SPENCER : Monday 24th January 2022

I saw the M Rated 'SPENCER' at the Open Air Cinema at Mrs. Macquarie's Chair, in Sydney earlier this week. This work of historical fiction is a psychological drama film Directed and Co-Produced by Pablo Larrain, whose prior film making credits include his 2006 debut 'Fuga' and then 'No' in 2012, 'Neruda' in 2016 and the critically acclaimed 'Jackie' in 2016 also, with 'Ema' in 2019. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September last year before its release in the US and UK in early November. Having generated largely positive Critical Reviews, 'Spencer' has so far recovered US$16M from its US$18M budget outlay, and has picked up thirty-four awards and a further 106 nominations (many of which are still pending an outcome) from around the awards and festival circuit. 

Set during the Christmas holiday 1991 with the royal family all gathering at the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. Among the invited guests are Diana, Princess of Wales (Kristen Stewart), whose ten year old marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) has reached the point of no return because of his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (Emma Darwall-Smith). As the staff of the Sandringham Estate prepare for the imminent arrival of the royal family and their entourage, led by the very capable Major Alistair Gregory (Timothy Spall), Diana drives around the Norfolk countryside in a haze. Being on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she avoids driving into the grounds of the Estate until she meets Royal Head Chef Darren McGrady (Sean Harris) claiming that she got lost en route. 

Diana duly arrives to a less than warm greeting on Christmas Eve. Her sons William (Jack Nielen) and Harry (Freddie Spry) are excited to see her, but she does not attempt to mix with the royal family, who for the most part ignore her. Diana's only friend at the Estate is Royal Dresser Maggie (Sally Hawkins), who encourages her to combat the royal family and fulfil the obligations expected of her. Diana finds a book on Anne Boleyn in her designated bedroom. She begins to have dreams about Boleyn, eventually coming to believe that Boleyn's ghost (Amy Manson) is haunting her in her capacity as a fellow betrayed and abandoned royal wife. Diana tries to visit her now abandoned and boarded up childhood home of Park House, which neighbours the Sandringham Estate, but is stopped by the royal security, who initially mistake her for an intruder.

On Christmas morning, Diana joins the service at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, where she observes Camilla among the attendees and is photographed by hundreds of gathered paparazzi. She later has a stilted conversation with Charles, who rejects her concern over William and Harry's joining in a pheasant shoot the next day. Charles secretly arranges for Maggie to be sent back to London and spreads rumours that she had planted the Boleyn book in Diana's room and made critical comments about her mental health, to which McGrady denies that she had done so when questioned by Diana. 

Major Gregory attempts to encourage Diana to observe the pressures of royal life by reminding her that the soldiers of the British Army die attempting to protect the interests of the Crown, and therefore her also. Diana responds by stating that she never asked anyone to die for her. After imagining wounding herself with a pair of wire cutters given to her by McGrady, Diana avoids the formal Christmas Day dinner, instead running to her childhood home and gaining access to it with the wire cutters. Memories of her happier childhood overtake her, and she dances from room to room while imagining her younger selves. She considers committing suicide by throwing herself down a flight of stairs, but the hallucination of Boleyn prevents her from doing so. 

On Boxing Day morning, Diana awakens in her room to find that Maggie had been called back from London. The pair drive on to a nearby deserted beach and walk along the sand where Diana talks about her mental and marital challenges. Maggie responds by confessing that she is in love with Diana. After leaving the beach, Diana rushes to the pheasant shoot and walks out in front of the crowd of royal shooters, imitating the movements of the birds. She tells Charles that she is leaving the royal entourage and taking William and Harry to London, an arrangement to which Charles reluctantly agrees. 

Diana bids farewell to Maggie and McGrady and Major Gregory returns the Boleyn book to the library. As they drive away, in the distance, a scarecrow that Diana had created when she was younger is seen, now dressed in clothes from her early adulthood. After stopping en route for some fast food, Diana drives to London, where she begins the process of raising her children independently. She looks out over the River Thames in the shadow of Tower Bridge as the boys chow down on a bucket of KFC, uncertain of her future but no longer burdened by memory or the responsibilities of being a royal.

