What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th April 2015.

If like me, your Easter came and went with chocolate overload, Easter eggs aplenty, work, and all the pleasure of a long weekend, now it is time to turn attention to this weeks latest movie releases and all the silver screen things we love when its not Easter and we're working the j-o-b!

This week then we have four new offerings for this second week of the Easter school holiday period that offer decidedly more adult fare than we have seen of late, but the themes of those on offer we have seen before in various guises. Kicking off is another afflicted individual who against the odds rises to the challenge of an intellectual opportunity to discover himself, prove himself and set himself free; a love story of two opposing worlds that collide and do so amidst a friendship that inspires and motivates their own feelings for each other; then a dramedy of a middle aged couple each struggling with their own mid-life challenges who hook up with a much younger couple who help them rediscover themselves and overcome their life's roadblocks; and finally a story of single Mum and teenage ADHD and often violent son and what happens when she pulls him out of an institution and the unlikely friendship that develops between the son and the neighbour.

So when you've made your choice and sat in a dark room with a bunch of complete strangers gawping up at a big screen for two hours at any one of these new movies on offer, or those still out on general release, drop a Comment below this, or any other Post, and share your thoughts with the Odeon Online world. Enjoy your film!

X + Y (Rated M) - Directed by Morgan Matthews and based loosely on a documentary he filmed back in 2007 - 'Beautiful Young Minds' that is of a similar subject matter, here we have socially inept teenager Nathan (Asa Butterfield) who is an autistic genius who has a strong bond with his father and who understands and has patience with his sons condition. When Dad passes away Nathan struggles to connect with his Mother Julie (Sally Hawkins), but enter tutor Martin Humphries (Rafe Spall) who throws Nathan a lifeline and suggests he enter an international maths competition, because he has a gift with numbers.

Accepting the challenge that takes Nathan from his English suburban comfort zone to competition around the world to Taipei and back again, this charts his story of relationships forged, friendships founded, confidence established and love experienced. Touted as heart warming, funny in parts, engaging and emotional this film is likely to pull audiences in as 'Still Alice' and 'The Theory of Everything' also did with its subject matter and nuanced performances.

THE LONGEST RIDE (Rated M) - based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks and Directed by George Tillman Jnr., this is the story of two young lovers from very different backgrounds - Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) - a former bull riding champion looking at another shot at the limelight, and Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson) - a graduating college student about to move to New York for her dream job in the art world. As their worlds collide and their ideals differ they forge an unlikely relationship with Ira (Alan Alda) whose decades long love of his wife draws parallels with their own fledgling relationship and from which they learn to adapt, accept and agree their differences so that they can move on . . . together.

MOMMY (Rated MA15+) - Written, Produced and Directed by 25 year old Xavier Dolan this Canadian French foreign language film was in competition at last years Cannes Film Festival and came away with the Jury Prize and so far has walked away with 41 award wins and another forty nominations. Made for a meagre US$5M this film tells the story of widow of three years Diane 'Die' Despres (Anne Dorval) who struggles to make ends meet and will do (almost) whatever it takes to get ahead in life. Her 15 years old son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) was institutionalised in a care facility just after his father died because of his ADHD affliction and his violent outbursts, and now Die has decided to get him outta there. With a history of issues in his wake Die now needs to bring Steve home realising that he is never likely to be rehabilitated in an institution. Facing many of her own challenges Mommy Die has to adapt and accept her actions to care for her unpredictable son. Neighbour Kyla (Suzanne Clement) takes a shine to Steve and helps Die with his home schooling and his eventual assimilation into society . . . but not without challenges, emotion and passion all the way.  Last week I commented that 'Leviathan' was the must see foreign language film of the year . . . but this might just be it instead - you decide!

WHILE WE'RE YOUNG (Rated M) - Written, Produced and Directed by Noah Baumbach this comedy drama stars Ben Stiller as Josh, husband to Naomi Watts wife Cornelia. They are 40-somethings at a watershed in their lives. Josh is a struggling film-maker and with their lives going no where quickly and rapidly overtaking them while caught napping! With their friends getting married, having children and pursuing sensible careers Josh and Cornelia gravitate toward young 20-somethings Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) whose younger, energetic and enthusiastic lives begin to rub off on the older couple. But as time wears on Josh begins to think that perhaps there is more to this growing friendship than meets the eye and can the young ones be trusted.

Four new films released for the week ahead for you viewing pleasure, that may not offer something for everyone, but provide plenty of more mature movie motivation to get you out there amongst it. Don't be shy and share your thoughts with your like minded cinephiles reading this Blog and pass on your filmic recommendations . . . or not as you see fit!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HUGO : archive from 23rd January 2012.

Saw 'HUGO' tonite at my local multiplex. Martin Scorsese's first family film and he has created a layered, beautiful, rich, rewarding film that easily ranks up there with his earlier master works 'Goodfellas', 'Casino', 'The Departed' and 'Taxi Driver' but for very different reasons.

A great cast including child actors Asa Butterfield in the lead role at Hugo Cabret and Chloe Grace Moretz as his young friend Isabelle ably supported by Ben Kingsley in the role as the historically cinema significant Georges Melies, Jude Law as Hugo's father, Sacha Baron Cohen as Gustave, the Train Station Inspector, and various other names including Christopher Lee, Frances de la Tour, Richard Griffiths and Ray Winstone.

Set in the 1930's Paris we see the young orphaned Hugo living in the train station  maintaining the clocks to ensure they run on time and are kept in good working order - a kills he learned from his mechanically minded father and uncle. He leads his live in secret, living in the tunnels and passageways that wind their way through the labyrinth that is the busy Gare Montparnasse train station. The one thing that connects Hugo with his dead father (Law) is the automaton that his father began work on but never completed. Over the years Hugo has salvaged the necessary parts to almost complete the task but the one piece needed to bring it back to life is still missing and it's crucial whereabouts remain unknown - the heart-shaped key to restore (mechanical) life.

Working in the train station is an old toy marker, George Melies (Kingsley) who runs a small shop, and who Hugo has a brush with resulting in him being introduced to his god-daugher Isabelle (Grace Moretz). What follows is a series of coincidences that sees Melies contribution to modern cinema finally realised after almost 30 years, the heart-shaped key located and the automaton beautifully restored to 'life', the discovery of who really invented the automaton, and a wonderfully realised final set-piece that (almost) restores faith in humanity.

This film is Scorsese's nod to the early history of cinema focusing on Georges Melies enormous contribution to the craft bound together by early friendships, a Paris train station, machines, magic, tragedy & loss. The opening tracking shot is stunning and captures you from the get-go, and from this point on we are on a beautifully realised joy ride that will surprise and delight with every frame.

Oscar worthy for sure and this will not disappoint. At a cost of about US$160M to bring to the screen, this just about recovered it's budget with a haul of US$186M. At the awards ceremonies though for that year it garnered five Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction, as well as five other nominations including Best Direction for Martin Scorsese, Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also picked up the Best Director Award at the Golden Globes and two other nominations, and at the BAFTA's is picked up Best Production Design and Best Sound Awards and eight other nominations. All up 'Hugo' collected 62 award wins globally and a further 138 nominations.

Fantastic film making proving Scorsese is a master story teller at the top of his game, and for me it was one of the top films of the year. At the time my recommendation was to catch this on the big screen, but you'll now have to make do with the biggest small screen you can find at home and watch it on DVD/Bluray.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-