CAUGHT STEALING : Tuesday 2nd September 2025.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'CAUGHT STEALING' earlier this week, and this American action crime thriller film is Co-Produced and Directed by Darren Aronofsky who made his feature film Directorial debut with 1998's 'Pi', and which he would follow up in the ensuing years with 'Requiem for a Dream' in 2000, 'The Fountain' in 2006, 'The Wrestler' in 2008, 'Black Swan' in 2010, 'Noah' in 2014, 'Mother!' in 2017 and 'The Whale' in 2022. This film is based on Charlie Huston's book of the same name, cost US$40M to produce, has so far grossed US$17M since its US and Australian release last week and has generated largely positive critical reviews.

In 1998, Henry 'Hank' Thompson (Austin Butler) is an alcohol-fuelled bartender living in New York City's Lower East Side, where his girlfriend Yvonne (Zoe Kravitz) works as a paramedic. He calls his mother in Patterson, California every day, especially to discuss their shared love of the San Francisco Giants, always signing off with 'Go the Giants'. Hank we learn was a rising star baseball prospect in high school, but now he has recurring nightmares about a drunken car crash that killed his friend Dale (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) and left him with a career-ending knee injury, before his career had even taken off.

Hank's British punk rock neighbour Russ Binder (Matt Smith) tells him he needs to return home to London quickly to see his ailing father, leaving Hank to care for his cat, Bud. Knocking on Russ's apartment door, two Russian mobsters, Aleksei (Yuri Kolokolnikov) and Pavel (Nikita Kukushkin), viciously beat Hank when he claims not to know of Russ's whereabouts, resulting in Hank losing a kidney, as well as his ability to drink alcohol (as Yvonne tells him that the kidney's process toxins, and alcohol is a toxin, and without a kidney it could result in his death). After the Russians break into Russ's apartment, narcotics detective Elise Roman (Riegina King) questions Hank and reveals Russ is a drug dealer connected to notorious Hasidic brothers Lipa (Liev Schreiber) and Shmully (Vincent D'Onofrio) Drucker. 

Finding a key hidden in a fake cat turd in Bud's litter box, Hank notifies Roman when the Druckers search Russ's apartment. After spending a drunken night at Paul's Bar, Hank strips down to his jocks and leaves his clothes outside his building after he vomits over himself. The next morning he is interrogated by the Russians and their Puerto Rican associate Colorado (Benito Martinez Ocasio), Hank cannot remember what happened to the key, but the mobsters are interrupted by his neighbour Duane (George Abud) who threatens to call the Police. Hank leaves the injured Bud with Yvonne, and remembers taking the key to the bar and giving it to the bars owner Paul (Griffin Dunne), for safe keeping. Chased by the Druckers, he informs Colorado, who mentions Yvonne. Realising she is in danger, he races back to her apartment, only to find she has been killed, shot through the head at point blank range.

Hank is needless to say mortified by Yvonne's death and stricken with guilt confides in Roman who she tells him, has dreams of retiring to Tulum, Mexico. Colorado and the Russians arrive, in cahoots with the corrupt Roman, but claim they are not the group responsible for Yvonne's murder. Hank is taken to Paul's Bar, where Colorado kills regular Amtrak (Action Bronson), but Roman shoots him dead him before he can also murder Paul. Lying that the key is in the basement strongroom's safe, Roman tries to open the combination lock but fails, handing over to Paul to open it. In doing so, Paul emerges brandishing a shotgun but is shot dead in the ensuing chaos. Hank locks himself in the strongroom, forcing the others to leave empty-handed. 

Hank recovers the key from the homeless Jason (Will Brill), left in the trouser pocket he abandoned the night before. Russ returns home, but is hit in the head with a baseball bat when Hank mistakes him for an intruder. Russ explains that after selling drugs for the Druckers in Colorado's nightclubs, he was forced to involve Roman, who owes money to the Russians' boss. The key unlocks a storage unit with just over US$4M in cash that he was meant to split between the various parties on the day he left for London. Fearing for his life, Russ prepares to take the money and flee the country, leaving Hank as the fall guy, but Hank knocks him unconscious.

