What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st October 2020.

The 58th New York Film Festival is currently in full swing having opened on 17th September and running through until 11th October. This years opening film is Director Steve McQueen's 'Lovers Rock', with Chloe Zhao's already acclaimed 'Nomadland' being the Centrepiece and 'French Exit' by Azazel Jacobs being the closing night film. The festival presents a mix of in-person and virtual screenings, partnering with various local institutions to offer drive-in screenings. Maintaining pace with global film culture amid the Coronavirus pandemic, the festival brings a more streamlined and eclectic mix of shorts, experimental cinema, documentaries and auteur films.

This years Main Slate of films also includes another twenty two new features from around the world. Included in this line up are :-

* 'Mangrove' - Directed also by Steve McQueen as an anthology of five films about the lives of black people living in Great Britain that he has made under the 'Small Axe' heading that launched with festival opener 'Lovers Rock'. Recounting the true story of Frank Crichlow (Shaun Parkes), the Trinidad-born owner of the Notting Hill 'Mangrove' restaurant who was arrested for protesting the police’s countless acts of intimidation and brutality. This is a vivid and gripping dramatisation of these events and the resulting landmark 1970 court case of Crichlow and the other defendants, who came to be known as the Mangrove Nine.

* 'Red, White and Blue' - also Directed by Steve McQueen as an anthology of five films he has made under the 'Small Axe' heading that launched with festival opener 'Lovers Rock', continued with 'Mangrove' and concludes with this feature, with 'Education' and 'Alex Wheatle' not shown at this festival. John Boyega plays real-life figure Leroy Logan, a member of the London Metropolitan Police Force who both witnessed and experienced firsthand the organisation’s fundamental racism. The film captures Logan’s growing awareness of a system that he would one day try to dismantle from the inside, while also homing in on his relationship with his father, a victim of white police brutality who initially refuses to accept his son’s decision to enter the police force.

* 'Beginning' - in her striking feature debut, Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili tells the devastating story of a persecuted family of Jehovah’s Witness missionaries in a remote village outside of Tibilisi from the perspective of a traumatised wife and mother Yana (Ia Sukhitashvili).

* 'City Hall' - here Director, Producer and Editor Frederick Wiseman takes an in depth look at the function and practice of community, policy, and civic engagement and how this is shaping Americans’ everyday lives. This time, Wiseman trains his gaze on the inner workings of the city of Boston, taking viewers into the public and backroom discussions that can either inspire or stall municipal action.

* 'The Disciple' - Indian filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane’s here Directs a finely crafted labor of love set in the world of Hindustani classical music, starring singer, and remarkable first-time actor Aditya Modak, as a man living in Mumbai who tries to follow in the footsteps of his father and become a maestro in the Khayal raag music tradition.

* 'I Carry You With Me' - Directed by Heidi Ewing this film unexpectedly and brilliantly incorporates documentary elements into the story of a burgeoning romance between two men - Ivan (Armando Espitia), a semi-closeted young father and restaurant worker, and Gerardo (Christian Vazquez), a high school teacher who has come to terms more fully with his sexuality - who cross the border from Mexico to the U.S. in search of a new life together and new work opportunities.

* 'Malmkrog' - from Romanian Director Cristi Puiu this turn-of-the-20th-century Christmas Eve gathering among five members of the European elite at an elegant Transylvanian estate becomes the setting for an increasingly intense succession of conversations on good and evil, Jesus and the Devil, war and peace in this at times frightening vision of the simmering violence beneath the colonialist’s veneer of courtesy and formal politeness.

* 'MLK/FBI' - throughout his history changing political career, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was often treated by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement authorities like an enemy of the state. In this virtuosic documentary, Director Sam Pollard lays out a detailed account of the FBI surveillance that dogged King’s activism throughout the 1950's and ’60's.

* 'Night of the Kings' - here Ivory Coast filmmaker Philippe Lacote tells the story of a pickpocket (Kone Bakary), newly arrived at the Maca correctional facility in the Ivorian capital of Abidjan, who, in order to stay alive, must keep his fellow inmates entertained with wild tales over the course of a night.

* 'The Salt of Tears' - Director Philippe Garrel here tells the story of handsome Luc (Logann Antuofermo) who aggressively courts Djemila (Oulaya Amamra) on a Paris suburb metro in this precise and economically told moral tale, but she isn’t destined to be his one and only.

