What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 5th December 2024

This years Red Sea International Film Festival launches on Thursday 5th December and run through until Saturday 14th December. It is the fourth edition of the festival. Launched in 2019, the Red Sea International Film Festival represents the Red Sea Film Foundation’s main initiative, to offer an international Saudi platform that celebrates excellence in film, opening its doors to the world. The annual event embraces the vibrant creative energy of Jeddah, the Kingdom, and the Arab region as a whole, presenting programmes for film lovers, filmmakers, and the industry at large. Each year, the Festival adopts a dedicated theme, all geared towards the art of film and culture, making it a new destination for Arab and international cinema with lively, diverse programmes designed around the audiences. There is something for everyone - from local creatives, cinephiles, and families, to international industry professionals.

The Red Sea Competition features sixteen films, these are :-

* 'To Kill a Mongolian Horse' - from Malaysia, Hong Kong, USA, South Korea, Japan and Thailand and Written and Directed by Xiaoxuan Jiang.

* 'To a Land Unknown' - from the UK, Palestine, France, Greece, Netherlands, Germany, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Mahdi Fleifel.

* 'Superboys of Malegaon' - from India and Co-Produced and Directed by Reema Kagti.

* 'Songs of Adam' - from Iraq, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Oday Rasheed.

* 'Snow White' - from Egypt and Written and Directed by Taghrid Abouelhassan.

* 'Sima's Song' - from Netherlands, France, Spain, Taiwan and Afghanistan and Co-Written and Directed by Roya Sadat.

* 'Seeking Haven for Mr. Rambo' - from Egypt and Saudi Arabia and Co-Written and Directed by Khaled Mansour.

* 'Saify' - from Saudi Arabia and Written and Directed by Wael Abu Mansour.

* 'Saba' - from Bangladesh and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Maksud Hossain.

* 'Red Path' - from Tunisia, France, Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lotfi Achour.

* 'My Friend An Delie' - from China and Co-Written, Directed and starring Dong Zijian.

* 'Moon' - from Austria and Written and Directed by Kurdwin Ayub.

* 'Hanami' - from Switzerland, Portugal and Cape Verde and Co-Written and Directed by Denise Fernandes.

* 'Bin U Bin, Elsewhere the Border' - from Algeria and France and Co-Written and Directed by Mohamed Lakhdar Tati.

* 'Aicha' - from Tunisia, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Written and Directed by Mehdi M. Barsaoui.

* '6 AM' - from Iran and Turkey and Written and Directed by Mehran Modiri.

For the full descriptors of the films mentioned above, plus the details of the other film strands being showcased, plus a whole lot more, you can go to the official website at : https://redseafilmfest.com/en/

Turning the attention then back to this weeks six new movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with a Western by an acclaimed Actor in only his second Directorial outing about two pioneers who must fight for their lives and their love on the American frontier during the Civil War. Next up we have a dark comedy horror that sees the leaders of seven wealthy democracies get lost in the woods while drafting a statement on a global crisis, facing danger as they attempt to find their way out. Following on is an action horror film about two scientists who try to stop a mutation that turns people into werewolves after being touched by a super-moon the year before. Then we turn to a French romantic drama offering that sees a famous screen Actor in a moment of career crisis retreating to a coastal spa town, where an encounter with an old flame stirs up unresolved feelings from the past. This is followed by the story of a seventy-year-old woman who has lived a solitary life since the death of her husband thirty years ago, until now, and chooses to revive her love life, when a chance encounter becomes an unforgettable evening. And closing out the week we have an animated biographical documentary comedy charting the life and career of American musician Pharrell Williams.

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.

'THE DEAD DON'T HURT' (Rated M) - this Canadian, Danish and Mexican Co-Produced Western film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed, Scored and also stars Viggo Mortensen and is Mortensen's second feature film making outing following 'Falling' in 2020. This film saw its Premiere screening at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September 2023, had its cinema release in the US at the end of May this year and was released in Denmark on 13th June, having received generally favourable reviews from critics, and so far taken US$1.9M at the Box Office.