I have to say that I came away from 'Spencer' feeling a little nonplussed. I neither loved it, nor did I hate it. There is no doubt that Kristen Stewart nails her depiction of Princess Diana to a tee from her vocal inflections, her ticks and foibles, her mannerisms and the way in which she would tilt her head - an Oscar contender here for sure for Best Actress I would think. And Timothy Spall also gives a strong, stoic, stiff upper lip performance as the Queen's Equerry, as does Sally Hawkins as Diana's dresser in the all too brief screen time she enjoys. But for me the film is all too repetitive with Head Chef Darren telling us what every meal over the three days comprises of, from sandwiches on arrival on Christmas Eve to the lavish picnic in the grounds of Sandringham during the pheasant shoot on Boxing Day and every mealtime in between; to Diana chundering into the toilet bowl after every meal she consumes; to what Diana had to wear to every meal and to every occasion throughout her three day stay; and that she is being portrayed as some spoiled brat of a woman who only want's her way in life and bursts into tears when she doesn't get it, which I'm not entirely sure rang true of the Princess. And as for the soundtrack, the first half is so off kilter with all its clanking cello's, violins and oboe's that it really grated on me, before the second half which moves into more classical territory which I guess is fine, but I would have thought that a more modern soundtrack would be in keeping with the depiction of a more modern Princess, despite her anxiety over her circumstances. Diana Spencer was a Princess who just wanted the fairy tale, and instead she got the nightmare!

'Spencer' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

PERSONAL SHOPPER : Tuesday 25th April 2017.

'PERSONAL SHOPPER' which I saw early this week is a psychological thriller Directed and Written by Frenchman Oilvier Assayas whose last film was the acclaimed 'Clouds of Sils Maria' also starring Kristen Stewart as she does in this latest offering. The film Premiered at Cannes last May in competition for the Palme d'Or where is shared the Best Director Award, before its release in France in December and in the US in early March. Interestingly enough the film was booed at its initial Cannes Film Festival screening, but at its official Premier it received a near five minute standing ovation.

Here American Maureen Cartwright (Kristen Stewart) is a personal shopper for wealthy clients and in particular famous fashion model Kyra (Nora von Waldstatten) buying clothes, accessories and taking care of lesser tasks mostly in her home city of Paris, but her shopping trips often take her to London too and other European centres. As the film opens we see Maureen pulling up to a large set of iron gates in a friends car. She gets out, unpadlocks the heavy chains securing those gates and the car drives in. Maureen paces up behind the car to a large house standing in its own grounds on the outskirts of some nameless town. We learn that this is where Maureen's twin brother, Lewis, died just a few months ago and with whom she shared a genetic heart condition. Before he passed away they made a pact that whoever would go first, would then reach out from the other side and make a connection somehow with the surviving sibling that they are at peace. They both believed they had the ability to connect with the spirit world, but his powers were stronger than hers. She is dropped off at the house by good friend and former girlfriend of her brother, Lara (Sigrid Bouaziz). The house is empty, deserted and cleared of most fixtures and fittings. Maureen stays the night hoping for some kind of message, sign, or signal from her dead sibling.

Very little happens overnight although Maureen senses a presence in the household, but is unsure if this is her brother of some other ethereal entity.  The next day we see her at work, shopping for her employer - Kyra, who is very demanding, very head strong and very opinionated to the point that Maureen hates her job and she hates Kyra. The fashion model is hardly ever there however, more often than not attending some international fashion event, or photo shoot or party or social function that demands her presence. This leaves Maureen the free run of Kyra's apartment but under strict guidelines not to wear any article of clothing or use her accessories and not to stay over in her absence . . . never, ever! Meanwhile Maureen rides her scooter around the streets of Paris collecting dresses, jewellery, handbags, belts for Kyra and delivering them to her apartment. And Maureen is good at her job - she has a rapport with all the top fashion houses and boutiques around town, and she coincidentally is the same size as Kyra.

From time to time Maureen SKYPE's with her boyfriend Gary (Ty Olwin) who is some sort of IT Consultant working in Muscat, Oman. He is keen for her to join him as his work still has two months or so to run, Maureen however, cannot move on until she has received a sign from her dead brother, so her life is on hold. She spends another night in the deserted house hopeful of some sort of communication with her brother. This time, success, sort of, as taps turn on all by themselves, first in the downstairs kitchen and then quickly upstairs in the bathroom. Then there are things that go bump in the night, and then an ethereal manifestation appears but it's not that of her brother! This sends the scared shitless Maureen cowering into the corner as the entity floats menacingly above her. She musters up the strength to look up as the ghost like figure vomits up ectoplasm, and then it and the ectoplasm disappear through a stairwell window never to be seen again. Maureen decides its high time to exit the house and does so post haste, not even closing the doors behind her.

A day or so later Maureen has to go to London for the day to collect some more gear for Kyra. Going through the security checks at the train station in Paris she begins receiving text messages from 'Unknown'. Boarding the train and throughout the journey to London, during the day and on the journey back she has near constant text dialogue with 'Unknown' which increasingly becomes more and more sinister. 'Unknown' however, will not reveal his or her identity except that they know each other. Maureen senses the danger but cannot shy away from it.

