THE OLD GUARD : Sunday 12th July 2020.

In these very trying and testing times for us all that has seen many cinema's, Odeon's, and movie theatres around the world close their doors for the foreseeable future because of the escalating threat of the COVID-19 Coronavirus taking an ever increasing hold on the world at large, many film and television productions halted in their tracks indefinitely, and new film releases pushed back to some future date when some sense of movie going normalcy is expected to resume, I have, needless to say, had to adapt to this new world order. And so with my usual Reviews of the latest cinematic releases being curtailed, instead I will post my Review of the latest release movies showing on Netflix until such time as the regular outing to my local multiplex or independent theatre can be reinstated.

In the last few weeks then, a number of new feature films have landed at Netflix - of which I review as below 'The Old Guard' which went live on the streaming service on 10th July and which I saw from the comfort of my own home on Sunday 12th July.

'THE OLD GUARD' is an American superhero film (but not as we know it!) Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood the American film-maker, Writer and occasional Producer whose previous directorial outings take in 'Love & Basketball' in 2000, 'The Secret Life of Bees' in 2008 and 'Beyond the Lights' in 2014. This film is based on the 2017 comic book of the same name by Greg Rucka, is Co-Produced by its lead star Charlize Theron, cost in the region of US$70M to produce and has garnered generally positive Reviews so far.

We are initially introduced to Andromache of Scythia (Andy for short, as played by Charlize Theron), Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) who are all centuries old warriors with healing abilities that mean they can defy death by regenerating their wounds now matter how fatal, and are therefore immortal. They come together for the first time in over a year and we learn that Andy is by far the oldest and the first of their kind. Booker was around during the Napoleonic Wars and is the youngest, and both Joe and Nicky fought each other during the Crusades killing each other several times but are now firm friends and have each others backs - always and forever. Over the course of the centuries they have individually and collectively used their vast wealth of experiences to help those in need and at times changed the course of history for the better.

Booker tells them that former CIA operative James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has a job for them to extract a group of kidnapped children in South Sudan - the youngest of which is eight, the oldest fourteen years of age. Andy is very reluctant, but is persuaded by Booker and the others to go ahead with it. During the mission, they make their way to an underground bunker where the children are being held captive, only to be ambushed and outnumbered and shot to smithereens with not a single kidnapped child in sight. Within minutes, the bullets all self extract and their wounds all self heal much to the astonishment of their attackers. Rising up, the four all dispense with their attackers and then realise that there is camera trained on their every move. Copley it seems sold them out to expose their supposed immortality.

In the meantime in Afghanistan, while on active duty US Marine Nile Freeman (KiKi Layne) while leading a small squad of female soldiers to infiltrate a hiding target and return him alive shoots her target twice in the chest after he shot at her. Trying to lend medical aid, her target in his last dying breaths slices at her throat with a concealed blade. Presumed dead, she soon thereafter in a medical tent, recovers without any physical signs of injury much to the bewilderment of her entire unit, and herself. The four board a train carriage to get them out of South Sudan and while napping, they together with Freeman, all share the same dream, so alerting the four to the presence of a new fresh young immortal. Despite their weariness from their last mission, Andy jumps the train and goes off in search of Freeman which Nicky had drawn a pencil likeness of from his dreams memory, her army regiment badge and other snippets of information that they could recall from their shared yet separate dream experience.

In London, Copley brings the evidence of the fours immortality to Steven Merrick (Harry Melling) the youngest CEO of a big pharmaceutical company touting a groundbreaking cancer busting drug and with it the means to prolong life for decades, and his head Researcher Dr. Meta Kozak (Anamaria Marinca). Merrick is very excited about what he sees on the recording from Copley and considers this his one way ticket to furthering his research into immortality and prolonging life for all, and therefore adding sizeably to his already massive profits. He sends his own private army to locate the four, capture them and bring them in so that he can conduct his own experiments into their abilities, and ultimately get well ahead of the competition.

Andy extracts Freeman, needing to shoot her in the head first (from which she quickly recovers), and then they board a flight in which Freeman goes head to head and toe to toe in a fist fight mid-flight with Andy because she cannot comprehend the enormity of what is happening to her. When Andy overpowers her by breaking her leg and her arm, and then witnessing her self healing powers for the first time, she relents and begins to listen to reason. Andy takes Freeman to a small abandoned church about fifty miles outside of Paris, France, where the other three are all lying low. There she asks how old each of them are and they all respond with their own stories, except Andy who will not divulge just how old she is, except that she is very old.