Hank and Russ drive in Russ' car to Flushing Meadows to meet with Roman and the Russians. Hank offers them Russ and the key in exchange for Bud. Russ in his concussed state panics, killing Aleksei with Pavel's gun before escaping with Hank and Bud, and suggests that Roman might have been the one who killed Yvonne. They escape through a crowd exiting a game at Shea Stadium onto the subway, where a severely concussed Russ succumbs to his injuries, and Hank jumps on a bus with Bud to Coney Island. 

Hank is woken early the next morning on the beach by a call from Roman, who has framed him for the various murders and threatens his mother by telling Hank her address, demanding he bring the key to the Russians' supper club. Calling to warn his mother, Hank surrenders himself to the Druckers. They agree to kill Roman in exchange for Hank leading them to the money, first bringing him to their mother's (Carol Kane) Shabbos (day of rest on the seventh day of the week) dinner. The Druckers then zip-tie Hanks hands to the car's steering wheel while the heavily-armed brothers storm the club, shooting and bombing the place up.

Seeing Roman fleeing from the unfolding scene at the club, Hank burns his restraints with the cars cigarette lighter and gives chase with a baseball bat that he purloined from a bunch of kids having a hit in the street. He subdues a vengeful Pavel with a swift one-two punch to the head and manages to injure Roman by impaling her foot with the broken baseball bat handle, at which point the Druckers arrive and shoot her dead. Hank reveals he hid the key in the bandage on Bud's leg, and the sympathetic brothers decide to let him live with a US$100K share of the money. 

They force him to drive for the first time since his fateful crash that cost Dale his life, when Hank notices that Lipa has Yvonne's unique pistol shaped cigarette lighter. Realising the implication, the brothers admit they killed Yvonne to send a message to Hank for evading them. Aware that he's the only one wearing a seat belt, Hank increases speed and purposefully crashes the car squarely into a steel pillar, mirroring the crash of his earlier life, this time killing the two brothers outright. 

Some time later, Hank poses as Russ, using his British passport to escape the country with Bud and half of the money. Calling his mother to let her know he is safe, Hank arrives in Tulum to begin a new life as he dreamed of doing, having mailed his mother (Laura Dern in an uncredited cameo) the other half of the money.

I really enjoyed 'Caught Stealing' and say what you will about Darren Aronofsky's back catalogue of movies, this film represents a marked departure from his previous works as he delivers us a grounded story set in late 1990's crime fuelled NYC, backed up by an ensemble eclectic cast led most notably by a stellar turn from Austin Butler, and a tightly wrought plot that is not short on attention grabbing violence and mayhem, but also delivers enough emotional heft and moments of humour to counter the numerous on-screen deaths and beatings. As far as crime thrillers go, you'ld be hard pressed to find a better film released so far this year.

'Caught Stealing' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 28th August 2025.

This year marks the 20th annual Martha's Vineyard International Film Festival running from Tuesday 2nd through until Sunday 7th September, on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard sitting in the Atlantic Ocean just south of Cape Cod. The Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival is presented by the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society. The Film Society presents award-winning feature films, documentaries, animation, and shorts from around the world, paired with topical speakers throughout the year. It aims to bring together people of all ages, foster appreciation of the world’s diversity, and stimulate discussion through the universal language of film. The Martha’s Vineyard Film Society has become a much loved year-round arts organisation screening over two hundred films annually, with a membership of over 2,500 and annual patronage of over 35,000. About 90% of all film selections are non-US productions, helping to fulfil the festival mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding through film - so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film is 'Dreams (Sex Love)' is the second part of the Oslo Trilogy and is a Norwegian drama film Written and Directed by Dag Johan Haugerud. In between 'Sex' and 'Love',  Haugerud deals with the complexity of human relationships, sexuality and social norms. Here, Johanne falls in love with her teacher and records her fantasies and feelings in writing. Together with her mother and grandmother, they debate the literary potential and whether to publish it. The film was selected for the Main Competition at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its international Premiere in mid-February this year, and won the Golden Bear.

The Closing Night Film is 'Four Mothers' from Ireland and is Co-Written and Directed by Darren Thornton and is an Irish-set, English-language remake of the 2008 Italian film 'Mid-August Lunch'. An author is saddled with caring for his mother after she suffers a stroke. His plans for a book tour are thrown into disarray when three more elderly women arrive on his doorstep in Dublin for what turns out to be a chaotic weekend. The film had its World Premiere screening at the BFI London Film Festival in mid- October last year and was theatrically released in Ireland and the UK in early April this year.