The secret messenger taunts Maureen into facing her fears and taking advantage of her employers apartment and clothing in her absence. Upon returning from her London shopping trip armed with new clothes and Kyra overseas, Maureen settles into the apartment for the night and tries on a couple of high fashion outfits recently sourced. She falls asleep in Kyra's bed, only to wake with a start in the early morning with a ghost like entity hovering above her bed which disappears as soon as Kyra comes round from her slumber.

The next day the text messages from 'Unknown' continue but this time with a greater sense of urgency and menace. Going back to her own apartment and retrieving her post there is an envelope with 'Maureen' hand written in big bold text. In it is a key card to a hotel room to which she is go, to meet with 'Unknown', but upon arrival the room is empty. She waits and waits and leaves, enquiring at the desk whose name the room is booked under and who paid for the room - Maureen Cartwright and cash, therefore no trace, comes the response from the desk clerk. Later we see Maureen visiting a Cartier boutique to collect a very expensive necklace and arm band which she delivers later that afternoon to Kyra's apartment. Upon entering Kyra is clearly at home evidenced by the upturned vodka bottle on the table and luggage and clothes strewn about the place, but, the place is all quiet. Maureen stumbles across a shocking discovery, that sees her run from the apartment.

More text messages come forth this time of a threatening nature with 'Unknown' seemingly willing to confront her at her apartment, but these prove to be a hoax. At which Maureen promptly switches the SIM card in her phone and discards the old one. She does though make another visit to the hotel room, where 'Unknown' meets with her, although we do not see 'Unknown' and her together and we are left guessing as to the identity of her assailant. When the dust has settled Maureen spends a few nights at the house of her good friend Lara, having made the decision to go to Muscat to spend a few months with her boyfriend. Lara has a new boyfriend with whom she chats in the garden over a breakfast cup of tea. When the boyfriend leaves for work a short time later, we see a bearded figure through the kitchen window behind her, walking towards the back door, carrying a glass. Maureen is not aware of the mysterious figure behind her - only of the glass as it falls to the floor and smashes into a thousand pieces. and the mystery man disappeared, as if into thin air!

Maureen travels to Oman to be with Gary who has had to travel five hours out of the city to the mountains, but leaves specific instructions for her to travel onwards to meet him. Upon arriving at her destination, she hears noises from an adjacent room - large crashing noises. She enters to see a glass floating in mid air. Nervously she speaks out asking yes or no questions - knock once for yes and twice for no! She asks if it is Lewis to which there is a positive response and she asks if he is at peace to which he also answers yes, but the knocking is very loud, as if angry. Further questions ensue, leaving us hanging with Maureen's final question which will leave you the audience questioning her concluding sentence and debating the outcome long after the credits have rolled.

Stewart appears in almost every scene within the film and she carries the film in a career defining performance exhibiting many characteristics of a lost soul who is unable to move on with her life until a life defining moment manifests itself spiritually. And in the meantime she gets on with her everyday hum drum life in the way she knows how dealing with various challenges along the way including an unknown serial text stalker, a job she hates, a city she can't leave, and various connections with the nether world. She shows us that she can do sullen, tearful, frightened, freaked-out, vacant, wanting and obsessive all within the same character that makes Stewart's performance so watchable and such a departure from her previous work. This is a slow burn and takes a while to come up to speed, but when it finally does ramp up in the second half patience will be rewarded by a genre breaking story that is intriguing, mysterious, confusing and compelling all at once. This film will not please everyone because of its slow meandering pace, its mishmash of story lines, the lose ends left hanging, and the questions left unanswered as the screen fades to black, but for others, this will add to the attraction.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 13th April 2017.

With the release of 'The Fate of the Furious' as Previewed below, this mega sixteen year long running franchise that has so far grossed over US$3.9B from combined production budgets for the first seven feature length films of US$759M, I thought it timely to provide a quick summary of the franchise today, in chronological order.
* Film #1 : 'The Fast and the Furious' released in 2001, Directed by Rob Cohen, took US$207M from a US$38M budget.
* Film #2 : 'The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious' released in 2003, Directed by Philip G. Atwell, is a six minute short film connecting the first and second films.
* Film #3 : '2 Fast 2 Furious' released in 2003, Directed by John Singleton, took US$236M from a US$76M budget.
* Film #4 : 'Los Bandoleros' released in 2009, Directed by Vin Diesel, this twenty minute short film provides a back-story for the characters and events leading up to the oil truck heist at the start of the fourth film in the series.
* Film #5 : 'Fast & Furious' released in 2009, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$363M from a US$85M budget.
* Film #6 : 'Fast Five' released in 2011, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$630M from a US$125M budget.
* Film #7 : 'Fast & Furious 6', released in 2013, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$789M from a US$160M budget.
* Film #8 : 'The Fast and Furious : Tokyo Drift' released in 2006, Directed by Justin Lin, took US$158M from a US$85M budget and was released as the third film in the series.
* Film #9 : 'Furious 7' released in 2015, Directed by James Wan, took US$1.52B from a US$190M budget.
* Film 10 : 'The Fate of the Furious' released in 2017, Directed by F. Gary Gray, and made for a reported US$250M.