They tell Freeman the story of Quynh (Van Veronica Ngo) - the first of Andy's comrades who fought together many centuries ago who was later captured by priests and accused of witchcraft and sorcery, taken from Andy and buried alive in an iron maiden coffin somewhere at sea where she has been continually drowning for the past five hundred years. The group also tell her that they are not truly immortal, and that their self healing abilities can cease at anytime without warning.

Later that evening, the church is raided by Merrick's small army. Joe and Nicky are taken, leaving a badly injured Booker suffering from a grenade explosion injury to his stomach, from which needless to say he recovers. Andy and Freeman were outside talking at the time of the surprise attack. Hearing an exchange of gunfire, Andy goes inside and quickly dispenses with all of Merrick's henchmen, but not before being stabbed in the shoulder. Leaving the carnage behind them at the church, they drive to a secret cave that contains all of Andy's gathered artefacts from centuries past. Her stab wound to her shoulder has not healed so she visits an all night chemist for some bandages and temporary stitching, while Booker attempts to locate Copley.

Finding Copley at a residence in Surrey, England, the three all prepare to raid the home and confront Copley. Freeman however, declines choosing to visit her family instead of accepting her destiny which is to outlive all of her family, friends and loved ones. Andy and Booker confront Copley in his home. Booker shoots Copley in her lower side putting his case forward for doing so so that Merrick can bring an end to their immortality through his research. Merrick's henchmen arrive en masse and disarm Andy and Booker who has now come to realise that Andy's bullet wound is not healing. Copley's mindset changes when he learns that Merrick is prepared to torture the four of them for as long as it takes to advance his studies of them. Freeman realises as she is about to board a train, that Booker had sold the group out and rocks up to Copley's house after the horse has bolted. She does however, convince him to aid her in their rescue mission to Merrick's HQ in the city of London, where the four are now being experimented on.

Copley, using his card access to gain entry into Merrick's HQ, enters an unmonitored part of the building with Freeman. She then tells him to turn back because it's all too dangerous for him to be around, and no matter what the consequences are she'll be walking out of there regardless. After a shoot out Freeman rescues the bound four immortals who ultimately take out all of Merrick's heavily armed security force while protecting Andy from any further injuries.

Merrick meanwhile has made  a quick exit, or so it seems, in a lift. The others give chase leaving Andy and Freeman to pause for a moment in reflection. Merrick shows up wielding a gun at them both. Through some quick thinking Merrick is disabled, has Andy's double edged curved battle axe impaled in his neck and is catapulted with Freeman through the already smashed window of the penthouse suite multiple storeys above the street, into the roof of a car parked below. Needless to say Merrick is very dead, and Freeman is a twisted contorted blood-soaked mess of a woman who quickly self heals and walks out of the wreckage.
   

Meeting in a London Pub on the banks of the River Thames, Andy, Joe, Nicky and Freeman discuss what level of punishment to bestow upon Booker for his act of betrayal, while Booker stands on the rivers edge outside pondering his fate. Andy emerges and says that he is forbidden from contacting the others for the next one hundred years and to meet with them all again on this day one hundred years from now. Booker and Andy embrace and he tells her that he is unlikely to see her again for fear that she will inevitably succumb to any future life threatening injury now. As she walks away having bid her farewell, she replies, 'have faith!'. Soon afterwards the four meet with Copley who tells them how he was able to track them down piecing together historical records, old photos, newspaper articles and snippets of information gathered from all over the place. He also tells them how their missions in the past had a far more positive and often worldwide reaching beneficial impact than they ever could have imagined. This gives the group a renewed faith and focus in their mission as Andy tells Copley that from this point forward he will keep their existence a secret, wiping all records and accounts of their pursuits from all sources, to which he replies that he'll 'be honoured'.

Six months later, and a very drunken Booker is stumbling as he returns to his apartment in Paris. Upon entering he is surprised and shocked to see Quynh staring back at him, smiling, saying 'it's nice to finally meet you!'

