGA'S LESSONS' - from Bulgaria and Germany and Directed by Stephan Komandarev. A teacher, who falls victim to a phone scam that robs her of her life savings, then realises that there is no way get her money back. The tables then turn as cash begins rolling in as she transforms into a scammer herself.

* 'DIE THEORIE VON ALLEM' - from Austria and Germany and Directed by Timm Kroger. Set in 1962, and a young physics PhD student attends a conference in the Alps with his research supervisor. A hotel full of mysterious characters, strange clouds and – beneath the mountain – a secret.

* 'HOLLY' - from Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg and France and Directed by Fien Troch. Holly is a strange, lonely teenager. One morning, she decides to skip school. When a ferocious fire then breaks out, this premonition gives her a very special status.

* 'SPIRIT OF ECTACY' - from France and Directed by Helena Klotz. A young girl is set to smash the glass ceiling of her social class and create a future for herself. A heroine for our times played by the singer-songwriter Pomme, acting alongside the rapper Fianso.

* 'POLITE SOCIETY' - from the UK and Directed by Nida Manzoor. Ria, a martial arts enthusiast, aspires to become a stuntwoman. A close yet volatile relationship with her sister will lead her to try and sabotage her sisters forthcoming wedding.

* 'SIDONIE IN JAPAN' - from France, Germany, Switzerland and Japan and Directed by Elise Gerard and starring Isabelle Huppert. In Japan to promote her book, a well-known French writer sees her life turned upside down. A little exile in the land of ghosts allows her to make the connection between her past and present.

* 'SNOW LEOPARD' from China and Directed by Pema Tseden. On a Tibetan plateau at an altitude of 4,000 meters, beside a majestic lake, a shepherd, a monk/photographer and several government officials argue about a snow leopard.

* 'THE SWEET EAST' - from the USA and Directed by Sean Price Williams. A young girl runs away from home and encounters a parade of strange characters. In the course of her wanderings, a dark portrait of America emerges, fractured and fraying at the margins.

* 'UPON ENTRY' - from Spain and Directed by Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastian Vasquez. A couple with visas for a new life. She's Spanish, he's Venezuelan. The final step in their new life is an unsettling interrogation conducted by US immigration officers.

* 'HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON' - from Canada and Directed by Ariane Louis-Seize. 'You can't feed on words alone! You have your fangs, you can do it!'. Sacha is a humanist vampire, too sensitive to kill people. She comes across a lonely young man. How will this unlikely encounter pan out?

For the other film section being presented plus the details of the Film & Beyond Award and the Geneva Award, you can go to the official website at : https://2023.giff.ch/en/

Kicking off the week we have six latest new movie releases set to grace a big screen Odeon close to home, starting off with an Sci-Fi psychological thriller surrounding a couple's quiet life on a secluded rural property that is thrown into turmoil when an uninvited stranger shows up at their door with a startling proposal. Then we turn to a German thriller about a deep-sea diving trip that turns into a fight for survival for two sisters when a catastrophic landslide sends rocks tumbling into the ocean, trapping one of them below the surface. Next up we have an Aussie crime thriller that sees a getaway driver with a conscience, whose latest assignment has him driving a young unsuspecting man towards a certain fall. Following on we have a British drama set in 1988 in which a closeted teacher is pushed to the brink when a new student threatens to expose her sexuality. Then we have a Norwegian Christmas comedy horror offering that sees a group of ancient elves wreak bloody mayhem on this unsuspecting family for disrupting their hitherto peaceful lives; before closing out the week with a Chinese neo-noir offering that sees a police chief investigating a series of murders in a riverside town in rural China in the 1990's.

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

'FOE' (Rated M) - is a US and Australian co-produced Sci-Fi psychological thriller film Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Garth Davis whose breakout feature film came with his 2016 debut 'Lion' and which he would follow up with 'Mary Magdalene' in 2018 with 'A House in the Sky' currently in production and set for a future release. This film is based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Ian Reid, was shot in Melbourne and South Australia, and saw its Premiere screening at last months New York Film Festival in the Spotlight section. 