And so to this week where we have five new movie offerings with which to tempt that cinema dollar out of your pocket. We kick off with the eighth feature length instalment in a franchise that is now sixteen years old and has brought in mega bucks for the studio behind this high octane, all action, pedal to the metal series. This is followed up by a Sci-Fi comedy featuring a hard drinking party girl who discovers she has something in common with a Godzilla like creature running rampant in Korea; and then a psychological thriller about a personal assistant and gofer who thinks she sees dead people, but is only really searching for one! We then go to a historical true telling of a courtroom drama that unfolded in the mid-'90's surrounding the denial that the Nazi Germany Holocaust of WWII actually occurred, and then wrapping up the week with a French and German foreign language tale of the aftermath of WWI as a grieving woman meets up unexpectedly with a former close friend of her recently killed in action fiancé and the bond that is forged between them, despite the challenges of the time, nationalities and other personalities on the periphery.

As usual, you are here cordially reminded that your constructive, relevant and timely views are welcomed when you have sat through your movie of choice in the week ahead. Simply record your opinions and observations of your film experience by leaving your Comment in the box below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and see what you've got to say about any film as Previewed below, or as Reviewed and Previewed between these humble Blog pages previously. Meanwhile, enjoy your cinema experience in the coming week.

'THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS' (Rated M) - also known as 'Fast and Furious 8', 'Fast 8' and 'F8', this mega franchise never seems to stop rolling, and so it is with this latest instalment in a line of Fast & Furious films that had its humble beginnings back in 2001 and has gone on to rake in a staggering US$3.9B from the first seven films, and has spawned two short films, video games, toys and model kits, a theme park ride and possible spin-off movies down the track. Following hot on the heels of 'Furious 7' released in 2015, Directed by James Wan and taking a huge US$1.52B at the worldwide Box Office making it the sixth highest grossing film in history currently, here we have this eighth offering this time Directed by F. Gary Gray, and released in the US this week too following its Worldwide Premier in Berlin last week. All the usual cast that we have come to know and love have returned together with a few new faces to add further gravitas to the already ensemble cast.

This film carries on from where 'Furious 7' left off. We see that Dominic Turetto (Vin Diesel) has settled down to a life of domesticity with his newly wed wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and are enjoying their honeymoon together in some far way secluded paradise no doubt. The Brian and Mia characters from the previous films have retired and are out of the game, and the remaining crew have been pardoned and are spread far and wide doing their respective thing. Just when you think the guys were finally getting their lives back in order, enter a criminal mastermind to throw the proverbial brown sticky smelly stuff at the fan! Her name is Cipher (Charlize Theron) who successfully manages to corrupt Dom against his family, his allies and those he is closest to, by coercing him back into a life of crime, from which there seems to be no means of escaping. The crew reassembles and will be put to the test like never before. Also starring Dwayne Johnson returning as Luke Hobbs, Jason Statham returning as Deckard Shaw, Tyrese Gibson returning as Roman Pearce, Kurt Russell returning as Mr. Nobody/Frank Petty, with Helen Mirren, Scott Eastwood and a bunch of others . . . oh, and not to forget a whole cavalcade of expensive sports cars, souped up vehicles, guns, explosions, car chases, crazy fight sequences, technical gadgetry, a tank and a nuclear submarine. 'F8' is sure to fuel the appetite, drive bums on seats, and accelerate the Box Office spend of any self respecting fifteen year old lad who gets off on high octane senseless action fare.

'COLOSSAL' (Rated M) - this Sci-Fi comedy film is Directed and Written by Spaniard Nacho Vigalondo and it Premiered at TIFF back in September last year before its US release last week. Here, Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is a hard drinking, party hard girl, who can't hold down a job, or a boyfriend either it seems, and after being dumped by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens) and kicked out of his Manhattan apartment, she decides its time to return to her home town in a last ditch attempt to regain her life and start afresh. Back on her home turf Gloria reignites her friendship with childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) who just happens to be the owner of a bar, and where he spends the majority of his time hanging out with his best buddies and locals Garth (Tim Blake Nelson) and Joel (Austin Stowell). Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in downtown Seoul, a giant scaly monster is wreaking havoc in the streets like something akin to Godzilla. As the world watches on in disbelief, Gloria from the comfort of her suburban lounge room, inadvertently makes a connection with said scaly monster. In time she comes to realise that when she makes a move, so the monster thousands of miles away replicates those moves identically. How can this be, what does it mean and what must she do to stop the death and destruction of innocent Koreans?

