In this cinematic world peppered by more than its fair share of film festivals, here is a heads up on one of the more renowned, meaningful and arguably the world's largest such festivals coming to a Canadian city near you in a week or so's time. The 43rd annual 'Toronto International Film Festival' (aka 'TIFF') launches on September 6th and runs through until 16th September 2018. The official website, which can be found at : https://www.tiff.net states that 'TIFF is a charitable cultural organisation with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. TIFF is dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds.' Among its slew of films being screened this year there are sixteen gala Presentations, 34 Special Presentations and thirteen films Directed by women. 
The opening night film is 'Outlaw King' as Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by David Mackenzie and stars Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Cosmo, Stephen Dillane and Florence Pugh. Telling the story of the legendary King of the Scots, Robert the Bruce, and his battle to regain control of Scotland after he is declared an outlaw by the King of England for helping himself to the Scottish crown, and creating civil war, the film sees its World Premier at TIFF and goes on general release in November.
For more happenings, goings-on, and news from TIFF, keep watching and reading Odeon Online in future weeks.
This week there are six latest release movies coming to your local Odeon. We kick off the week with a now frequent collaboration between this Director and his action star leading man in this tale of a team of covert Special Op's agents racing against the clock and against the odds to get their asset to a rendezvous point for his safe extraction. Next up is a Sci-Fi actioner of a young fella who stumbles across a pack of seemingly unconscious aliens, hurriedly picks up one of their weapons and then goes on the run with his brother chased down by said aliens and a no good criminal type. Then we turn to a comedy offering featuring a super rich Singaporean family, their most eligible bachelor son and his girlfriend who must prove herself worthy. This is followed by a foreign language offering about a clash of cultures that started out petty enough but turns quickly into a media frenzy and a court room drama watched on by a volatile nation. Coming next is an Aussie RomCom about a restaurant owner and an Actor who had a whirlwind romance in the past, broke it off and then come together again five years later . . . to rekindle that flame, perhaps! And we conclude this weeks new releases with an animated feature about a twelve year old lad who stumbles across three aliens who have crash landed close to his home and who join forces to help each other out of a challenge or two.
Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are 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 coming week.
'MILE 22' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller is Directed and Co-Produced by Peter Berg who has been Acting in, Directing, Producing and Writing television series episodes and feature films since 1988 and has picked up various award wins and nominations along the way too. This film marks his fourth big screen collaboration with Mark Wahlberg since the real life dramas of 'Lone Survivor' in 2013, 'Deepwater Horizon' in 2016 and 'Patriot's Day' also in 2016. Now in 2018 the pairing of Berg and Wahlberg leave behind the realms of true events and head for a fictionalised story of a crack team of CIA paramilitary agents operating covertly above the law. The film was released in the US two weeks ago, has so far recovered US$32M from its US$45M Budget outlay and has received generally unfavourable Reviews.
'KIN' (Rated M) - here we have an American Sci-Fi action drama offering Directed by Jonathan and Josh Baker and based on their earlier 2014 short film 'Bag Man'. Eli Solinski (Myles Truitt) is a twelve year old adopted lad who ventures out to collect scrap metal from his local junkyard, but instead of finding recyclable scrap uncovers a buried frozen chamber nearby filled with armoured bodies that could only be of alien origin. As one of the life forms begins to move, Eli quickly grabs what looks to be its weapon and runs home to his Dad Hal (Dennis Quaid), where he finds his older brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor) who has just been released from a six year jail term. Now armed with a mysterious weapon, Jimmy and Eli go on the run from a vengeful criminal Taylor Bolek (James Franco) whom Jimmy owes protection money to, and a gang of otherworldly soldiers. These two young fugitives find that this incredibly powerful weapon that Eli maintains a tight grip on might be their only protection in their increasingly desperate attempt to stay alive. Also starring Zoe Kravitz and Carrie Coon, the film is released Stateside this week too.
'CRAZY RICH ASIANS' (Rated PG) - based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, this romantic comedy drama is Directed by Jon M. Chu whose previous Directing credits include 'Step Up 2 : The Streets', 'Step Up 3D', 'G.I.Joe : Retaliation' and 'Now You See Me 2'. The story here sees Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) who is happy to join her longtime boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Upon arrival she is somewhat surprised to learn that Nick's family is very wealthy and that he would be considered one of the country's most eligible bachelors. Suddenly and unwittingly thrown into the spotlight and under the microscope, Rachel must now contend with jealous wannabe socialites, quirky relatives and something much more unimaginable in the form of Nick's disapproving mother. Also starring Awkwafina, Ken Jeong and Michelle Yeoh, the film has so far taken US$87M at the Box Office from its Budget outlay of $30M and has garnered generally positive press. If this film performs well, watch out for possible follow on films, as Kwan has written two sequel novels - 'China Rich Girlfriend' and 'Rich People Problems'.
'THE INSULT' (Rated M) - this acclaimed Lebanese drama film was screened in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year and was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category at this years Academy Awards. Directed and Co-Written by Ziad Doueiri the film is set in present day Beirut when an insult blown out of all proportion finds Tony Hanna (Adel Karan), a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser Salameh (Kamal El Basha), a Palestinian refugee, in a tense courtroom drama over an altercation and a heated exchange of words stemming from repairs to the guttering of Tony's apartment. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media frenzy surrounding the case puts Lebanon through social turmoil, forcing Tony and Yasser to reconsider their prejudices, and their lives ultimately. Also starring Rita Hayek, Camille Salameh, Diamand Bou Abboud and Christine Choueiri. 
'THE FLIP SIDE' (Rated M) - this Australian RomCom is Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Marion Pilowski in her feature film Directorial debut. Here Ronnie (Emily Taheny) is a struggling Adelaide restaurant owner/operator looking after her elderly mother and living with good-hearted and warm natured boyfriend Jeff (Luke McKenzie). Five years ago, while catering on a film set in Australia, she had an intense affair with British movie star, Henry (Eddie Izzard). Despite wild declarations of love at the time, as the film shoot wrapped so did their relationship, breaking Ronnie’s heart. When Henry’s French girlfriend Sophie (Vanessa Guide) calls to say they will be in Adelaide on a promotional tour for Henry's next film, Jeff excitedly agrees to meet up and unwittingly creates the perfect opportunity for Henry to seduce Ronnie once more with repercussions he may well live to regret.
'LUIS AND THE ALIENS' (Rated PG) - aka 'Luis and His Friends from Outer Space' is a German animated feature film Directed and Co-Written by Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein with Sean McCormack taking a Co-Director credit too. The film tells the story of a twelve year old lad named Luis Sonntag (Callum Maloney) who makes friends with three loveable little aliens Wabo, Mog and Nag (Dermot Magennis, Ian Coppinger and Paul Tylak respectively), who crash land their space ship into his house somewhere in small-town America and have become stranded on our little blue planet. In exchange for Luis' help in finding the home-shopping channel products they came for, they save Luis from boarding school (a fate worse than death, surely?) amidst a whole pile of fun and (mis)adventure along the way.With six new release films 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 in the week ahead at your local Odeon.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
