What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 28th January 2016.

Well G'Day and I'm very pleased to return to these humble pages following a family holiday to Vietnam. Much has happened during that time in the movie world  including the Golden Globe Awards winners & grinners were announced on January 10th with 'The Revenant' picking up Best Drama Film, Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio and Best Director for Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu; 'The Martian' picked up Best Musical or Comedy Film and Best Actor for Matt Damon; Best Actress went to Brie Larson for 'Room' and Jennifer Lawrence for 'Joy' in each category; Best Supporting Actor went to Sylvester Stallone for 'Creed' and the Actress win to Kate Winslett for 'Steve Jobs'. We also mourned the very sad and premature passing of two film greats in David Bowie and Alan Rickman - the former on 10th January whose contribution as Singer/Songwriter first and foremost and then as an Actor is almost without equal; and Alan Rickman who passed on 14th January with 68 acting credits to his name and who can forget his Hans Gruber from 'Die Hard', Alexander Dane from 'Galaxy Quest' and Professor Severus Snape from the 'Harry Potter' series - both will be sorely missed, but their lasting legacy lives on. And of course the 'Star Wars' behemoth continues to roll on with global Box Office takings now nudging US$2B making it the third highest grossing film of all time. And finally, let's not forget that Odeon Online turned two years of age on 26th January - launched on Australia Day 2014, thanks to all for your well wishes, support and readership over that time.

There has also been a haul of new movie content released during that time, with a few others due out this week which include a long term abduction story of a mother and her son born into forced captivity whose only knowledge of the world is from within a 3x3 square shed, until they risk a bid for freedom, but at what cost to them both? Then we have a Catholic Church child sex abuse film uncovered by intrepid newspaper reporters determined to go to print with their findings whilst others in power will do what they can to prevent their cause; and finally an Australian family drama as a teenage girls goes missing.

When you have sat through your movie(s) of choice and wish to share your views and opinions with other like minded cinephiles, you can leave your own Review in the Comments section below this or any other Post, and let us know what you think. In the meantime, enjoy your film.

ROOM (Rated M) - I saw this film a few days before its Australian release, and have already Posted my Review earlier in the week, awarding this film Four Clapperboards. This is likely to be as much an emotional rollercoaster ride, a tear jerker and heart wrenching film as any you're likely to see this year that could easily be based on real life events, as have unfolded in the worlds media in very recent years. Already doing very well around the awards circuit with 54 wins and another 98 nominations including four Oscar nominations pending for Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actress for Brie Larson who has already scooped the Golden Globe for her performance, this film is directed by Lenny Abrahamson and is based on the book of the same name by Emma Donoghue.

The story here centres around Joy Newsome (Brie Larson) known to her young five year old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) as Ma. Joy would be in her mid-twenties and we quickly learn that for the last seven years she has been held captive in a room that measures no more than three metres square. It is a squalid room and this is the world for Ma and young Jack. There are four solid walls and the roof with only a skylight window which allows natural light in but cannot be opened, and the room is sound proofed and its only door is controlled by means of an electronic security keypad. For Jack, this is the world as he knows it, but turning five, his world is about to be turned upside down! 'Room' had its world wide premier at the Telluride Film Festival in early September last year and a limited US release in mid-October and reaches our shores this week. Made for just US$6M it has so far grossed US$9M and also stars Joan Allen, William H. Macy, and young Jacob Tremblay who is also receiving much awards attention as the young son to Brie Larson's mother character.

SPOTLIGHT (Rated M) - Directed by Tom McCarthy this film has an all star cast and tells the true story of the real 'Spotlight' Team who in 2001 working for The Boston Globe on a long term investigative journalism piece, uncover multiple child sex abuse allegations within the Catholic Church within the greater Boston area, and which has been going on for many many years. What they also uncover is that these activities have been going on under the full knowledge of the city's higher echelons of power, and that Catholic Priest offenders were allowed to re-offend. A slow burn investigative journalism offering that will piece together like a jigsaw puzzle in the end, but the fun is getting there in the first place! Starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crudup and Rachel McAdams this film is in the running for six Oscars and has already picked up 79 award wins and another 105 nominations. Made for US$20M it has so far taken US$34M, and judging by the accolades bestowed up it, this is another to add to your must-see list!

LOOKING FOR GRACE (Rated M) - this little Australian family drama is Directed and Written by Sue Brooks and released on Australian Day (26th January) it clearly has the intention of attracting some home spun family drama from beneath the family barbecue. When teenage daughter Grace (Odessa Young) goes missing with Dad's cash savings so Mum Denise (Radha Mitchell) and Dad Dan (Richard Roxburgh) go in search of her but along lifes winding roads the journey reveals more about inner secrets than perhaps should be brought to the fore, given the circumstances!

