What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 29th August 2024

The 81st annual Venice International Film Festival is held this year from Wednesday 28th August to Saturday 7th September at Venice Lido in Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the 'Big Five' International film festivals worldwide, which include the Big Three European Film Festivals, being Venice, Cannes and Berlin, alongside the Toronto International Film Festival in Canada and the Sundance Film Festival in the United States. These festivals are internationally renowned for giving creators the artistic freedom to express themselves through film. 

This years Opening Film presentation is Tim Burton's fantasy comedy horror 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Willem Dafoe, Monica Belluci, Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux. Pupi Avati's Italian gothic horror film 'The American Garden' being the Closing Night Film.

French Actress Isabelle Huppert will serve as Jury President for the main competition, supported on the jury by, amongst others, James Gray (American filmmaker), Andrew Haigh (British filmmaker), Kleber Mendonca Filho (Brazilian filmmaker and Producer) and Julia von Heinz (German filmmaker).

There are twenty-one films in the Official International Competition all competing for the prestigious Golden Lion Award for the best film screened. Other awards include Grand Jury Prize awarded to the second best film; the Silver Lion awarded to the Best Director; the Special Jury Prize awarded to the third best film; the Volpi Cup awarded to the Best Actor and Best Actress; the Golden Osella awarded for the Best Screenplay and/or for the Best Technical Contribution and the Marcello Mastroianni Award to acknowledge an emerging Actor or Actress. Additionally, Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American Actress Sigourney Weaver will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.

Included in the twenty-one films in official competition, are the following :-

* 'Babygirl' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Halina Reijn and starring Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Sophie Wilde and Jean Reno, and is about a high-ranking CEO who embarks on a forbidden romance with a captivating intern, who is significantly younger.

* 'The Brutalist' - from the USA, the UK and Hungary and Co-Written and Directed by Brady Corbet and starring Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn, Alessandro Nivola, Jonathan Hyde, and Guy Pearce, and is about a Hungarian-born Jewish architect who survived the Holocaust, who after the end of World War II, emigrated to the US where he initially endures poverty and indignity, but he soon lands a contract with a mysterious and wealthy client, that will change the course of his life.

* 'The Order' - from the USA and Directed by Justin Kurzel and starring Jude Law, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Jurnee Smollett, Odessa Young and Marc Maron. In 1983, an Idaho-based FBI agent spots a pattern in recent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armoured car heists terrorising communities across the Pacific Northwest. He sets out to prove it is not the work of a traditional organised crime unit, but a radical group with a charismatic leader.

* 'Queer' - from Italy and the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman and Lesley Manville. Set in 1940's Mexico City, it follows a man who, after fleeing from a drug bust in New Orleans, wanders around the city's clubs and becomes infatuated with a drug user - a discharged American Navy serviceman.

* 'Harvest' - from the UK, Germany and the USA and Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari and stars Caleb Landry Jones and Harry Melling and is set in England during the Middle Ages in a time of economic turmoil where local villagers scapegoat three strangers.

* 'The Room Next Door' - from Spain and Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar and starring Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola and is about the rift between a very imperfect mother and war correspondent and her resentful daughter, as well as with the former's relationship with a female author.

* 'Joker : Folie a Deux' - from the USA and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener,  Zazie Beetz and Steve Coogan. Two years after the events of 2019's 'Joker', Arthur Fleck, now a patient at Arkham State Hospital, falls in love with a music therapist. As the duo experiences musical madness through their shared delusions, Arthur's followers start a movement to liberate him.

* 'Maria' - from the USA, Italy and German and Directed by Pablo Larrain and stars Angelina Jolie as famed opera singer Maria Callas and is set during her final years in the 1970's when she was living in Paris.