The feature films in the Spotlight section of the festival are as briefly shown below :-

* 'Checkpoint Zoo' - from the US and the UK and Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Joshua Zeman. The documentary deals with the 71-day rescue mission to evacuate thousands of animals from Kharkiv’s Feldman Ecopark, which was shelled with Russian artillery during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

* 'Grand Tour' - from Portugal, Italy, France and Germany, this historical drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Miguel Gomes. In 1918, Rangoon is a city under British colonial rule. Civil servant Edward abandons his fiancee Molly on the day they are to be married. He flees in a state of melancholy, contemplating Molly's condition. Determined to be married, Molly follows his trail. The film had its World Premiere at the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival in late May 2024 where Gomes won the Best Director award.

* 'The Marching Band' - from France and this drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Emmanuel Courcol. Acclaimed conductor Thibaut has leukemia and needs a bone marrow donor. Learning he was adopted, he finds his biological older brother, a musician in a small marching band in Lille and cook in a school canteen. Their reunion sparks a fraternal, musical journey. The film Premiered in mid-May 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival.

* 'Odd Fish' - from Iceland and this drama film is Written and Directed by Snaevar Solvi Solvason. Two childhood friends get a long-awaited opportunity to found and run a seafood restaurant together. When one of them comes out of the closet as a trans woman, their friendship gets tested.

* 'Oceans Are The Real Continents' - from Spain and Written and Directed by Tommaso Santambrogio in his feature film debut. Three stories of migration, exile, and memory develop in the Cuban town of San Antonio De Los Banos, a place that time forgot. The film had its World Premiere screening at the Venice International Film Festival in September 2023.

* 'On Becoming a Guinea Fowl' - from Ireland, the UK, the USA and Zambia and Written and Directed by Rungano Nyoni. On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family. The film competed in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May 2024.

* 'The Black Sea' - from the USA and Bulgaria and Directed by Crystal Moselle and Derrick B. Harden. A charismatic big dreamer from Brooklyn with no follow-through gets stuck in a small Bulgarian resort town and finds unexpected connection. 

* 'The Making of a Japanese' - from Japan, the USA, Finland and France this documentary film is Directed by Ema Ryan Yamazaki. The film follows a year long journey at a Japanese elementary school, whose system is based on old military training and strict hierarchy, where children learn good manners early on, learn to follow rules and show respect for others.

* 'The Dating Game' - from the USA, the UK and Norway this documentary film is Co-Produced and Directed by Violet Du Feng and follows three Chinese men - Zhou, Li, and Wu, as they attend a seven-day dating camp in Chongqing to learn how to find love from two dating coaches - Hao and Wen, who are married to each other. 

* 'Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight' - from South Africa this drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Embeth Davidtz in her feature film making debut. The films depicts eight-year-old Bobo's life on her family's Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe) farm during the Bush War's final stages. It explores the family's bond with Africa's land and the war's impact on the region and individuals through Bobo's perspective.

* 'Pink Lady' - from Israel and Italy this drama film is Directed by Nir Bergman. Battie and Lazer, a Jewish ultra-Orthodox young couple with three children are being blackmailed by the Wolf's gang. Both are going to fight the gang in a journey that will test their love and faith and change their lives forever.
* 'When Fall is Coming' - from France and Written, Produced and Directed by Francois Ozon. Michelle, a well-behaved grandmother, lives quietly in a Burgundy village near her long time friend Marie-Claude. Michelle's stressed out daughter Valerie visits on All Saints' Day to drop Lucas off for a vacation. Unexpected events disrupt their plans.

For the details of the Short Film Juried Competition and the Animation Showcase, plus more from the Martha's Vineyard Film Society, you can go to the official website at : https://mvfilmsociety.com/festivals/marthas-vineyard-international-film-festival/

Turning back to this weeks four hot new release movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we begin with an action crime thriller in which a former baseball player finds himself immersed in the criminal underworld of New York in the 1990's. This is followed with a black comedy splatter offering in which a downtrodden janitor is exposed to a catastrophic toxic accident, resulting in his transformation into a new kind of hero who uses his newfound superhuman strength to battle slimy criminals and a corrupt CEO. Then we turn to a comedy drama film that sees old tensions resurface when former bandmates who were former lovers reunite for a private show at the island home of an eccentric millionaire. And closing out the week we have a French legal drama about a man who is accused of murdering his wife, and his lawyer must defend him against all odds, and especially against himself.