Here Director Prince-Bythewood gets the jump on the upcoming 25th instalment in the MCU due for release in February 2021 with 'The Eternals' about a group of humanoid immortals who have inhabited Earth for about seven thousand years. Here, these humans only superhero power is that they are immortal (well almost) and have learned over the past centuries to wield a sword, a battle axe, a dagger, shoot, punch, kick and fight their way out of any conflict and keep on going back for more no matter how many times they get put down. The action set pieces are straight out of the 'John Wick' school of close quarter combat but are delivered in such a way for it still to be fresh and exciting and not over extended to the point of gratuitous boredom. The film is also peppered with sentiment and a real sense of camaraderie, long lasting companionship and a mutual respect and trust for each other as back stories are filled, feelings of deep rooted friendship are revealed and emotions are charged. Charlize Theron is on form again doing her ass-kicking gun totting fist fighting thing just as we have witnessed previously in 'Aeon Flux', 'Mad Max : Fury Road' and 'Atomic Blonde' and proving that she is capable of turning her hand to just about any character type having come straight off the back of 'Bombshell'. The other performances are all equally strong all adding weight to their character driven roles underscored by some finely choreographed action sequences. Prince-Bythewood has left the ending wide open for a sequel although at this stage has not confirmed if this is even on the cards, but regardless of that outcome, here she has crafted a grounded relatable story of immortal warriors in the modern world that combines heart, action, drama and tension in equal measure that could teach a thing or two to her contemporaries at the MCU and the DCEU.

'The Old Guard' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BOMBSHELL : Tuesday 21st January 2020.

'BOMBSHELL' which I saw earlier this week is an M Rated American biographical drama film Directed by Jay Roach whose previous Directorial credits take in 'Blown Away', the three 'Austin Powers' instalments, 'Mystery, Alaska', 'Meet the Parents', 'Meet the Fockers', 'Dinner for Schmucks', 'The Campaign' and 'Trumbo' more recently. The film was released in the US in mid-December, has received generally positive Reviews, and has so far grossed US$35M from its US$32M production budget. Among its haul of fifteen award wins and 53 other nomination so far, the film has at the 92nd Academy Awards, earned three nominations: received two nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards; four at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards and three at the 73rd British Academy Film Awards.

Here, the film centres upon the female Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), and journalist and television commentator Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) in Manhattan, and their sexual harassment allegations on 6th July 2016 against the founder of Fox News Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). Ailes heads up Fox News, the #1 ranking conservative news channel on television which he built from the ground up. Kelly is one of the most popular newscasters on primetime news and is a co-moderator of the 2016 Republican Presidential debate, in which Trump is running, supported by Ailes and the Fox News channel.

On the day of the debate, Kelly becomes physically sick and vomits several times. She rests up in her hotel bedroom for five hours before the debate goes live. Awake and somewhat refreshed she questions Donald Trump on several recorded derogatory comments he has made about women in the past. In retaliation, he Tweets insults about her, and other supporters of Trump follow suit. One reporter sneaks into Kelly's back yard at their home to photograph her daughter through the closed windows, prompting Kelly's husband, Douglas (Mark Duplass), to see off the intruder. Later when Kelly is recounting this to Ailes in his office he says that perhaps someone tried to poison her on the day of the debate by spiking her Starbucks coffee. Fox then hires a security crew for Kelly.

Carlson meanwhile is removed unceremoniously from the popular daily morning show 'Fox and Friends' and relegated to a much less popular afternoon timelsot with a cut in her pay too. Swamped by sexist comments on and off the air, Carlson meets with lawyers who tell her how Rudi Bakhtiar (Nazanin Boniadi) - a Fox News Channel general correspondent, reporting on major international news stories was fired after accusing Brian Wilson (Brian d'Arcy James) - a former anchor reporter for Fox News Channel of sexual harassment back ten years ago, and the matter was largely swept under the carpet by Ailes. At Carlson's behest, they plan to file a harassment suit against Ailes but tell her that she'll need evidence and testimony from other women who have been similarly harassed over the years.

Kayla Pospisil (an amalgam of real life Fox News characters for the purpose of the film as portrayed by Margot Robbie) is Fox's newest hire, who works with Carlson, but soon accepts a job on 'The O’Reilly Factor'. Bill O'Reilly (Kevin Dorff) fires her on her first day on the job. Feeling sorry for herself she gets drunk and sleeps with Fox's Jess Carr (Kate McKinnon) after a night on the town in which Carr offers Pospisil plenty of inside advice on how to navigate the cutthroat world of television news. When they wake up, Pospisil says she's not a lesbian and is surprised to see Carr's Hillary Clinton poster stuck to her fridge door. Asked why a liberal lesbian would work for Fox, Carr says she applied for numerous jobs over the years, but Fox hired her, and now no one else will.

Pospisil later is invited to Ailes' office, for an impromptu 'interview'. Ailes one condition in fast tracking a career is that he asks for undivided loyalty from his people, and he asks Pospisil to consider a way in which she can demonstrate her loyalty. He asks her to stand up and do a 'twirl' and then makes her lift her skirt to show him her underwear, on the basis that TV news is a 'visual medium'. He compliments her on her figure. She later tells Carr, who says she can't get involved for fear of drawing undue attention to herself as a lesbian in the very male dominated and conservative workplace.