* 'Time' - examines the tireless twenty year campaign of Louisiana woman Fox Rich to secure her husband’s release after he received a  sixty year prison sentence for robbery becomes a delicate work of nonfiction cinematic alchemy in the hands of Director Garrett Bradley.

* 'Tragic Jungle' - in the 1920's, Agnes (Indira Andrewin) escapes from the white British landowner she doesn’t want to marry into the deep thickets of the tropical forest along the Rio Hondo River. Mexican filmmaker Yulene Olaizola has here crafted a gripping adventure and a contemplative rumination on the brutality and splendour of nature.

* 'The Truffle Hunters' - this revelatory, earthy documentary is Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw who immerse the viewer in the forests of Northern Italy where dogs, accompanied by their elderly and often irascible human owners of modest means, seek the precious white Alba truffle.

* 'Undine' - from German Director Christian Petzold, this melodrama centres around a pair of star-crossed lovers, Undine (Paula Beer), a historian and museum tour guide specialising in urban development, and Christoph (Franz Ragowski), an industrial diver—linked by their shared love of the water.

* 'The Woman Who Ran' - divided into three casually threaded yet distinct sections, South Korean film maker Hong Sangsoo’s latest offering sees Gamhee (Kim Minhee) as she travels without her husband for the first time in years, reconnecting with a succession of friends, on purpose and by chance.

For more news on this years 58th New York Film Festival you can visit the official website at : https://www.filmlinc.org/

This week then we have four new cinema releases to tease you out to your local Odeon. We kick off with two horror films - one from the US and the other from Russia. The first is a story that intertwines the modern day with the nineteenth century slave plantations of the deep south, but which one is reality for this successful sociologist who must face her past, present and future in order to survive. The second is set in the Russia of 1983 and how a young doctor works to save the life of a cosmonaut who has returned from space with a mystery organism living inside him. Next up we turn to a legal drama that in 1969 and 1970 saw seven protesters held to account for inciting riots, that was to become one of the most notorious trials in history. And we close out the week with a New York woman and her impulsive, larger than life father trying to find out if her husband is having an affair.

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 coming week.

'ANTEBELLUM' (Rated MA15+) - is an American horror film Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz in their feature filmmaking debuts. Originally slated for an end of April release date, this was pushed back due to the impacts of COVID-19 to the 20th August before being temporarily suspended from the release schedule all together. Subsequently, the film was released through video on demand on 18th September in the US, but now gets a theatrical release in Australia from this week. Costing US$15M, the film has so far recouped just under US$2M and has garnered mixed or average Reviews so far. 

In the present day successful African American sociologist Veronica Henley (Janelle Monae) finds herself trapped in the horrifying reality of a nineteenth century Southern Confederate slave plantation overseen by a harsh Confederate General (Eric Lange) that forces her to confront the past, present and future - before it's too late. Also starring Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons and Gabourey Sidibe. 

'SPUTNIK' (Rated MA15+) - this Russian Sci-Fi horror film is Directed by Egor Abramenko in his feature film debut. Due to have seen its World Premier screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in April of this year, when the festival was cancelled due to COVID-19 the film was released through video on demand in late April in its native Russia, and now gets a limited run in select cinemas in Australia from this week. Having cost less that US$3M to make, the film has so far grossed US$23K, and has received generally favourable critical acclaim. Set in 1983, here Tatyana Yuryevna Klimova (Oksana Akinshina) a young doctor and neurophysiologist is recruited by the military to assess a cosmonaut who survived a mysterious space accident and returned to Earth with a dangerous extra terrestrial life form living inside him, which has created a symbiotic relationship with its host. Also starring Fyodor Bondarchuk and Pyotr Fyodorov. 

'THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7' (Rated MA15+) - here we have an American legal drama film Directed and Written by Aaron Sorkin in only his second film making outing following 2017's 'Molly's Game' although he has written the screenplays for the likes of 'A Few Good Men', 'The American President', 'Charlie Wilson's War', 'The Social Network', 'Moneyball' and 'Steve Jobs' amongst others. Costing US$35M to make, the film was initially slated for a limited cinema release from 25th September before a much wider release in mid-October. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the film now gets a limited run before streaming on Netflix from 16th October onward, and has garnered positive Reviews. Based on the real life story of the Chicago Seven, a group of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy in 1969 and 1970, for inciting riots, and other charges related to anti-Vietnam War, countercultural protests and crossing state borders that took place in Chicago, Illinois, on the occasion of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Those seven were Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron-Cohen), Jerry Ruben (Jeremy Strong), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), John Froines (Daniel Flaherty) and Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins). Also starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Frank Langella, Mark Rylance and William Hurt. 