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

'CAUGHT STEALING' (Rated MA15+) - is an American action crime thriller film that is Co-Produced and Directed by Darren Aronofsky who made his feature film Directorial debut with 1998's 'Pi', and which he would follow up in the ensuing years with 'Requiem for a Dream' in 2000, 'The Fountain' in 2006, 'The Wrestler' in 2008, 'Black Swan' in 2010, 'Noah' in 2014, 'Mother!' in 2017 and 'The Whale' in 2022. This film is based on Charlie Huston's book of the same name. 

When his punk-rock neighbour Russ (Matt Smith) asks him to take care of his cat for a few days, New York City bartender and burned-out ex-baseball player Henry 'Hank' Thompson (Austin Butler) suddenly finds himself caught in the middle of a motley crew of threatening gangsters who all want a piece of him as he is forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined, in 1990's New York. Also starring Zoe Kravitz, Regina King, Liev Schreiber, Vincent D'Onofrio, Griffin Dunne, Bad Bunny, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Carol Kane. The film is released Stateside this week also.

'THE TOXIC AVENGER' (Rated MA15+) - this American Superhero black comedy splatter film is Written and Directed by Macon Blair who made his feature film making debut with 'I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore' in 2017. This film is the fifth film and a reboot of 'The Toxic Avenger' film series and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name and has continued through three film sequels, a stage musical, a comic book series from Marvel Comics, a video game, and an animated television series. Here then, set in a fantasy world following Winston Gooze (Peter Dinklage), a stereotypical weakling who works as a janitor at Garb-X health club and is diagnosed with a terminal illness that can only be cured by an expensive treatment that his greedy, power hungry employer refuses to pay for. After deciding to take matters into his own hands and rob his company, Winston falls into a pit of toxic waste and is transformed into a deformed mutant monster vigilante known as Toxie, that sets out to do good and get back at all the people who have wronged him. Also starring Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Kevin Bacon and Elijah Wood, the film saw its World Premiere screening at Fantastic Fest in late September 2023, and is released this week too in the US having garnered generally favourable reviews.

'THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND' (Rated PG) - is a British comedy-drama film Directed by James Griffiths, and written by Tim Key and Tom Basden, and is based on their 2007 short film 'The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island' which won the best short film at The Edinburgh International Film Festival and was nominated for the 2008 BAFTA Award for Best Short Film. This is James Griffiths second feature film Directorial offering after 2014's 'Cuban Fury'. This film follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric two time lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island off the Welsh coast and dreams of getting his favourite musicians, Herb McGwyer (Tom Basden) and Nell Mortimer (Carey Mulligan) of the aptly named folk band McGwyer Mortimer, back together. His fantasy turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers are reunited for the first time in many years, accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig. The film saw its World Premiere at this years Sundance Film Festival back in January, had a limited US release in late March, was released in the UK in late May, has so far grossed US$5.4M at the Box Office and has received generally positive press. 

'THE THREAD' aka 'AN ORDINARY CASE' (Rated M) - this French legal drama film is Co-Written, Directed and stars Daniel Auteuil who has numerous acting credits to his name and a handful of feature film Directing credits taking in his debut with 'The Well-Diggers Daughter' in 2011, 'Marius' in 2013, 'Fanny' also in 2013 and 'The Other Woman' in 2018. Here, Jean Monier (Daniel Auteuil), a troubled lawyer, agrees to represent a client named Nicolas Milik (Gregory Gadebois). The latter has been accused of murdering his wife. While trying to prove his client's innocence, Monier finds himself more and more involved in the case. Also starring Sidse Babett Knudsen. The film had its World Premiere showcasing at the Cannes Film Festival in late May 2024, was released in its native France in mid-September last year, and only now is it released here in Australia. 

With four 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- 

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 2nd February 2023.

The 22nd AARP Movies for Grownups Awards were presented on Saturday 28th January at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, in Los Angeles, California, and hosted by Alan Cumming for the third time. The awards are given out to 'champion films made by and for grownups'. Given annually by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), they began in 2002 with the goal of encouraging Hollywood to make more movies by and about people over the age of fifty. The first awards were announced in an issue of AARP the Magazine, before moving to an annual ceremony in 2006. 