'PERSONAL SHOPPER' (Rated MA15+) - this psychological thriller is Directed and Written by Frenchman Oilvier Assayas and the film Premiered at Cannes last May in competition for the Palme d'Or where is shared the Best Director Award, before its release in France in December and in the US in early March. Here American Maureen (Kristen Stewart) is a personal shopper for wealthy clients buying clothes, accessories and taking care of lesser tasks mostly in her home city of Paris, but her shopping trips often take her to London too and other European centres. Maureen's twin brother died recently and they both shared a genetic heart condition. Before he passed away they made a pact that whoever would go first, would then reach out from the other side and make a connection somehow with the surviving sibling. They both believed they had the ability to connect with the spirit world, but his powers were stronger than hers. Upon visiting the house where her brother died she starts to sense a presence, which manifests itself moreso with text messages, strange sightings and things that go bump in the night from an unknown source. The film has received positive Reviews, and some are saying it is Stewart's best performance to date.

'DENIAL' (Rated M) - here we have a true story historical drama Directed by Mick Jackson based on American author, Deborah Lipstadt's book 'History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier'. The film dramatises the 1996 Irving v Penguin Books Ltd case, in which Lipstadt, a Holocaust scholar, was sued by Holocaust denier David Irving for libel. In English law the burden of proof rests with the accused, and so Lipstadt and her legal team must fight to prove that the Holocaust did occur. Starring Rachel Weisz at Deborah Lipstadt an American Professor of Holocaust Studies, Timothy Spall as David Irving a Nazi German Scholar and Tom Wilkinson as Richard Rampton the Barrister and Andrew Scott as Solicitor Anthony Julius working for Lipstadt to prove the case for the Holocaust. The film Premiered at TIFF in September last year, was released in the US in late September and in the UK in late January this year, has so far gained generally positive Reviews and has recovered just over half of its US$10M production budget.

'FRANTZ' (Rated PG) - this French and German Co-production is Directed by Frenchman Francois Ozon and is a drama film set in the aftermath of WWI in 1919 and is based on the 1932 American film 'Broken Lullaby' Directed by Ernst Lubitsch which was in turn based on a 1930 play by Maurice Rostand and its 1931 English language adaptation by Reginald Berkeley. The film Premiered in Paris in July last year before its wider release in France in early September and Germany later that same month. It picked up a Venice Film Festival and a Caesar Award win and was nominated in several other categories at these same Awards. Set in the German town of Quedlinburg in 1919 young German woman Anna (Paula Beer) is mourning the death of her fiancé Frantz (Anton von Lucke) who died in combat a year before. One day, Anna is shocked to discover that his grave is visited by Adrian (Pierre Niney), a Frenchman claiming that he and Frantz were friends in Paris before the war. In time the two form a bond as Adrian recounts fond memories of his time spent with Frantz, despite certain ill feeling towards the Frenchman's presence in the town given the scars of the war are still deep and fresh. Nonetheless as their relationship develops Anna follows Adrian back to Paris in the hope of discovering more of his world, understanding him, and determining if her feelings toward him are genuine, or simply a rebound from Frantz. Filmed in black and white with splashes of occasional colour for emphasis.

Five very different cinematic choices this week, and whether you like epic big screen action, courtroom drama, historical foreign language drama, Sci-Fi comedy or psychological thriller fare, there is sure to be something for you to get your cinema ticket clipped in the week ahead. Don't forget too to share your movie going views with us right here, when you have done so. In the meantime, I'll see you somewhere, sometime in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthday's to share this week : 9th - 15th April 2017.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Kristen Stewart does on 9th April - check out my tribute to this Birthday Girl turning 27, at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer, Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 9th April

• Kristen Stewart - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actress | Writer | Director | Singer
• Elle Fanning - Born 1998, turns 19 - Actress 
• Dennis Quaid - Born 1954, turns 63 - Actor | Producer | Singer | Songwriter 
• Jay Baruchel - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director

Monday 10th April

• Max von Sydow - Born 1929, turns 88 - Actor 
• Steven Seagal - Born 1952, turns 65 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director | Singer | Songwriter | Martial Arts Choreographer
• Charlie Hunnam - Born 1980, turns 37 - Actor
• Haley Joel Osment - Born 1988, turns 29 - Actor
• Mandy Moore - Born 1984, turns 33 - Actress | Singer   
• Daisy Ridley - Born 1992, turns 25 - Actress | Producer   

Tuesday 11th April

• John Milius - Born 1944, turns 73 - Writer | Director | Producer | Actor
• Jeremy Clarkson - Born 1960, turns 57 - Writer | Producer | Television Personality  

