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-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 14th September 2017.

The Venice Film Festival has recently wrapped its 74th year on 9th September. Founded in 1932 this Festival is the oldest and regarded as one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, and is considered one of 'The Big Three' film festivals that really count on the circuit, alongside Cannes and Berlin. The Venice Film Festival generally takes place in late August or early September on the island of the Lido, Venice, Italy. Screenings take place in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi and in other venues nearby. This years festival took place from 30th August through until 9th September, with Annette Bening announced in July as the President of the Jury for those films in main competition ably supported by the likes of Rebecca Hall, David Stratton and Edgar Wright. The film 'Downsizing' starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, Laura Dern, Jason Sudeikis and and Neil Patrick Harris and as Directed by Alexander Payne, opened the festival, and goes on general release in the US just before Christmas this year.

This years winners and grinners in main competition were as follows :-
* The Golden Lion for the Best Film of the Festival was awarded to 'The Shape of Water' by Writer, Producer and Director Guillermo del Toro. Set in 1962 where a mute janitor and her colleague work in a government laboratory and eventually discover an amphibious creature in a water tank. The janitor, out of loneliness, befriends the creature. Starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Octavia Spencer, and Richard Jenkins, this film is due for release in the US in early December.
* The Silver Lion was awarded to French drama film 'Custody' Directed by Xavier Legrand and stars Lea Drucker, Denis Menochet, Thomas Gioria and Mathilde Auneveux.
* The Grand Jury Prize was awarded to 'Foxtrot' an Israeli drama film Written and Directed by Samuel Maoz, and starring Sarah Adler and Lior Ashkenazi about a well to do Tel Aviv couple learning that their soldier son has been killed in the line of duty, and the events that led up to their son's death and how it effected the parents in the aftermath.
* The Special Jury Prize was awarded to 'Sweet Country' an Australian Western film Directed by Warwick Thornton and starring Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Matt Day and  Ewen Leslie.
* Best Actor awarded the Volpi Cup goes to Kamel El Basha for the French/Lebanese drama film 'The Insult' as Written and Directed by Ziad Doueiri.
* Best Actress awarded the Volpi Cup goes to Charlotte Rampling for the Italian drama film 'Hannah' as Written and Directed by Andrea Pallaoro.
* Best Screenplay was awarded to Martin McDonagh for his Written, Co-Produced and Directed crime drama film 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Peter Dinklage and Abbie Cornish and due for release in the US in early November.
* Also starring in main competition were 'First Reformed' by Director Paul Schrader and starring Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried; 'Lean on Pete' by Screenwriter and Director Andrew Haigh and starring Charlie Plummer (who was awarded the Marcello Mastroianni Award in recognition of an emerging Actor talent), Travis Fimmel, Steve Buscemi, Steve Zahn and Chloe Sevigny; the Italian/American co-production 'The Leisure Seeker' Directed by Paolo Virzi and starring Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren; 'mother!' Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer and as Previewed below; and 'Suburbicon' Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by George Clooney and starring Matt Damon, Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac and set for release in the US in late October. All up twenty-one films appeared in main competition, with a further twenty-two out of competition, and a further 46 in various other categories and special screenings.
* The Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award went to Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.

Turning to this week we have a haul of eight latest release movies coming to a cinema near you. Starting off with an origin story that could become the next big action franchise of a young Black Ops Counter Terrorism Agent with a very particular set of skills; then we move to an intense disturbing psychological horror film with a big name Director and a big name cast behind it; and then a highly rated tale set in the Yorkshire dales of northern England on a remote farm where a young farmer has his dead end life set right by a Romanian migrant worker. Then we go to a story of an up & coming rapper who has big dreams and aspirations of making it big and shrugging off the challenges that might prevent her from achieving her goals in life; followed by a historical drama of Queen Victoria and an unlikely servant with whom she forges a close and trusting relationship much to the disdain of those closest to her. Next up is a historical documentary of the civil rights and racial discrimination movement that marked 1960's America told from the perspective  of a man who was right in the midst of it; before wrapping up with two animated feature films that will be right on cue for your typical six year old.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the eight new release films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are here warmly invited to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and meanwhile, enjoy your big screen cinema experience during the week ahead.