Set in the US wild west frontier of the 1860's, Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps) is a fiercely independent woman who embarks on a relationship with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen (Viggo Mortensen). After meeting Olsen in San Francisco, she agrees to travel with him to his home near the quiet town of Elk Flats, Nevada, where they begin a life together. The outbreak of the Civil War separates them when Olsen decides to fight for the Union. This leaves Vivienne to fend for herself in a place controlled by corrupt Mayor Rudolph Schiller (Danny Huston) and his unscrupulous business partner, powerful rancher Alfred Jeffries (Garret Dillahunt). Alfred's violent, wayward son Weston (Solly McLeod) aggressively pursues Vivienne, who is determined to resist his unwanted advances. When Olsen returns from the war some five years later, he and Vivienne must confront and make peace with the person each has become.

'RUMOURS' (Rated M) - is a black comedy film Written and Directed by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson with the trio having previously helmed 'The Green Fog' together in 2017. Here, world leaders meet at the G7 summit but get lost in the woods whilst trying to compose a joint statement on an unspecified global crisis. Beset by thick fog and menaced by undead bog bodies and a giant brain, they navigate the tortured passions between them. Starring Cate Blanchett, Charles Dance, Roy Dupuis, Denis Menochet, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rolando Ravello, Takehiro Hira, Zlatko Buric, and Alicia Vikander. The film had its World Premiere at this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, and has received generally positive critical reviews. It was released Stateside in mid-October and has so far grossed US$572K.

'WEREWOLVES' (Rated MA15+) - is an American action horror thriller film Co-Produced and Directed by Steven C. Miller who made his feature film debut with 'Automaton Transfusion' in 2006 and he would go on to Direct the likes of 'Silent Night' in 2012, 'Marauders' in 2016, 'First Kill' in 2017, 'Escape Plan 2 : Hades' in 2018 and 'Line of Duty' in 2019. Here then, a supermoon event triggered a latent gene in every human on the planet, causing anyone exposed to the moonlight to transform into werewolves killing millions overnight. A year later, the world attempts to prepare for another supermoon. Starring Frank Grillo and Lou Diamond Phillips. The film is released in the US this week too.

'OUT OF SEASON' (Rated M) - this French romantic drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Stephane Brize whose prior film making credits include 'The Measure of a Man' in 2015, 'A Woman's Life' in 2016, 'At War' in 2018 and 'Another World' in 2021. Laurent (Guillaume Canet), is approaching fifty, and a well-known Actor who lives in Paris. Alice (Alba Rohrwacher) is a forty-something piano teacher who lives in a small seaside town. They fell in love about fifteen years earlier, but then broke up. Time has passed, each of them went their separate ways, wounds have healed and anger has subsided. When Laurent tries to drown his sorrows in a Jacuzzi at a spa, he finds Alice by chance. The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at last years Venice International Film Festival, where it Premiered in early September 2023. It was released in cinema's in France in late March this year, and has garnered generally positive reviews. 

'MY FAVOURITE CAKE' (Rated M) - is an international Co-Production between Iran, France, Sweden and Germany and is Written and Directed by Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, with the latter also Co-Producing and Co-Editing. Seventy year old Mahin (Lily Farhadpour) lives alone in Tehran since her husband’s death some thirty years ago, and her daughter’s departure for Europe, until an afternoon tea with friends leads her to break her solitary routine and revitalise her love life. But as Mahin opens herself up to new romance, what begins as an unexpected encounter with Faramarz (Esmail Mehrabi) quickly evolves into an unpredictable, unforgettable evening. The film saw its World Premiere screening in mid-February this year at the main competition for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, and has generated positive critical acclaim.

'PIECE BY PIECE' (Rated CTC) - this American animated biographical documentary comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, and Directed by filmmaker Morgan Neville in his animated Directorial debut. It follows the life and career of American musician Pharrell Williams, who stars in the film, through the lens of Lego animation, and marks the sixth theatrical Lego-based released film. As well as Williams and Neville, the film also stars the voices of Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg. The Lego Group created minifigure pieces that better represent the styles of African-American culture, as well as Williams's frequent collaborators, and designed new pieces for music equipment. Williams, who also Produces, wrote five original songs for the film. 'Piece by Piece' saw it premiere at the Telluride Film Festival at the end of August this year and was released in the US and Canada in mid-October, having received generally positive reviews from critics, but became a box office bomb grossing US$10M from a US$16M production budget.

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-