Carlson broadcasts on air that she supports the semi-automatic assault weapons ban, although a news poll live to air indicates that 89% of the audience do not, prompting Ailes to summons her. She's fired and is given no clear reasons for why. She decides to sue Ailes. He meets with his wife, Beth (Connie Britton), and attorneys Susan Estrich (Allison Janney) and Rudy Giuliani (Richard Kind), and naturally vehemently denies the absurd allegations. All female staff members are asked to stand with Fox, and most do, but Kelly doesn't comment, secretly weighing up her options.

When the law suit is filed and made public in the newspapers and on the news channels around the country, Carlson's hopes and expectations are quickly splintered when no other women come forward. Viewers quickly turn on her saying that her allegations are made up hearsay and carry no weight. Kelly however, attempts to find other women, including Pospisil, who were sexually harassed by Ailes or O’Reilly.

Pospisil over the phone to Carr one evening says she obeyed Ailes sexual advances to safeguard her career but now has regrets and wants to come forward. Kelly in turn speaks up about her own sexual harassment claims against Aisles and learns that 22 other women will too. Estrich is called out of the room expecting Carlson to settle out of court, but returns confronting Ailes and his wife, with the news that Carlson has secretly recorded their conversations over the course of a whole year, and on that basis she will win the case against him. 

Ailes meets with Fox co-creator Rupert Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell) and his two sons Lachlan (Ben Lawson) and James (Josh Lawson), who tell him he'll be fired, and hands him a written note with a severance payment as a first and final offer, no further discussion. Ailes asks to break the news with Murdoch back at the office in front of his team personally, but Rupert refuses. When Murdoch arrives at the Fox News Offices, stands up in front of the gathered staffers and says he's taking over Fox as interim CEO, Carr remains silent. Pospisil, knowing she'll be fired, walks out the door and quits on the spot.

Meanwhile, Carlson is awarded US$20M in damages and an apology from Fox but cannot speak about her case. The closing credits reveal that Fox paid out a further US$50M in compensation to the Fox victims of sexual harassment and abuse, and that between them Ailes and O'Reilly received US$65M in severance payments. Ailes died on 18th May 2017.

This is a thought provoking, darkly satirical, yet infinitely entertaining and informative film about the horrific events of years of bigotry and sexual harassment that unfolded at Fox News just a few short years ago, which makes it all the more relevant, all the more fresh in the mind and all the more compelling to watch. The four key cast members are all excellent in their roles, with Theron nailing her portrayal of Kelly in every detail, Robbie outstanding as the enthusiastic young gun who gets in way too far over her head, Kidman stoic as the determined put upon Carlson who is short changed as a character and could have done with more screen time with Theron and Robbie, and of course Lithgow as the morally corrupt and all powerful big boss of them all, and who ultimately gets his comeuppance. The production values are first rate, the script smart, the dialogue snappy and the film moves along at a good pace. Director Jay Roach here weaves a true story that needs to be told, and one that needs to be seen as the launchpad for the #MeToo movement that was also the subject of a seven part TV miniseries last year 'The Loudest Voice' with Russell Crowe in a highly acclaimed portrayal of Roger Ailes. Certainly worth the price of your cinema ticket.

'Bombshell' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

GRINGO : Tuesday 5th June 2018.

'GRINGO' which I saw this week at my local multiplex sat in a near empty theatre is brought to us by Aussie Stuntman, Actor and only second time Director of a full length feature film, Nash Edgerton who brings us this American comedy crime caper, which he also Co-Produced. Nash Edgerton is the older brother of Actor, Director, Writer and Producer Joel Edgerton. Nash's previous feature length Directing credit was the 2008 Australian thriller 'The Square', and he has worked as Stunt Coordinator or Stuntman in numerous Hollywood movies over the years and occasionally acts too. For this film Nash has assembled an all star cast that takes in David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Thandie Newton, Sharlto Copley, Harry Treadaway, Paris Jackson and brother Joel amongst others. The film was released in the US in early March, has received mixed or average Reviews, and has so far taken US$10M at the Box Office.

Here, hapless mild-mannered and unassuming Nigerian born U.S. businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) works for a Chicago based medical technology firm that has developed the 'weed pill' (a medical marijuana that has been simplified into a pill format). Harold's bosses, CEO Richard Rusk (Joel Edgerton) and Co-owner Elaine Markinson (Charlize Theron) are interrupted having office sex by a telephone call from a frantic Harold claiming that he has been kidnapped in Mexico and that his captors are demanding a ransom of US$5M. This news takes Richard and Elaine off guard who are understandably unprepared for such an eventuality, and cut the phone call short to buy them some thinking time.