The awards in the movie category, are as given below :-

* Best Picture/Best Movie for Grownups : awarded to 'Top Gun : Maverick'.

* Best Director - presented to Baz Luhrmann for 'Elvis'.

* Best Actor - presented to Brendan Fraser for 'The Whale'.

* Best Actress - awarded to Michelle Yeoh for 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'.

* Best Supporting Actor - awarded to Judd Hirsch for 'The Fabelmans'.

* Best Supporting Actress - presented to Judith Ivey for 'Women Talking'.

* Best Screenwriter - awarded to Kazuo Ishiguro for 'Living'.

* Best Ensemble - presented to 'She Said'.

* Best Intergenerational Movie - awarded to 'Till'.

* Best Time Capsule - awarded to 'Elvis'.

* Best Grownup Love Story - presented to 'Good Luck to You, Leo Grande'.

* Best Documentary - awarded to 'Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down'.

* Best Foreign Film - presented to 'The Quiet Girl' from Ireland. 

In addition, Jamie Lee Curtis received the Career Achievement Award.

For all the details on the other nominated films in the above categories, plus the winners and nominees in the television awards, you can go to the official website at : https://www.aarp.org

This week we have three new movies to tease you out to a cool air conditioned picture theatre on a balmy Summer's evening, kicking off with a story about a reclusive English teacher with morbid obesity who tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last shot at redemption. Then we turn to a tale about a young girl and her parents, who while holidaying in a remote cabin, are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse. And closing out the week we have a film about newlyweds who embark on the romantic honeymoon of a lifetime in Venice, but when the trip is gatecrashed by the Groom's best friend, it inadvertently turns their perfect lovers’ holiday into a complete disaster.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three 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 WHALE' (Rated M) - is an American psychological drama film Directed and Co-Produced by Darren Aronofsky and is based on the 2012 play of the same name written by Samuel D. Hunter. Aronofsky's previous film credits take in the likes of his debut with 'Pi' in 1997, then 'Requiem for a Dream' 2000, 'The Wrestler' in 2008, 'Black Swan' in 2010, 'Noah' in 2014 and 'Mother!' in 2017. This film saw its World Premier at the Venice International Film Festival in early September last year where it received a six minute standing ovation and then went on limited release in the US in early December before a wide release from 21st December. It has so far grossed US$15M from a production budget of US$3M, has so far garnered thirty-four award wins and a further 118 nominations from around the awards and festival circuit, of which a number of those nods are still awaiting a final outcome. The film has divided critics although the performance of the cast, most notably that of Brendan Fraser, have been praised.

Here then, a reclusive English professor Charlie (Brendan Fraser) whose main form of contact with the outside world is the online classes he teaches with his webcam switched off, and suffering from severe obesity weighing over 600lbs is grief-stricken over the death of his partner, and is effectively trapped in his apartment due to his weight. He attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter Ellie (Sadie Sink) for one last chance at redemption. Also starring Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Samantha Morton. 

'KNOCK AT THE CABIN' (Rated M) - this American apocalyptic psychological horror film is Directed and written for the screen by M. Night Shyamalan, and is based on the 2018 novel 'The Cabin at the End of the World' by Paul G. Tremblay. Shyamalan's previous film output includes his breakout film with 'The Sixth Sense' in 1999, then 'Unbreakable' 2000, 'Signs' in 2002, 'The Village' in 2004, then a period of less popular films before his resurgence with 'The Visit' in 2015, 'Split' in 2016, 'Glass' in 2019 and 'Old' in 2021. This film sees its release this week in Australia and Stateside too. While on holiday at a remote cabin in the woods, a young girl Wen (Kristen Cui) and her parents Eric (Jonathan Goff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) are taken hostage by four armed strangers - Leonard (Dave Bautista), Redmond (Rupert Grint), Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and Ardiane (Abby Quinn) who demand they make an unthinkable choice to avert the apocalypse. Confused, scared and with limited access to the outside world, the family must decide what they believe before all is lost.