'ON THE ROCKS' (Rated M) - this American comedy drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sofia Coppola whose previous film making credits include 'The Virgin Suicides', 'Lost in Translation', 'Marie Antoinette', 'The Bling Ring' and 'The Beguiled' most recently. The film saw its World Premier screening at the New York Film Festival on 22nd September before a limited cinematic release this week and before steaming on Apple TV+ on 23rd October. Here Laura (Rashida Jones) thinks she’s happily married with two daughters, but when her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) starts putting in late hours at the office with a new co-worker, Laura begins to suspect the worst. She turns to the one man whom she feels may give her the insight she is looking for - her charming and impulsive father Felix (Bill Murray), who insists they investigate the situation. As the two begin prowling New York at night, bouncing from uptown parties to downtown hotspots, they discover at the heart of their journey lies their own relationship. The film has generated mostly favourable Reviews. 

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 week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

MOLLY'S GAME : Tuesday 6th February 2018.

'MOLLY'S GAME' which I saw on Tuesday evening this week is Written and Directed, in his fimmmkaing debut, by Aaron Sorkin, who has here based his first film on the memoir 'Molly's Game: From Hollywood's Elite to Wall Street's Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker' by Molly Bloom. The Molly Bloom in question here is a former American poker entrepreneur who in April 2013 was charged with running a high-stakes poker game that originated in the Viper Room in Los Angeles and attracted wealthy individuals and business tycoons, sports figures, Hollywood celebrities including Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Macauley Caulkin amongst others, and the Russian Mob. She was cleared of many charges and sentenced in 2014 to one year of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service. The film Premiered at TIFF back in early September last year, and went on release in the US on Christmas Day 2017 and has received much critical acclaim for Sorkin's screenplay and the performances of its principal cast. Costing US$30M to make, the film has so far grossed US$50M, has received much positive press, and has garnered so far three wins and 33 other nominations, some which are still at the decision pending stage including the Academy Award and BAFTA nod for Best Adapted Screenplay. Aaron Sorkin's other big screen writing credits include 'A Few Good Men', 'The American President', 'Charlie Wilson's War', 'The Social Network' (for which he won an Academy Award), 'Moneyball' and 'Steve Jobs', as well a television's highly successful 'The West Wing' series amongst others.

And so based on a true story, this crime drama stars Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, a world class moguls skier who while qualifying for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games suffers a serious injury so ending her Olympic aspirations. Licking her rounds and instead of moving to law school as was her original plan, she moves to Los Angeles and gets a job as a bottle service waitress at a night club. She's making an OK wage plus tips, and in time meets Dean (Jeremy Strong) who runs an unsuccessful real estate business by day, but a hugely successful underground poker game by night. At first Molly becomes his office manager and Girl Friday, running chores and needless errands, but soon he gets her involved in running his poker games, all in secret and not to tell a soul. Going in she is clueless about the game, but quickly learns the language, the hands, the stakes and the personalities involved in Dean's games which include the rich and famous, movie stars, sports players, music personalities, wealthy businessmen from whom she starts to earn big tips.

As Molly begins to ingratiate herself to the regular players so the tips become from more frequent and more sizeable. She is good at what she does and keeps everything above board, maintaining meticulous records and strong (strictly business) relationships, all the while learning the intricacies of the game and the players. The most successful of whom is Player X (Michael Cera) playing a composite of some high profile Hollywood A-List Actor types. Molly aims to keep on the right side of Player X, for he has the pulling power to attract more high wealth players to Dean's games. In time however, Dean observes that Molly is becoming more independent at managing and running the games and is making plenty of money in tips - a fact that he is secretly jealous with. And so Dean delivers Molly an ultimatum, which is not to her liking, and so Dean fires her.