For the other titles in the Main International Competition, plus the full line-up of all the other films being showcased both in and out of competition, you can visit the official website at : https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2024

Looking at this weeks five new movies coming to a big screen Odeon close to you, we kick off with a Sci-Fi horror offering centering around a young family who are selected to test a new home device - a digital assistant, which as it learns the family's behaviours and begins to anticipate their needs, makes sure nothing, and no one, gets in her family's way. Then we turn to a horror drama film about two troubled high school students whose connection to their favourite television show drives them to question their reality and identities. Next up we have an Irish comedy drama film depicting the rise of a Belfast-based hip-hop trio; before a New Zealand adventure comedy drama about a newly introduced father and daughter who head out into the wilderness on a camping trip for the ultimate test of family bonding, watched from afar by a deadly black beast that could be the answer to all their woes. And closing out the week we have a British biographical drama film of when Brian Epstein set foot in the Cavern Club in November 1961 to watch The Beatles perform, he saw something no one else could, a glimmer of gold.

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

'AFRAID' (Rated M) - is an American Science-Fiction horror film that is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Chris Weitz whose previous Directing credits take in his debut in 2001 with 'Down to Earth', then 'About a Boy' in 2002, 'The Golden Compass' in 2007, 'The Twilight Saga : New Moon' in 2009, 'A Better Life' in 2011 and 'Operation Finale' in 2018. This film is released Stateside this week too.

Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new device, a digital assistant called AIA, that takes smart homes to the next level. Once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in the family home, AIA begins to learn everyone's behaviour and anticipate their needs, it soon becomes self-aware and makes sure nothing and no one gets in the family's way. Also starring Katherine Waterston, David Dastmalchian and Keith Carradine.

'I SAW THE TV GLOW' (Rated M) - this American horror drama film is Written and Directed by Jane 
Schoenbrun in what is described as the second entry to their Screen Trilogy, following the 2021 film 'We're All Going to the World's Fair'. Teenager Owen (Justice Smith) is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate Maddy Wilson (Brigette Lundy-Paine) introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show titled 'The Pink Opaque', which presents a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, the friends view of their reality and identities begins to crack. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far grossed over US$5M.

'KNEECAP' (Rated MA15+) - is a comedy drama film that is written for the screen, based on a story conceived, and Directed by Rich Peppiatt in his feature film making debut although he has helmed two documentaries previously, the first 'One Rogue Reporter' in 2014 and 'Who Killed the KLF?' in 2018, plus a number of short films and TV series. When fate brings a Belfast teacher JJ O Dochartaigh (playing himself) into the orbit of self-confessed 'lowlife scum' Liam O Hannaidh (playing himself) and Naoise O Caireallain (playing himself), the needle drops on a hip-hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish language, under the bands name 'Kneecap' they soon lead a movement to save their mother tongue. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Sundance Film Festival in mid-January this year, the first film in the Irish language to do so, where it won the NEXT Audience Award. The film was released in its native Ireland and in the US in early August, in the UK last week, has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$949K. It also stars Michael Fassbender.

'BOOKWORM' (Rated PG) - this New Zealand adventure comedy drama film is is based on a story, and Directed by Ant Timpson in his second feature film offering following 'Come to Daddy' in 2019. Here, Mildred's (Nell Fisher) life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and her estranged Magician father, Strawn Wise (Elijah Wood), returns from the US to look after her. Strawn takes Mildred camping in the rugged New Zealand wilderness to seek out the mythical Canterbury panther, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding. The film was released in New Zealand earlier in August and has generated largely favourable reviews. Also starring Michael Smiley.

'MIDAS MAN' (Rated M) - is a British biographical film Directed by Joe Stephenson who made his feature film debut with 'Chicken' in 2015, the acclaimed 2018 documentary 'McKellen : Playing the Part' and 'Doctor Jekyll' in 2023. This film tracks how Brian Epstein (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd) rose to prominence by managing a series of popular recording artists including The Beatles, Cilla Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers before his sudden death in 1967 at the age of 32. Also starring Emily Watson and Eddie Marsan as Epstein's mother and father respectively, with Jay Leno and Eddie Izzard too.

With five 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-