'AMERICAN ASSASSIN' (Rated MA15+) - this action thriller is based on series of books written by Vince Flynn, with 'American Assassin' being published in 2010. Although it is not the first book in the series of sixteen so far, rather the eleventh, it is a prequel novel that establishes Mitch Rapp as the main character cementing his back story and how he ultimately comes to be an undercover CIA Counter Terrorism Agent. Rapp's primary focus is uncovering and undermining terrorist attacks on the US, and he is an aggressive, opinionated Agent prepared to take measures that are more extreme than might be usually deemed commonly acceptable. His ongoing frustration with procedures, policy and red tape is a major theme throughout the entire series. Vince Flynn died in June 2013 aged 47, and ongoing books in the series are written by Kyle Mills. Antoine Fuqua was originally brought on to Direct, when CBS acquired the movie rights to the series of books back in 2008. Then Edward Zwick was announced to Direct, then Jeffrey Nachmanoff and finally Michael Cuesta, who delivers this film now being released in the US and Australia this week at a budgeted cost of US$40M.

And so this origin story potentially setting up a film franchise (think 'Jason Bourne' and 'Jack Reacher') introduces us to Mitch Rapp (Dylan O'Brien) who was orphaned at the age of fourteen when his parents were killed tragically in a car accident, and who in later years proposes marriage to his girlfriend only for her to be gunned down and killed moments later in a beachside terrorist attack. Now at the age of 23 and seeking revenge, Rapp is recruited by Deputy Director for the CIA Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) as a Black Ops trainee. She in turn assigns Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michale Keaton) to train Rapp in the lethal ways of Black Ops. In due course the pair receive an assignment to investigate a wave of seemingly random terrorism attacks on civilian and military targets. Their discoveries lead them to join forces with a deadly Turkish Agent Annika (Sheva Negar) to halt a mystery operative known only as 'Ghost' (Taylor Kitsch) who appears Hell bent on starting a world war in the Middle East.

'MOTHER' (Rated MA15+) - this psychological horror film was Written by Darren Aronofsky in just five days, and is also 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, and is released in the US and in Australia this week, and the early Reviews indicate generally widespread acclaim. The film here tells the story of a young woman's life, Mother (Jennifer Lawrence) and he husband, Him (Javier Bardem) who live a peaceful, tranquil life in the countryside in a huge mansion that they are gradually rebuilding after a devastating fire. She is working on the design and fit out, and he is a renowned poet and author suffering from writers block. One night unexpectedly a Man (Ed Harris) turns up at their front door enquiring if their house is a Bed & Breakfast establishment, and asks to stay anyway when he learns its not. He strikes up an instant rapport with Him, much to Mother's chagrin. Then the mans wife shows up, Woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) with her two sons (played by real life brothers Domhnall and Brian Gleeson) who start to undermine Mother. What ensues when it all turns nasty is a story of love, devotion, sacrifice, hope and bloody surprises that will keep you guessing at every turn.

'GOD'S OWN COUNTRY' (Rated MA15+) - this British Drama film is Written and Directed by first timer Francis Lee, and has been critically acclaimed and has so far won eight awards around the film festival circuit including Berlin, Edinburgh and Sundance, and been nominated for seven others. The film was made for a budgeted GB£1M and has been described in The Times Newspaper as the 'Yorkshire Brokeback Mountain'. The story takes us to remote Yorkshire and a farm there where Johnny Saxby (Josh O'Connor) is a mid-twenty year old no hoper lad living a dead beat life on the family farm with his father Martin Saxby (Ian Hart) and his Grandmother Deirdre Saxby (Gemma Jones). Martin has suffered a stroke in the recent past and is largely incapacitated, and Deirdre is too old to attend to the daily routines on the farm, so much of the day to day workload falls to Johnny. To while away what little personal time he does have, Johnny drinks to excess often alone at the local pub, and engages in casual sex with one night stands that he has forgotten about the next morning. When Martin advertises for a farm hand to help out during lambing season, the only applicant is a Romanian migrant worker Gheorghe Ionescu (Alec Secareanu). Fairly soon, Johnny and Gheorghe strike up a friendship and then an intimate relationship that sets Johnny off on a different path altogether giving his life and his circumstances a new meaning.