The lives of married couple Henrietta (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) are turned upside down when an uninvited stranger, Terrance (Aaron Pierre) arrives at their secluded farm which has been in Juniors family for generations, and informs them that Junior will be sent to a large space station, and his wife will be left in the company of a robot. The film has generated mixed or average reviews.

'THE DIVE' (Rated M) - this German thriller offering is Co-Written and Directed by Maximilian Erlenwein in only his third feature film outing following his 2009 debut with 'Gravity' (no not the one released in 2013 and Directed by Alfonso Cuaron and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney), and then 'Stereo' in 2014. Here, two sisters Drew (Sophie Lowe) and May (Louisa Krause) go diving at a beautiful, remote location. May is struck by a rock following an underwater landslide, leaving her trapped almost thirty meters below the surface. With dangerously low levels of oxygen and cold temperatures, it is up to Drew to fight for her life, for which she must put her own life in jeopardy and risk paying the ultimate sacrifice. But with no help in sight, time is quickly running out! The film saw its Premiere at this years Filmfest Munchen at the end of July, and has so far grossed US$954K

'BRING HIM TO ME' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian crime thriller Co-Produced, Directed, Edited and Production designed by Luke Sparke whose previous feature film making credits take in his 2016 debut with 'Red Billabong' then 'Occupation' in 2018 and its follow up 'Occupation : Rainfall' in 2020 and 'Devil Beneath' released earlier this year. He also has 'Fight For Your Life' currently in pre-production and 'Occupation Rainfall : Chapter 2' in development. Here then, under orders from a ruthless crime boss (Sam Neill), a getaway driver (Barry Pepper) must battle his conscience and drive an unsuspecting crew member (Jamie Costa) to an ambush execution. There is a long drive ahead. Also starring Rachel Griffiths and Zac Garred. 

'BLUE JEAN' (Rated M) - this British drama film is Written and Directed by Georgia Oakley in her feature film making debut. It saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice Film Festival in early September 2022, was released in the UK in mid-February this year and only now does in go on release in Australia. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim, has collected twelve award wins and a further twenty-six nominations from around the awards and festival circuit and has grossed US$694K at the Box Office. In 1988, a new law stigmatising gays and lesbians forces Jean (Rosy McEwen), a closeted gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new student catalyses a crisis that will push Jean to the edge. Also starring Kerrie Hayes and Lucy Halliday. 

'THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE BARN' (Rated M) - this Norwegian and Finish horror comedy film is Directed by Magnus Martens whose prior Directorial outings take in his debut with 'United' in 2003, then 'Jackpot' in 2011 and 'SAS : Red Notice' in 2021, having also helmed several episodes of TV series including '12 Monkeys', 'Luke Cage', 'Longmire', 'Fear the Walking Dead' and 'The Walking Dead : World Beyond'. Here, Bill (Martin Starr) inherits his uncle’s house in Norway after the man dies in a freak accident. We, of course, know it was no accident, and soon enough so will Bill, his wife (Amrita Acharia) and Bill’s kids Nora (Zoe Winther-Hansen) and Lucas (Townes Bunner) will too. They relocate from sunny California to snow driven Norway with plans to open a bed and breakfast, but complications ensue, both in the obvious cultural differences and, more ominously, what Lucas discovers living in the barn. It’s a nisse or barn elf (Kiran Shah), who's a jolly little fellow who lives there and in return helps around a farm. But it also hates bright lights, loud noises or any kind of change to its home. Faced with that it becomes not so jolly and will react violently to protect the status quo. The film has garnered generally favourable reviews, and is the first of this years Christmas movie offerings. 

'ONLY THE RIVER FLOWS' (Rated M) - is a Chinese neo-noir art film Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Wei Shujun and is based on the short story 'Mistakes By The River' by Yu Hua. The film was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of this year Cannes Film Festival in late May and has garnered largely positive critical acclaim. Here, Police Chief, Ma Zhe (Zhu Yilong), investigates a series of murders in Banpo Town - a small riverside community in rural China in the 1990's. Though an arrest is made quickly, clues push the policeman to delve deeper into the hidden behaviour of the locals and piece together the truth.

With six new release movie offerings 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 at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-