We then rewind two days and find Harold going about his business for the company he works for, Promethium, seemingly happily married to his wife Bonnie (Thandie Newton). In a coffee shop meeting over a latte, Harold meets with his Accountant, who shows him that he is verging on bankruptcy largely because of Bonnie's reckless spending habits and her huge business overheads for servicing one single Client. The Accountant also alerts Harold to the fact that he shouldn't trust his employer and that the word on the street is that the company is going to merge with another.

Harold sees that all of a sudden his livelihood is at risk, despite his long lasting and close friendship with Rusk. Arriving back at the office Richard announces unexpectedly that he, Elaine and Harold are to fly down to Mexico the next day to attend an important business meeting with the manufacturer of the weed pill, and to cease supply to a Mexican drug lord which up to now has proved very lucrative for all parties, but it must now stop for fear of jeopardising the planed merger - a fact that Harold is unaware of officially, and when quizzed, Richard is very coy about.

Meanwhile, in a city guitar shop run by Sunny (Amanda Seyfried) and her boyfriend Miles (Harry Treadaway), Nelly (Paris Jackson, daughter of Michael, in her screen debut) enters the shop to tell Miles that someone down Mexico way wants him to smuggle a small consignment of drugs into the U.S. He refuses the initial offer of US$10K for the project and then reluctantly agrees when the ante is upped to US$20K, and decides to take Sunny with him.

Harold, Richard, and Elaine arrive in Mexico where they are met at the airport by Angel (Yul Vasquez), a friend of Harold's from his previous visits. They meet with their company rep named Celerino Sanchez (Hernan Mendoza). Richard and Elaine enter his office while Harold is ordered that his presence at the meeting is not required. Richard delivers the news to cut off, forthwith, any and all supply to the Cartel, and that he isn't afraid of the idle threats of some little wannabe drug lord. The meeting is over very quickly, although Sanchez is noticeably shaken by the prospect of having to deliver this news to the head of the Cartel.

Later that night, after a stilted and hastily abandoned dinner, Harold is on a Skype call with Bonnie, where she announces that she doesn't want to be married to him anymore, and that she has met someone else, but wouldn't disclose who. She hangs up the call, leaving Harold distraught. Elsewhere in the city, Sunny and Miles have arrived. Miles maintains contact with his Mexican connection, while Sunny is oblivious to his intentions. Sanchez drives out later that night to the estate of Cartel leader Villegas, aka 'The Black Panther' (Carlos Corona). Sanchez advises Villegas about the latest development by Promethium. The drug lord is led to believe that Harold is the boss of the company, and therefore the only person equipped to open the vault at their manufacturing facility. He orders his henchmen to go locate Harold after having them cut off Sanchez's toe with bolt cutters to show that nobody messes with The Black Panther.

With Richard and Elaine having departed for Chicago early the next morning, Harold is left in Mexico to attend to business, with the Cartel now hunting him down. Harold fakes his disappearance from the hotel leaving his clothes, mobile phone, laptop, suitcase and still made up bed in the room, as though he left in a hurry. He checks into a downbeat motel in the arse end of town run by a couple of young Mexican likely lad brothers whom he later convinces to create background threatening sound effects while he calls Richard with the news of his kidnapping. After their meeting down in Mexico the previous day, Richard and Elaine are now fearful that the Cartel are catching up with them, and believe Harold's story. Richard has a plan, and calls his brother Mitch (Sharlto Copley) who is experienced at taking people out and high level extractions having served as a mercenary, but now reformed and doing humanitarian work in Haiti. Mitch agrees to the safe extraction of Harold for US$200K.

Harold spends the night feeling sorry for himself in some local cantina getting steadily drunk. The bartender who has a connection to the Cartel, alerts them and soon afterwards two of Villegas's henchmen descend upon Harold and take him for a ride home. Being able to speak Spanish, Harold recognises the banter going on between his two new 'friends' and quickly comes to his senses, when he spies one of them with a pistol resting on his lap, poised to use it in the event of any trouble. Harold in a state of panic, struggles with the armed man for the gun causing a single shot to fire out killing the driver with a bullet to the head. The car veers out of control, crashes down an embankment and comes to rest in a crumpled heap. The next morning, Harold is limping dazed and confused down a country road, when who should happen by but Sunny and Miles driving their small little compact car. Sunny urges Miles to stop, and he reluctantly does so, just as Harold passes out on the roadside. Coincidentally, all three are staying in the same motel, which is how Sunny recognised Harold.