Wednesday 12th April

• Hardy Kruger - Born 1928, turns 89 - Actor 
• Ed O'Neill - Born 1946, turns 71 - Actor 
• Andy Garcia - Born 1956, turns 61 - Actor | Producer | Director | Writer | Singer | Songwriter
• Claire Danes - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actress | Producer
• Saoirse Ronan - Born 1994, turns 23 - Actress   

Thursday 13th April

• Edward Fox - Born 1937, turns 80 - Actor 
• Paul Sorvino - Born 1939, turns 78 - Actor | Producer | Director | Singer
• Ron Perlman - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor | Producer
• William Sadler - Born 1950, turns 67 - Actor | Producer

Friday 14th April

• Peter Capaldi - Born 1958, turns 59 - Actor | Writer | Director
• Robert Carlyle - Born 1961, turns 56 - Actor | Director
• Anthony Michael Hall - Born 1968, turns 49 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Adrien Brody - Born 1973, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Director  
• Julie Christie - Born 1941, turns 76 - Actress
• Sarah Michelle Gellar - Born 1977, turns 40 - Actress | Producer | Singer
• Abigail Breslin - Born 1996, turns 21 - Actress | Singer | Songwriter

Saturday 15th April

• Claudia Cardinale - Born 1938, turns 79 - Actress 
• Emma Thompson - Born 1959, turns 58 - Actress | Writer | Producer | Singer
• Emma Watson - Born 1990, turns 27 - Actress | Singer
• Luke Evans - Born 1979, turns 38 - Actor 
• Seth Rogen - Born 1982, turns 35 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director | Singer

Kristen Jaymes Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, USA to mother Jules Mann-Stewart, an Australian script supervisor and Director of the prison drama 'K-11' released in 2012.  Her father John Stewart is a Television Producer and Stage Manager who currently works on Comedy Central. Her family moved around while Krsiten was still in her early years, from Los Angeles where she was born, to Colorado, Pennsylvania and then back to Los Angeles by the time she was eight. At that age she was noticed by a talent scout who attended her schools Christmas Play, and she subsequently appeared in a few minor television roles. As the young child Actress became more involved in an acting career, she continued her education by distance learning and correspondence until completing her high school years.

Her big screen debut came in 2000 in an uncredited role in 'The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas', followed up a year later with 'The Safety of Objects' with Glenn Close, Dermot Mulroney, Patricia Clarkson and Timothy Olyphant. A year later she starred opposite Jodie Foster as her diabetic daughter in David Fincher's 'Panic Room' and then for Mike Figgis in 'Cold Creek Manor' with Dennis Quaid (with whom she shares the same birthday), Sharon Stone, Juliette Lewis and Stephen Dorff.  'Speak', 'Catch That Kid', 'Undertow' and 'Fierce People' take us up to 'Zathura : A Space Adventure' in 2005 as Directed by Jon Favreau and the follow up film to 'Jumanji'.  

Horror thriller 'The Messengers' kicked off a busy 2007, with the first of five films released in this year, followed up by 'In the Land of Women', 'The Cake Eaters', Sean Penn's Academy Award nominated and highly acclaimed 'Into The Wild' and then Kate Hudson's Written and Directed sixteen minute short film 'Cutlass'.

2008 was to be as equally busy with another five release films including what would prove to be her breakout role. 'The Yellow Handkerchief' started off the year, then Barry Levinson's 'What Just Happened' with Robert De Niro, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, John Turturro and Stanley Tucci, then Doug Liman's Sci-Fi actioner 'Jumper' before the first instalment in the Stephanie Meyer 'Twilight' series in which Stewart plays lead female character Bella Swan. That series of five films launched in late 2008 ran its course through until late 2012 with 'New Moon' the second in the series, 'Eclipse' the third, and then the final book adaptation 'Breaking Dawn' being split into two films 'Part 1 and 2' released a year apart. The series took a combined global Box Office of US$3.35B from its US$385M budget outlay, although the critical response to the series was mixed it went decidedly south as the franchise wore on.

In between 'Twilight' outings there was 'Adventureland' with Jesse Eisenberg and Ryan Reynolds, 'Welcome to the Rileys' with James Gandolfini, then rock biopic 'The Runaways' with Stewart playing Joan Jett opposite Dakota Fanning playing Cherie Curry. 'Snow White and the Huntsman' for Rupert Sanders and starring Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth and a who who's of British acting talent playing the seven dwarves, saw Stewart in the title role as Snow White. This was followed by 'On the Road' and then a voice role in her mothers Directed 'K-11'. 'Camp X-Ray', 'Clouds of Sils Maria' for Olivier Assayas with Juliette Binoche and Chloe Grace Moretz and 'Still Alice' which won Stewarts Co-star Julianne Moore the Best Leading Actress Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG and AACTA Awards too, saw out 2014.