'THE HONEYMOON' (Rated M) - this UK and Italian Co-Produced RomCom is Written and Directed by Dean Craig in only his third feature film making outing following 'Love Wedding Repeat' in 2020 and 'The Estate' in 2022. Adam (Pico Alexander) whisks his new bride Sarah (Maria Bakalova) to Venice for a honeymoon. But when Adam brings his needy best friend Bav (Asim Chaudhry) along for the ride, Bav causes one gross-out disaster after another. When charming gangster Giorgio (Lucas Bravo) falls for Sarah, he gets rid of Adam and Bav by sending them across the border on a drug-dealing mission. The film saw a limited release in the US in mid-December and was subsequently made available on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and other other European nations. 

With three 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-

mother! : Tuesday 19th September 2017

'MOTHER !' is a psychological horror film Written by Darren Aronofsky in just five days, and is Co-Produced and Directed by him too. His previous screen Directing credits include 'Requiem for a Dream', 'The Fountain', 'The Wrestler', 'Black Swan' and 'Noah' and so far during his career to date he has amassed 35 award wins and 79 other nominations. The film had its worldwide Premier at the very recent Venice Film Festival where the film was both booed and received a standing ovation at the same time, was released in the US and in Australia on the 15th September, and it would be fair to say that this film has polarised audiences the world over. Some have praised it for the performances of the principle Actors and for Aronofsky's Direction, whilst others have criticised it for its story, disturbing scenes, muddled mixed messages and its metaphorical narrative. The film cost US$30M to make and has so far recovered US$26M.

The film opens up with a blackened landscape ravaged by fire, homing in on a grand stand alone colonial style house that is burnt out, but still standing. A man, Him (Javier Bardem), places a large crystal like object on a three pronged pedestal in his study, and immediately the house begins to reform to its former glory, with all signs of fire damage washing away, and in turn the burnt out landscape surrounding the home is restored to a lush green gardens bordered by verdant woodland. A form rises out of the bed from the ashes on a bright sunlit morning, and up sits Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) who calls after Him, her husband. She ventures down stairs searching for Him, opening the front door on a new day, when he suddenly appears behind her. He is an acclaimed author and poet with a severe case of writers block that he is seemingly unable to shake off, and she goes about her daily routine of restoring the property after the fire - an ongoing work in progress making steady and sure progress. However, Him's creative blockade begins to undermine their peaceful country living existence, and soon Mother begins having visions around the house of things that unnerve and unsettle her.

One day, a Man (Ed Harris) rocks up at the door, claiming that he was told that their property was a Bed & Breakfast, and he is looking for somewhere to stay having recently moved into the area. Almost immediately Him is taken in by the Man, and as it is approaching the evening Him offers to let the Man stay for the night. Mother agrees albeit very reluctantly. She witnesses the Man having severe bouts of coughing fits to the point where he is physically sick. The two men stay up late into the night drinking, chatting and laughing like long lost mates. The next day, there is another knock at the door, and the Man's wife, Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) arrives to take up residence, marching on in believing the place to be a Bed & Breakfast too.

Fairly quickly Mother becomes frustrated by Man and Woman's presence around her home, invading their privacy, offering unwanted advice, and making a very unwelcome nuisance of themselves. Mother wants them gone, but Him says that their presence makes the house feel lived in and alive. Furthermore, Him reveals that Man is dying and he has learned that they are big fans of his work, and that Man wanted to meet Him before he dies. Later, Man and Woman take it upon themselves to go into Him's private study that is out of bounds to visitors. In doing so they are intrigued by the crystal object and while handling it, they let it fall to the floor shattering it into a thousand pieces. Him is furious and can hardly contain himself. Him and Mother agree to ask them to leave.

While preparing to leave there is another knock at the door and in barge to feuding young men - Man and Woman's grown up boys - the Oldest Son (Domhnall Gleeson) and his Younger Brother (Brian Gleeson). They are arguing and shouting at each other over the recently discovered will of their father which leaves everything to the Younger Brother. They fight in an all out brawl that sets tables and chairs sent flying and household objects trashed. The Younger Brother is accidentally mortally injured at the hands of the Oldest Son, who flees upon seeing blood oozing form the back of his brothers head, leaving Man and Woman to take their youngest son to the nearest hospital, accompanied by Him. When Him returns, he reveals that Younger Brother has died and has been subsequently buried. Later that evening a horde of people arrive at the house for the wake immediately making them selves at home and further frustrating Mother for their blatant disregard of her household, their possessions and their privacy. She reaches breaking point, when a couple who deliberately break a kitchen sink that has not yet been set, flood the lower house when they break the plumbing and water gushes out of every service pipe. When all the 'guests' have left Mothers berates Him for allowing so many unwanted and unwelcome people into their home. The couple argue fiercely, which turns into them having sex. The morning after, Mother announces that she his pregnant.