Back at the motel, Sunny nurses Harold back to consciousness and tends to a head wound. Sunny from this point on calls Harold, Harry, because there are more famous Harry's in the world than Harold's. At this point the two likely lads in charge of the motel, attempt to kidnap Harold to claim a reward for his delivery to Villegas. Wearing full face masks and at gunpoint, they storm Harold's room. Within no time, Mitch is on the scene taking out the two would be kidnapper brothers and Miles in the process. Mitch manhandles Harold outta there and reassures him that by this time tomorrow he'll be safely back in Chicago.

At the airport Harold does a runner just before checking in believing that he is being kidnapped again, and Mitch gives chase. Mitch catches up with him and takes him back to his room where he injects him with a nano tracking device to know where he is at all times. Mitch makes a deal with Harold to try and get Richard to pay a larger sum of money for Harold's return - a share of the US$2M kidnap insurance payout. When Mitch calls Richard to make that deal, Richard tells him that the company is planning to collect a life insurance claim on Harold if he were to end up dead which is valued at US$5M. Unbeknownst to Harold, Mitch agrees to take him up on that offer for a US$2M share. To celebrate their freedom and their insurance windfall, Harold and Mitch go out on the streets where they are seen by the two brothers from the motel. In a moment of clarity, Mitch admits Richard's plan with the insurance payout. Mitch is then struck by a car driven by the brothers and winds up face down in the river. Harold is then taken to see Villegas.

The brothers rock up to the Villegas estate with a bound Harold in tow. Villegas promptly shoots dead each of the brothers, and reassures that no harm will come to Harold, as they merely want access to the drug company's vault to take a stash of surplus weed pills for themselves. Meanwhile Miles, is making his way toward the same location for his own stash of what he came for. Upon arrival the Cartel henchmen get involved in a huge firefight with the Police and Security guards with casualties inflicted on all sides. Harold recognises Angel, who reveals himself to be an undercover DEA Agent who has infiltrated both the Cartel and Promethium and has nothing good to report about either organisation.

Making their getaway outta Dodge City, Harold and Angel are run off the road by Villegas henchmen with their car ending up on its roof by the side of the road on the outskirts of town. Harold and Angel crawl out of the upturned car just as the henchmen turn back towards them. Another firefight ensues in which Harold takes out one and Mitch (who has recovered from his near death experience) having tracked Harold, takes out another, only to be shot in the head by the first henchmen who was not quite dead yet, until Harold finishes him off. Harold gives Angel a stickdrive with the information he secretly uploaded from Richard's computer a few days earlier containing the data needed to take Richard down. Harold admits he can't return home since he no longer has a job or a wife to return to, now knowing that Richard was carrying on with Bonnie in a relationship that has subsequently gone south. Angel replies that people simply vanish in Mexico all the time, and that he will turn a blind eye to allow Harold to fake his own death. Harold briefly mourns over Mitch's lifeless body before taking the taxi he commandeered, which contained several rolls of US$100 bills and forged passports, one of which was ready for 'Harry' to skip Mexico under a new identity.

In the washup, Villegas and his Cartel, along with Miles, are all arrested by Angel and the local authorities. Harold is declared dead back home, and a funeral is held for him, which a now remorseful Bonnie attends. Richard is arrested and sentenced to fifteen years jail time, and Elaine takes over the company pleading ignorance to Richard's nefarious ways. Somewhere on the Mexican coast at a deserted beach Harry has opened up a bar. He maintains contact with Sunny and sends her a message on her birthday. He looks directly at the camera with a wry smile on his dial.

Despite its impressive cast which promises so much, the film under delivers and offers nothing new that we have not seen in other similar genre movies. The characters are largely lifeless, except for Charlize Theron's Elaine who has the pick of the rapid fire one liners and delivers some great dialogue that is too risqué to reproduce here, but great fun nonetheless and to see her so brazenly flaunt her sexuality as the take no prisoners, potty mouthed, full of herself, opinionated and super confident corporate exec. is the highlight of an otherwise predictable by the numbers film. There is a lot going on in this film as story threads get compounded and short changed, never being full fleshed out until everyone gets their payday in the last five minutes. In summary, the black comedy really failed to materialise for me, it's violent in places but not overly so, and its a crime caper of sorts only - all of which failed to manifest in any real meaningful way. You don't have to see this on the big screen and can easily wait for the BluRay, DVD, digital download or streaming service to catch it from the comfort of your own home.

'Gringo' merits two claps of the clapperboard, from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 31st May 2018.

In May, the world bid a fond farewell to number of stars of the silver screen and the small screen. In brief, shown below, is my passing tribute to those stars who leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and in particular the world of film and television. May you all Rest In Peace, and thanks for the memories.