The last two years have seen her star in the Written, Directed and Co-Satrring Tim Blake Nelson drama film 'Anesthesia', Sci-Fi actioner 'American Ultra' with Jesse Eisenberg, Sci-Fi drama romance 'Equals' with Nicholas Hoult, 'Certain Women' with Laura Dern, Woody Allen's 'Cafe Society' with Jesse Eisenberg once again, then Ang Lee's 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' and for Director Olivier Assayas again 'Personal Shopper' which is released in Australia next week, and is already being lauded as perhaps Stewart's best work to date.


In the meantime there have been a handful of other short films including the nine minute pairing up of prominent actors for a series of intimate encounters in '9 Kisses', and the Karl Lagerfeld Directed eleven minute biopic of French fashion icon Coco Chanel - 'Once and Forever'. There have also been appearances in a number of video clips for prominent recording artists including 'The Rolling Stones : Ride 'Em On Down' late last year.

This brings us up to date, with 'Lizzie' in Post-production for a release later this year with Chloe Sevigny based on the infamous 1892 murders of the Borden family, and 'Underwater' currently filming and due in 2018 and telling the story of underwater researchers scrambling for safety after an earthquake destroys their subterranean laboratory.

All up Stewart has 47 Acting credits to her name, two as Director for her 2017 short seventeen minute film 'Come Swim' and the music video for 'Sage + The Saints : Take Me to the South' and one as Writer for 'Come Swim'. She has also amassed 45 award wins including the 2010 BAFTA Rising Star Award, and a further 56 award nominations. She has been romantically linked to several high profile individuals including Robert Pattinson - her Co-star from the 'Twilight' saga, French singer Stephanie Sokolinski, digital FX specialist Alicia Cargile and most recently model Stella Maxwell. She describes herself as being 'so gay' and open about bisexuality. In 2013 she was announced as the 'new face' of Channel, and in 2014 she was the face of Balenciaga's new fragrance 'Rosabotanica'.

Kristen Stewart - has been voted on numerous 'Top' lists including 'Hottest Young Actress', ranked highly in 'Sexiest Women in the World' several years running, ranked highly too in the 'Most Desirable Women' several years running, 'Best Dressed Woman' and in the Top 10 of 'Hollywood Top Earners' in 2010, '11, '13, '14 and '15.  For her two decades in the business she has already amassed a substantial and often noteworthy body of work across Sci-Fi, Horror, Thrillers, Dramas, Comedy and Romance and has picked up the accolades to prove it, and, she is still only 27 years of age. Happy Birthday to you Kristen, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK : Thursday 24th November 2016.

'BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK' which I caught on its opening day in Australia is based on the 2012 book of the same name by Ben Fountain, and Directed and Co-Produced by multi-award wining Ang Lee. This Iraq War drama was made for US$40M, was released in the US in early November and in the UK not until mid-February, and has so far recovered US$24M at the Box Office. For this film Lee used an unprecedented shooting and projection rate of 120 frames per second in 3D at 4K High Definition resolution, which is the first feature film in history to use such a high frame rate (24 fps is most commonly used). Lee stated that he wanted the film to be an 'immersive' and 'realistic' experience for the viewer into the emotion and realities of the soldiers journey.

Starring in his feature film debut, English Actor Joe Alwyn is US Army Specialist Billy Lynn, a 19 year old, who is part of an eight man team known as Bravo Squad under the leadership of Sgt. David Dime (Garrett Hedlund). A few brief moments of an intense firefight known as 'the Battle of Al-Ansakar Canal' are captured by a embedded Fox News crew that sees Lynn go to the rescue of a wounded Sergeant, Shroom (Vin Diesel) who ultimately dies in his arms, but not before Lynn kills three insurgents - two with pistol shots and the other in close quarter hand to hand combat using a knife to dispense with his assailant. This footage is quickly beamed around the world and Lynn and his fellow soldiers are hailed as heroes back home and Lynn is awarded the Silver Star. The Squad are invited back home by President George W. Bush for a two week Victory Tour to rally support for the war effort.

On the Tour, the Squad are accompanied by Albert Ratner (Chris Tucker) a fast talking but relatively low level Hollywood Producer who has designs on having their story made into a big Hollywood movie, with a promise of a pay day for each of the Squad of US$100K. After some back story centering on Lynn's arrival back home in rural Texas and over dinner with his family including older sister Kathryn (Kristen Stewart) the crew are collected from their hotel on their final day in a stretched Hummer accompanied by Ratner, and they make there way to the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Here the tour will culminate at the half-time show of the Dallas Cowboys during the 2004 Thanksgiving Day home game, on stage with 'Destiny's Child' and amidst a fanfare of fireworks, cheerleaders, thumping music, giant screen projection and an audience of millions. At this point the Squad don't know that yet, and we see Lynn recounting memories of his time in Iraq with his fellow buddies, with Sergeants Dime and Shroom, and conversations with sister Kathryn in the last few days about why he should seek medical discharge from the Army to avoid going back to Iraq - a notion that doesn't sit well with Lynn, but he's prepared to consider it to appease his sister.