This news fills Him with a joy and an elation that motivates and inspires his creative juices. Suddenly Him has rediscovered his writing mojo and frantically puts pen to paper. In due course he lets Mother read the final pages of his work and then announces that his latest work has been published already. To celebrate, Mother prepares a romantic dinner for two, by now increasingly pregnant. As she is about to serve up dinner, Him is outside on the front veranda surrounded by a growing multitude of his fans all wanting an autograph and a piece of him. More fans arrive, and then more, and pretty soon, these fans are wanting to use the toilet, the telephone, helping themselves to the dinner spread she had so lovingly prepared earlier, and in due course ransacking the house of the couples possessions as mementos and keepsakes of their author hero. The house soon descends into chaos as armed Police arrive, and a disoriented Mother who is heavily pregnant, stumbles from one room to another seeking safe refuge, but none is to be found.

Him's Publisher arrives, The Herald (Kirsten Wiig) who at first is sympathetic to Mother and seeks to safeguard her, but soon takes part in the unfolding madness by executing at point blank range several of his fans before more are lined up for the same outcome. Then the military arrive in force to protect Mother and the house quickly becomes a war zone with the onset of her labour. She finds her husband who leads her up to his study where she gives birth to a boy. Outside the study door it has gone eerily quiet. Mother refuses to give up her child to Him, fearful for what he may do, and can she now trust him given everything she has seen and experienced. He says that the crowd beyond the door just want a glimpse of the newborn child, but she refuses. Then she falls asleep cradling the baby, and when she wakes and the baby is no longer in her arms she runs outside the door to see the child being crowd surfed across the room downstairs. Needless to say it doesn't end well for the baby or Mother, with Mother turning on the crowd and slicing and dicing those within easy reach with a broken shard of glass. The crowd turn on her, ripping at her clothes, forcing her to the ground and punching and kicking her to within an inch of her life. Him intervenes and stops the crowd. Mother is able to get away to the cellar where the oil tanker is located that fuels the furnace that heats the house. Despite her husbands pleas, Mother ignites the fuel oil so sending the house, the gathered crowds, herself and the immediate surrounding countryside up in ball of flame.

Both Mother and Him survive the explosion. Mother however, is badly burned all over, her skin charred black. Him, however, is untouched despite his very close proximity to the explosion. Placing her on a bench he asks her for whatever love she has left for him, and she agrees to give it. He then places his hands on her chest and digs in with both his hands pulling out her heart. In his hands the heart turns to charcoal which he crushes in his hands to reveal a crystal like object, identical to the one destroyed previously by Man and Woman. He places the crystal on a three pronged pedestal in his study and immediately the house begins to regenerate from burnt out war torn husk to a newly renovated home, and with it the gardens and surrounding countryside return to their lush green foliage. A new Mother forms in bed out of the ashes, rises up and calls after her husband.

It is easy to see why this film has been so divisive. It is the sort of film you'll either love for its original story telling, bold Direction and strong performances, or you'll hate it for its pretension, its steady descent into complete chaos, its graphic imagery, and its mixed messages. This is not a horror film in the traditional sense, but that doesn't make the film any less terrifying. The horror here too is in the confusion that rains down on Mother and the feeling of helplessness she feels when her peaceful lovingly renovated home is invaded by various individuals on multiple occasions. There are those that will interpret Aronofsky's work here as a metaphorical Garden of Eden, with Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Mother Earth and a God like figure all playing out to the climax of the film where the Earth is cleansed of all sin and everything is made new again. Or the power of a mans relationship over his wife, or some other hidden meaning! But that's OK, because that's what Aronofsky wants - to promote discussion, debate and dialogue about his film - good, bad and indifferent! This is a visually stunning, bold and audacious, original film set within the confines of a large isolated country house, that will provoke further thought and discussion long after the credits have rolled, but, it won't be for everyone!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-