'PATTI CAKE$' (Rated M) - Written and Directed by Geremy Jasper this film was made on a shoestring budget of just US$1M and screened in competition at this years Sundance Film Festival where the film also had its worldwide Premier. Here we are introduced to Patricia Dombrowski (Australian Actress Danielle Macdonald) aka, 'Patti Cake$, who is just about done with life in her New Jersey hometown. She has hopes and dreams to follow in the footsteps of her idol and hit the road to achieve fame and fortune as an aspiring rapper. With help from her best friend, a mysterious musician and her loving grandmother, Patti leads the charge against an army of staunch detractors, mounting bills that she can't afford to pay, and the shattered dreams that prevent her moving closer to making her dream her reality. Also starring Cathy Moriarty, Bridgett Everett, McCaul Lombardi and Siddarth Dhananjay. The film got a standing ovation at Cannes, and Danielle Macdonald's performance has been highly acclaimed.

'VICTORIA AND ABDUL' (Rated PG) - Directed by Stephen Frears whose previous credits include 'My Beautiful Launderette', 'Dangerous Liaisons', 'The Grifters', 'High Fidelity', 'The Queen', 'Philomena' and 'Florence Foster Jenkins', this film is based on he book of same name by Shrabani Basu, and on the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her Indian servant Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal). When Karim arrives from India to celebrate and take part in Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, the young clerk is surprised to find favour with the ageing Queen. As Victoria questions the restrictions and challenges of her long-held reign, the two forge an unlikely and close alliance that her household and those within her inner circle try to undo. As their friendship grows and becomes more deeply rooted, the Queen begins to see the world through a new pair of eyes, so re-establishing her humanity and humility. Also starring Eddie Izzard, Tim Pigott-Smith, Michael Gambon, Simon Callow and Olivia Williams. The film Premiered at the recent Venice Film Festival, is released in the UK and Australia this week and the US next week.

'I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO' (Rated M) - James Baldwin was an American Writer and Social Commentator who lived from 1924 until 1987. At the time of his death he was just thirty pages into his next book 'Remember This House' - intended to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and assassinations of three of his close friends, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jnr. Here Haitian documentary and feature Filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, by crafting an insight, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, into the history of racism in the United States via Baldwin's recollections of those civil rights leaders and his personal observations of American History. The film had its World Premier screening at TIFF in September last year, was released in the US in early February and only now gets a limited release in Australia. The film cost a mere US$1M to make and has so far taken over US$7M at the US Box Office alone, and was nominated for the Best Documentary Feature film at this years Academy Awards and has so far garnered 22 award wins and 42 nominations. This stirring, thought provoking and insightful film has been critically acclaimed.

'THE EMOJI MOVIE' (Rated G) - Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Tony Leondis for Sony Pictures Animation, this computer generated Sci-Fi comedy animated film cost US$50M and has so far grossed US$171M but has been critically paned, despite its ensemble voice cast that includes T. J. Miller, James Cordon, Anna Faris, Patrick Stewart, Sofia Vergara, Sean Hayes, Christina Aguilera, Steven Wright and Jennifer Coolidge. Here hidden away inside a smartphone, the city of Textopolis is home to all emojis. Each emoji has only one facial expression, except for Gene (T.J. Miller), an exuberant emoji capable of multiple expressions. Wanting to be normal like the other emojis, Gene enlists the help of his best friend and a notorious code breaker who together must travel through other apps downloaded to the smartphone, and in so doing discover a great danger that could threaten their phone's very existence.

'CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS : THE FIRST EPIC MOVIE' (Rated G) - this computer animated Superhero (of sorts) film is Directed by David Soren and is based on the hugely popular and successful series of children's books of the same name by Dav Pilkey. Produced by DreamWorks Animation at a cost of US$38M the film has so far recovered US$104M since its US release in early June. Here we have George Beard (voiced by Kevin Hart) and his best mate Harold Hutchins (Thomas Middleditch) who are two overly imaginative elementary school pranksters who spend hours in a treehouse creating comic books. When their mean spirited School Principal, Mr. Benjamin Krupp (Ed Helms) threatens to split them up into different classes, the mischievous boys hypnotise him into thinking that he's a superhero who fights crime wearing only a cape and a pair of underpants, aptly named Captain Underpants, and who is the subject of the boys comic book adventures. Also starring Nick Kroll as Professor Poopypants, the insidious villain in the piece intent on destroying Captain Underpants, and Jordan Peele as Melvin Sneedly, a child inventor who becomes Professor Poopypants unwitting sidekick.

With eight new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, taking in an action thriller, psychological horror, a remote farm love story, historical biographical drama, historical civil-rights and racism doco, a wannabe rap artist in the making offering and a couple of animated features remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-