Upon arrival at the Stadium the Squad are ushered to their seats wearing full dress uniform. They get up, sit down, lark around and occasionally have the cameras trained on them. They go to a Members area for lunch and fill their boots with the lavish spread of foods the like of which they have rarely seen before, whilst strangers sidle up to them wanting to speak with real war heroes, thank them, shake their hands and acknowledge their efforts, although they really have no concept at all of the war zone or the battlefield.

It is here that the Squad are introduced to Norman Oglesby (Steve Martin) the owner of the Dallas Cowboys who can't pour enough respect on the boys and is happy to have them paraded in front of the nation at his Stadium and with his Team. Ratner is also seeking to secure funding for the film from Oglesby as a major investor, and whilst he is interested he reduces Ratner's promised fee of US$100K a head down to a paltry US$5,500 each. Needless to say, both Dime and Lynn tell Oglesby later on exactly where he can stick his US$5,500 despite his best intentions telling him that their story is not for sale at that price.

Before kick-off during a photocall and Q&A session with the gathered press, Lynn spies the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader girls standing along the perimeter of the room, and in particular one pretty young thing named Faison Zorn (Makenzie Leigh), whom he falls instantly for, and she reciprocates. They share an intimate moment or two behind a curtain, before the boys are ushered back to their seats - they exchange phone numbers and keep in contact via text messaging.

Come half-time and the boys are to assemble on the goal line wearing their combat ready gear to be paraded down the length of the field walking behind the Cheerleaders, Destiny's Child and various others. Once at the far end they are to mount a stage and stand on an elevated platform while the all girl band sing their hearts out directly in front of them. Lynn is ordered only to walk down onto the stage and stand dead still directly behind the girls as they belt out 'Soldier'. With a crescendo of fireworks, thumping music, cameras flashing, a live television audience, the heat of the spotlights Lynn zones out and reminisces further about his life so far, conversations about his promising Army future with Dime and Shroom, his Squad colleagues, about friendships, family and decisions made and yet to be made.

Through flashbacks recounting the realities of that intense battle and fierce firefight in which Shroom died we learn that those realities were far different from what the US public were led to believe in the media, and how those perceptions are in stark contrast to the tragic consequences suffered by so many young men in the Iraq War. Those realities are tearing away at Lynn, and whilst over a few hours he has formed an attachment to Faison, and his sister Kathryn pleads with him to stay at home and not return to Iraq, ultimately the US Government has not relieved the Squad from their duties and they are under orders to return to Iraq imminently.

As the Hummer awaits post celebration at the designated collection point within the bowels of the Stadium, both Faison and Kathryn emerge. Both are disappointed when Lynn bids his farewells and returns to his fellow waiting comrades with whom he has more in common and with whom he shares a greater sense of belonging and brotherhood and what it really means to support the war effort on the frontline with bullets flying. This is in stark contrast to the manufactured media circus that they have just been party to. The average Joe Blow in the street back home on safe secure American soil has no idea of what that war effort means to those serving soldiers, the sacrifices made and the lasting impact on their lives. No idea at all! He steps foot inside the waiting Hummer, but for a moment he sees himself in his armoured patrol vehicle with Shroom beside him providing some comforting words of wisdom and encouragement, that just reinforces what he knew already.

I was a little underwhelmed by this film. For all the technological wizardry and cutting edge camera work deployed in making this film, the subject matter labours. This is more a character study of a young nineteen year old lad and the loss of his innocence at war as he grows up very quickly trying to keep the peace in Iraq a long way from his rural Texas home, whilst at the same time killing insurgents and maintaining the comradeship of his Squad. We see very little of Lynn's family other than sister Kathryn, but then I guess his family now is his Bravo Squad, and he feels more of a connection with the heat, dust and emotion of Iraq than he does on his home soil. The scenes that give reason to the Victory Tour are delivered quickly and efficiently and take you to the centre of the action in flashback, but don't expect any extended battle scenes, or slow-mo action, or torn bodies and flailing limbs here. Instead, it's all about the long halftime walk that occurs at the Stadium and the impact this has on the men of Bravo Squad. Lee delivers this with all the pomp & ceremony, sound and light, and overwhelming spectacle that you would expect at such an occasion, and Lee makes it feel as though you are there amongst it. Joe Alwyn as the newcomer to watch, and Garrett Hedlund give the standout performances in this film, whereas Steve Martin as the Team owner is just an OTT archetype, and Vin Diesel channelling his inner wannabe Zen Master fails to convince. The film has garnered mixed Reviews so far, and I can understand why.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-