Molly has made a substantial sum in tips over the years, and so is hardly destitute. Musing over her new unemployed status, she decides that she is good enough at running such poker games, has a network of players who would gladly follow her, and has the credibility to make a real go of it. And so she rents a penthouse in a hotel, hires the tables and the staff to run the games, organises the catering and a well stocked bar and begins to secretly spread the word about her high stakes poker games. Player X, along with those others from Dean's games, defect over to Molly's game, and she becomes increasingly successful amassing more money from tips. All is good, until she learns that Player X has covertly been covering the losses of an initially conservative but increasingly compulsive poker player who has lost up big in recent weeks, ultimately costing him his marriage. Molly is none too pleased with Player X's unethical behaviour and the two fall out. Player X returns to Dean's game, taking all the other players with him. Overnight, Molly has gone from hero to zero!

Molly decides upon a change of scenery and heads to New York to begin a new underground poker game with a new bunch of high net worth individuals. Again, Molly proves successful, amassing enough players to be able run multiple games every week. However, in time things begin to take their toll. Despite her apparent success Molly is unable to cover her losses, when players lose and cannot afford to pay up. Her dealer convinces her to begin taking a percentage of large pots so as to be able to recover her potential losses - a fact that she is at first reluctant to undertake, but sees the sense in it and agrees.

One of her players is arrested and convicted for running a Ponzi Scheme which in turn leads to an investigation into Molly's poker games and who the other players involved were/are. At about this time, the pressure is mounting and Molly takes to drugs and alcohol to settle her nerves and ease the stress. Another player, Douglas Downey (Chris O'Dowd) who is infatuated with Molly, introduces wealthy individuals from the Russian Mafia to her game, although Molly is unaware of their mob connections. At the same time Molly is approached by the Italian Mafia who offer to coerce money from players who have racked up debts with Molly, but she politely declines. A few days later at the start of the two week Christmas break period, Molly is attacked in her apartment where she is held at gunpoint, badly beaten, robbed of her cash and jewels and her mother threatened with her life.

Having nursed her wounds and remained holed up in her apartment for two weeks over the Christmas break gradually healing, Molly is ready to return to her poker games. A phone call comes through from Downey in a panic warning her that the FBI is about to descend upon her, as a result of his informing on her. All of her assets are seized and she returns home to live with her mother Charlene (Claire Rankin).

Two years later, and Molly has published her book recounting her story, her rise, her downfall and naming a number of names associated with her games. In the meantime, Molly is arrested by the FBI together with thirty or so others as part of a money laundering scheme and illegal sports gambling operation in cahoots with the Mafia. She seeks out the support of Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) a high profile and very expensive New York lawyer who is reluctant at first to take her case. He however, agrees to help her after learning that she has over US$2M in unclaimed gambling debts and after reading her book which indicates to him that there is insufficient evidence pointing to criminal activity or wrongdoing to warrant a prison sentence.

While this is going on and the trial is awaited, Molly's estranged father Larry (Kevin Costner) who is a noted clinical psychologist, seeks out Molly having read about, and heard about her case in the news, in an attempt to reconcile with his only daughter. He admits that he was over bearing, domineering and demanding of her as a child, but that it was out of love and wanting the best for her in life. However, Larry has a skeleton in his cupboard that only Molly knew about, albeit subconsciously, and this is why he treated her differently to his two older sons who have both gone on to carve out very successful careers for themselves.

Bloom was looking down the barrel of a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, and a US$1.5M fine. On the day of the court hearing, Molly pleads guilty to a lesser charge for her involvement in the operation and was sentenced to a years probation, a US$1,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service much to her and Larrry's surprise, with the Judge practically dismissing the case on the grounds that there was little evidence to demonstrate any real criminal activity.

'Molly's Game' is a solid Directorial debut for Sorkin and has all his usual trademarks of rapid fire dialogue; sports, celebrities and underworld dealings; a strong female protagonist in Chastain and an equally strong support from Idris Elba. The film runs long at 140 minutes, but it moves along at a good pace and seldom leaves you wanting. You do however, need to pay attention as the film darts back and forth from the present day back to Molly's early childhood years learning to perfect her skiing moves under her ever present, demanding and relentless father, and her rebellious teenage years that influenced what she was to become. Then there is the language of the game itself and the images that flick up on the screen of winning hand combinations; then not to forget the confident quick paced dialogue delivered by lawyer Charlie Jaffey in conversation with Molly or defending her case to the Prosecutor's or plea bargaining; and then finally the back to front nature by which the film plays out which we see in flashbacks. The film is entertaining enough and well worth the price of your ticket entry for Chastain's performance alone if nothing else, and to see her sparring with Idris Elba, but in between the moments of razor sharp quickly delivered narrative and exposition, and the action of the poker table and its myriad of players, the film does drag its heels somewhat which elevates the film to the ranks of top card game movies, but doesn't surpass them.