* Clint Walker : Norman Eugene 'Clint' Walker was born on May 30th 1927 and died on May 21st 2018, aged 90. He was an American Actor and Singer who gained his first big screen role in an uncredited appearance in the 1954 film 'Jungle Gents' as a Tarzan type character. Thereafter he came to the attention of Cecil B. DeMille who cast him alongside Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner and Edward G. Robinson in the epic 'The Ten Commandments'. Next up he was cast in the role for which he is perhaps best remembered as Cheyenne Bodie in 1957 in two episodes of hit Western television series 'Cheyenne' edited together too make a feature length film 'The Travellers'. The TV series 'Cheyenne' ran over seven series from 1955 through to 1963 with Walker playing the title character in all 108 episodes. He also appeared as that same character in a 1960 episode of 'Maverick', in the 1991 made for television film 'The Gambler Returns : The Luck of the Draw' and in a single episode of 'King Fu : The Legend Continues' in 1995. The Actor would go on to star in many Westerns over the following years including 'Fort Hobbs', 'Yellowstone Kelly', 'Requiem to Massacre', 'Gold of the Seven Saints', 'The Night of the Grizzly', 'More Dead Than Alive', 'Sam Whiskey', 'The Great Bank Robbery', 'Yuma', 'Hardcase', 'The Bounty Man', 'Baker's Hawk', 'The White Buffalo' and in a single episode of the epic television series of 1978's 'Centennial'. In the meantime, he also starred in Frank Sinatra's only Directorial effort, the WW2 actioner 'None But The Brave' in 1965, and then there was also his role as Samson Posey in the classic wartime 'The Dirty Dozen' in 1967 with an all star cast; the short-lived TV series spanning just thirteen episodes in the title role of 'Kodiak' as Alaskan State Patrolman Cal 'Kodiak' McKay, and his last screen role lending his voice to the character of Nick Nitro in 1997's 'Small Soldiers'. All up Walker had 42 Acting credits to his name in a career spanning five decades. He was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City in 2004.

* Margot Kidder : Margaret Ruth Kidder was born on October 17th 1948 and died on May 13th 2018, aged 69. She was an American/Canadian Actress and a political, environmental and anti-war Activist. Kidder gained her big screen debut in the 1969 docudrama 'The Best Damn Fiddler from Calabogie to Kalahari'. This was followed up a year later by Norman Jewison's 'Gaily, Gaily' and then Brian de Palma's 'Sisters' in 1973, slasher horror flick 'Black Christmas' in 1974 and 'The Great Waldo Pepper' alongside Robert Redford in 1975. However, it was to be her role cast as Lois Lane in the 1978 'Superman' movie alongside Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent (aka 'Superman') that really propelled Kidder into the limelight. She reprised the role alongside Reeve in 1980's 'Superman II', 1983's 'Superman III' and 1987's 'Superman IV : The Quest for Peace'. 1979 saw another big ticket outing in the shape of the 'The Amityville Horror' in which Kidder starred alongside James Brolin as real life Kathy and George Lutz respectively. That film recouped US$87M from its US$5M Production Budget and spawned numerous sequels and reboots over the years. Following her mainstream success with the 'Superman' franchise and 'Amityville' her career took a somewhat stagnant pause although she remained active in feature films and television throughout the '80's, '90's and 2000's up until last year, but mostly in B-Grade features, made for television films, guest appearances on single or several episodes of TV series and the theatre. Her last four films were for Writer and Director Frank D'Angelo - these being 2014's 'The Big Fat Stone', 2015's 'No Deposit', 2016's 'The Red Maple Leaf' and 2017's 'The Neighbourhood' which was to be her final acting role. All up Kidder amassed 135 Acting credits to her name, and was the recipient of seven award wins and a further eight nominations.

This week there are just three new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We kick off with the second Directorial outing for this Aussie jobbing stuntman that also features his younger brother and an all star cast in a comedy crime offering about an unassuming businessman who gets into a spot of bother down Mexico way with the local drug cartel while learning that his wife back home is carrying on with one of his bosses who has hired his ex-Mercenray brother to keep him safe. We then move to a French foreign language biographical film about a famed painter at the turn of the last century who takes a leave of absence to escape Paris for the far flung remote reaches of Tahiti to rediscover his mo-jo . . . and that he does in more ways than one! And the week wraps up with a historical retelling of a 1976 passenger aeroplane hijacking that had the world on the edge of its seat before it all ended abruptly in a hail of bullets one week later.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new movies 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 outing during the week ahead.