That's it for this week, but of course there is also a whole heap of other great film content still out on general release and as either Reviewed or Previewed between these pages.  Do your bit and get out there to see a movie this week, and support the film industry in the process.

See you at the movies.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th January 2016.

The 73rd Golden Globe Awards will be announced at another lavish ceremony on 10th January at the Beverly Hilton Hotel hosted once more by Ricky Gervais. Up for grabs are a whole host of awards that for the eventual winners & grinners are often seen as a sure sign of success at the subsequent Oscar Ceremony to be held for the 88th time on 28th February. In the Best Film and Director categories this year the nominations for Best Film - Drama are : 'Mad Max : Fury Road', 'Room', 'Spotlight', 'Carol' and 'The Revenant'. Those nominated for Best Film - Musical or Comedy are : 'Trainwreck', 'Joy', 'Spy', 'The Martian' and 'The Big Short'; with Best Director going to one of the following : Todd Haynes for 'Carol', George Miller for 'Mad Max : Fury Road', Tom McCarthy for 'Spotlight', Ridley Scott for 'The Martian' and Alejandro Inarritu for 'The Revenant'. A number of these films only get there Australian release this month - those being 'The Revenant' as Previewed below on 7th January, with 'Carol' and 'The Big Short' on 14th and 'Room' and 'Spotlight' both on 28th. You can see the full list of nominees and hopefuls for all film and television categories at : goldenglobes.com

Turning then to this week there are just two new movies due for their Australian release - the first being a early American frontier story of survival and revenge from an accomplished Director and an acclaimed cast; and the second a sibling comedy with strong writing credentials and acting chemistry from the two female leads to ensure this finds an audience wanting to party!

And so, when you have seen any one of these films, or any one of the many top movies still out on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed previously amongst these pages, be sure to share your own views and opinions with your fellow readers by leaving your own critique in the Comments section below this or any other Post. Meanwhile, enjoy your movie.

THE REVENANT (Rated MA15+) - Acclaimed Director, Producer and Screenwriter Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is hoping to scoop his fourth Academy Award for this his seventh feature film after winning Best Motion Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for last years 'Birdman' as well as the astonishing other 94 award wins and 124 nominations he so far has under his belt. This film which had its Worldwide Premier on December 16th, a limited release on 25th December and its worldwide release this week has already garnered seventeen award wins and another 88 nominations, many of which are still pending. I think on this basis we are in for the first must see movie of 2016 without doubt. In the event that you didn't know already, Wikipedia describes a revenant as 'a visible ghost or animated corpse that was believed to return from the grave to terrorise the living'.

And so to this story which has its foundation on real events so we are told. Set way back in 1823 in the mid-west America, essentially this is a survival and revenge story after a group of hunters and trappers under the guidance of Captain Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson)  are brutally attacked and ambushed by Arikara Indians. Fleeing the fray fur trapper Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is badly mauled by a Grizzly Bear and left for dead. As a result Glass's young son, Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), is killed by John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). Fitzgerald concocts a story that neither Glass nor his son could be saved from the ravages of the wilderness, but when Glass does in fact survive so begins a trail of revenge on the man who killed his son that takes in over 300 kms of Canadian wilderness, the harshest of Winter conditions, unforgiving terrain, blood thirsty natives, untrustworthy colleagues, and French soldiers. Shot largely using natural light, and allegedly in chronological order for a US$135M budget this film is likely to be as tense, gripping, raw, jaw dropping and emotional as any as you'll likely to see this year.

SISTERS (Rated CTC) - Directed by Jason Moore, written by Paula Pell and starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler this comedy was made for US$30M and has so far grossed US$69M since its December 18th opening Stateside. When sisters Maura and Kate Ellis (Poehler and Fey respectively) learn that their mother and father Bucky and Deana Ellis (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest respectively) are to put the family home in Orlando on the market and move into a Condo, and they have just one week in which to clear out their old bedroom. Sifting through the junk and the memories of their old home the recently divorced Maura and impetuous Kate decide to throw a last party in their former home to relive the good old bad old days with their former classmates and long lost friends. However, as the party to end all parties rages increasingly out of control the girls need to save themselves and the house from oblivion, otherwise, there may nothing left to sell when the fog clears. Also starring John Cena and John Leguizamo.

Just two new films for the week ahead and both at completely different ends of the cinematic spectrum. Once you have made your choice and sat through either of both of these, share your views - we'd love to hear from you.

See you at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-