-Steve, at Odeon Online- 

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 1st February 2018.

You may have noticed that I was missing in action these past few weeks. Well, yes I was, holidaying in South-East Asia to be exact and more specifically in Laos and Thailand, but now I have returned to all things cinematic with my first update since early in January. In the meantime, though, what have I missed? In terms of cinematic offerings 'All The Money In The World', 'The Darkest Hour', 'The Shape Of Water', 'I, Tonya', 'The Post' and 'Sweet Country' to name but a few. As these are still doing the rounds on general release, watch out for my future Reviews here at Odeon Online as I catch up.

Also Awards Season continued with the Golden Globe Awards, the International AACTA Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards all occurring in my overseas absence. In summary here is an abridged list of those winners & grinners in case you missed it.

International AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts) Awards - 5th January 2018 presented by Daniel MacPherson from The Avalon, Hollywood, Los Angeles.
* 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' - Winner, Best Screenplay to Martin McDonagh, Best Film and Best Supporting Actor to Sam Rockwell.
* 'I, Tonya' - Winner, Best Actress to Margot Robbie and Best Supporting Actress to Alison Janney.
* 'The Darkest Hour' - Winner, Best Actor to Gary Oldman.
* 'Dunkirk' - Winner, Best Director to Christopher Nolan.

Golden Globe Awards - 7th January 2018 presented by Seth Meyers from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Beverly Hills.
* 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' - Winner, Best Actress to Frances McDormand, Best Supporting Actor to Sam Rockwell, Best Drama Film, and Best Screenplay to Martin McDonagh.
* 'Lady Bird' - Winner, Best Musical of Comedy Film, and Best Actress to Saoirse Ronan.
* 'The Darkest Hour' - Winner, Best Actor to Gary Oldman.
* 'The Disaster Artist' - Winner, Best Actor to James Franco.
* 'I, Tonya' - Winner, Best Supporting Actress to Alison Janney.
* 'The Shape of Water' - Winner, Best Director to Guillermo del Toro and Best Original Score to Alexandre Desplat.
* 'Coco' - Winner, Best Animated Feature.
* 'In The Fade' - Winner, Best Foreign Language Film.

Screen Actors Guild Awards - 21st January 2018 presented by Kristen Bell from the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles.
* 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' - Winner, Best Actress to Frances McDormand, Best Supporting Actor to Sam Rockwell and, Outstanding Performance by a Cast.
* 'The Darkest Hour' - Winner, Best Actor to Gary Oldman.
* 'I, Tonya' - Winner, Best Supporting Actress to Alison Janney.
* 'Wonder Woman' - Winner, Best Performance by a Stunt Ensemble.
* Life Time Achievement Award - Winner, Morgan Freeman.

This week we launch with a true story based around the world of high stakes poker, and one particular lady who runs underground tournaments but ultimately gets in way deeper than she ever could have imagined, and then we turn to a 1950's London era high profile fashion designer and how his overbearing and controlling quirks, foibles and routines ultimately succumb to the love of a (perhaps not so) good woman. Next up is an LA based crime drama heist action offering of cat & mouse as the good cops go after the renegade bad dudes intent own robbing the Federal Reserve amidst explosions aplenty, a hail of bullets, close quarter combat and lots of effing and blinding; before wrapping up with a complete change of pace in the form of a documentary from the National Geographic people about one woman's efforts spanning six decades to learn more about our nearest relative from the animal kingdom.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here warmly invited 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 experience during the week ahead.