'GRINGO' (Rated MA15+) - here Aussie Stuntman, Actor and only second time Director of a full length feature film, Nash Edgerton brings us this American comedy crime caper, which he also Co-Produced. Nash Edgerton is the older brother of Actor, Director, Writer and Producer Joel Edgerton. Nash's previous feature length Directing credit was the 2008 Australian thriller 'The Square', and he has worked as Stunt Coordinator or Stuntman in numerous Hollywood movies over the years and occasionally acts too.  For this film Nash has assembled an all star cast that takes in David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Thandie Newton, Sharlto Copley, Harry Treadaway, Paris Jackson and brother Joel amongst others. The film was released in the US in early March, has received mixed or average Reviews, and has so far taken US$6M at the Box Office.

Here, mild-mannered U.S. businessman Harold Soyinka (David Oyelowo) works for a medical technology firm that has developed the 'weed pill' (a medical marijuana that has been simplified into a pill format.) Harold's bosses, Elaine Markinson (Charlize Theron) and Richard Rusk (Joel Edgerton), travel with him to Mexico to handle the mass production of the product. Harold fakes his own kidnapping in order to reap benefit from the company policy of paying out US$2M if anything was to happen to him in Mexico during a business trip. He learns too that his wife has left him as she is having an affair with Richard. While out drunk, Harold gets kidnapped for real by the cartel, who hold a grudge against his bosses and the company for cutting them out of their plans. Richard hires his brother Mitch (Sharlto Copley), who just happens to be an ex-mercenary, to keep Harold safe. Crossing the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted criminal, Harold must survive an increasingly dangerous situation that asks the question whether he is in over his head, or two steps ahead?

'GAUGUIN' (Rated M) - this biographical French foreign language offering is Directed and Co-Written by Edouard Deluc and recounts the story of French post-impressionist artist Paul Gauguin (Vincent Cassel) who lived from 1848 until 1903. Here, it is Paris, 1891 and feeling decidedly smothered by the political and bourgeois atmosphere underlying Paris at the time, with everything seemingly artificial and conventional, the artist decided that he needed to review his motivation and find a realism to renew his art. Failing to convince his wife Mette (Pernille Bergendorff) and his five children to follow him to the island paradise of Tahiti, he sets out alone. Upon arrival, he elects to settle down in Mataiera, a village far from Papeete, debunking himself to a native straw and mud hut. He soon finds his mo-jo, painting and carving in a style close to the primitive art specific to the island. During his two-year stay (he came and went over a ten year period during his latter life) Gauguin experienced solitude, poverty, heart problems and other trials and tribulations, but also happiness in the arms of Tehura (Tuhei Adams), a beautiful young, thirteen year old, native girl who helped regenerate his zest for life and had a lasting impact on his art.

'ENTEBBE' (Rated CTC) - aka '7 Days In Entebbe' in the US, this is an American crime drama Directed by Brazilian Jose Padilha (also known for the Brazilian crime drama films 'Elite Squad' and 'Elite Squad : The Enemy Within' and the 2014 'RoboCop' reboot.) This film concerns 'Operation Entebbe' - a successful counter terrorist hostage rescue mission carried out by Commandos of the Israel Defence Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4th July 1976. The events of this hostage situation have been committed to film on three previous occasions - 1976's 'Victory at Entebbe', 1977's 'Raid on Entebbe' and the Israeli 1977 film 'Operation Thunderbolt'. Here, in this dramatisation, two Palestinian and two German terrorists, Brigitte Kuhlmann (Rosamund Pike) and Wilfried Bose (Daniel Bruhl) hijacked Air France Flight 139 en route from Tel Aviv, Israel to Paris, France via Athens, Greece. They held the 248 passengers and crew hostage at Entebbe Airport and demanded a ransom of US$5M for the aeroplane and the release of 53 Palestinian and pro-Palestinian militants, forty of whom were prisoners in Israel. After relocating all hostages to a disused airport building, the hijackers separated all Israelis and several non-Israeli Jews from the larger group and forced them into a separate room. Over the following two days, 148 non-Israeli hostages were released and flown out to Paris. Ninety-four, mainly Israeli passengers along with the twelve Air France crew, remained hostage and were threatened with death. The rescue operation mounted by the Israel Defence Force took a week to plan and just ninety minutes to execute. This that true story. Also starring Eddie Marsan as Shimon Peres, Lior Ashkenazi as Yitzhak Rabin and Angel Bonanni as Yonatan Netanyahu and Nonso Anomie as Idi Amin. The film has generated mixed or average Reviews at best and grossed so far US$7M since its release in the US in mid-March.

With three new release films out 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. Meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-