'MOLLY'S GAME' (Rated M) - Written and Directed in his fimmmkaing debut, Aaron Sorkin, has here based his first film on the memoir 'Molly's Game: From Hollywood's Elite to Wall Street's Billionaire Boys Club, My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker' by Molly Bloom. The Molly Bloom in question here is a former American poker entrepreneur who in April 2013 was charged with running a high-stakes poker game that originated in the Viper Room in Los Angeles and attracted wealthy individuals and business tycoons, sports figures, Hollywood celebrities including Tobey Maguire, Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Macauley Caulkin amongst others, and the Russian Mob. She was cleared of many charges and sentenced in 2014 to one year of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 200 hours of community service. The film Premiered at TIFF back in early September last year, and went on release in the US on Christmas Day 2017 and has received much critical acclaim for Sorkin's screenplay and the performances of its principal cast. Costing US$30M to make, the film has so far grossed US$46M, has received much positive press, and has garnered so far three wins and 33 other nominations, some which are still at the decision pending stage including the Academy Award and BAFTA nod for Best Adapted Screenplay.

And so based on a true story, this crime drama stars Jessica Chastain as Molly Bloom, a world class moguls skier who while qualifying for the 2002 Winter Olympic Game suffers a serious injury so ending her Olympic aspirations. Licking her rounds and instead of moving to law school as was her original plan, she moves to Los Angeles and in time she become involved in the running of underground high stakes poker games for the world of the rich and famous, where she makes plenty of money in tips. Fast forward and with her accumulated knowledge of the game of poker and the network of high profile connections made, Molly goes it alone and proves to be very successful at her new found vocation in life. When things go south for Molly in LA she heads to New York to start afresh, and there too she proves successful, attracting the interests in the Russian Mob. At this point the FBI begin sniffing around into her affairs culminating in them shutting down her operations. She enlists the help of high profile and highly priced lawyer Charlie Jaffey (Idris Elba) to help clear her name, while at the same time penning her memoir. Kevin Costner, Michael Cera and Chris O'Dowd also star.

'PHANTOM THREAD' (Rated M) - this historical drama film set in the world of the 1950's London high fashion scene was Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and stars Daniel Day-Lewis in reportedly his last film role after announcing his retirement last year. Day-Lewis is Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned fashion designer famed for creating garments and dresses for members of the high society. He is controlling and obsessive in his nature and a creature of habit and routine. His business partner is his sister Cyril Woodcock (Lesley Manville) who manages his affairs, directs the day to day operations and who exerts enormous influence over his life. Until Reynolds falls for waitress Alma Elson (Vicky Krieps) and in time she moves in with him acting as his muse, assistant and lover. This angers Cyril initially, but she comes around as Alma wins her over. The couple bicker and fight almost constantly because of her perceived failings under Reynold's controlling and demanding regime, but ultimately love conquers all, and despite the differences and the challenges that lie ahead their devout love for one another will overcome the most difficult hurdles. Made for US$35M the film has so far grossed US$11M, has received high Critical praise and has garnered to date 26 award wins and another 69 nominations including six Academy Award and four BAFTA nominations yet to be announced. 

'DEN ON THIEVES' (Rated MA15+) - Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Christian Gudegast, this American action heist drama film was released Stateside in mid-January and has so far taken US$33M from its US$30M Budget outlay, and is the recipient of generally mixed Reviews. The story here follows Nick O'Brien (Gerard Butler) a hard-drinking leader of the 'Regulators', an elite unit of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Ray Merrimen (Pablo Schreiber) an ex-Marine and recently paroled leader of the 'Outlaws', a gang of former military men who use their expertise and tactical skills to evade the law. O'Brien and Merrimen have history together and its not all good, with the former investigating the latter for months and the latter holding a grudge against the former for killing one of his crew. O'Brien, Merrimen and their respective teams soon find themselves on a direct collision course in a classic and perhaps predictable game of cat & mouse as the criminals hatch a scheme for a seemingly impossible heist, on the city's Federal Reserve Bank. The film also stars O'Shea Jackson Jnr. and 50 Cent.

'JANE' (Rated Exempt) - this American Biographical Documentary film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Brett Morgan and saw its World Premiered at TIFF in September last year. Telling the story of Jane Goodall, a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. She is considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, and is best known for her 55+ year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees since she first went to Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania in 1960. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, and she has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare matters. She has served on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project since its founding in 1996. This film, taken from over one hundred hours of never before seen footage that had been buried in the National Geographic archives for over fifty years, charts the young Jane Goodall, untrained, but steadfast in her beliefs that challenge the male dominated scientific views of the time with her chimpanzee research that ultimately revolutionises peoples understanding of the natural world in which we live. Critically acclaimed the film has so far picked up 23 award wins and another 23 nominations, and goes on release at limited screens around Australia this week.

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 cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-