LET HIM GO : Tuesday 1st December 2020.

'LET HIM GO' is an M-Rated American neo-Western drama offering that I saw earlier this week at my local multiplex. Directed, Co-Produced and written for the screen by Thomas Bezucha whose sporadic film making career takes in just three credits being 'Big Eden' in 2000, 'The Family Stone' in 2005 and 'Monte Carlo' in 2011. This film is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Larry Watson. Originally slated for a US release in late August, this date was pushed back due to COVID-19 to early November and has so far taken close to US$9.5M at the Box Office. Now getting a release in Australia from last week, the film has generated largely positive Reviews. 

Set in the early to mid-'60's in rural Montana, retired Sheriff George Blackledge (Kevin Costner), lives with his wife Margaret (Diane Lane), their 26 year old son James (Ryan Bruce), his wife Lorna (Kayli Carter) and their newborn son, Jimmy. James has been training a horse for some time but admits that the horse isn't quite there yet. After breakfast he takes the horse out to check on some fence lines on their property. While Margaret is giving baby Jimmy a bath in the kitchen sink, the horse comes galloping back to the house, without James. Margaret alerts George, who jumps on his own steed and goes in search of James, only to find his still limp lifeless body down near a creek. It is assumed that James was thrown from the horse, and broke his neck in the process. 

We then fast forward three years and Lorna is getting married to Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain). Present at the wedding are George and Margaret, and young Jimmy who is now three years old. No one is in attendance from the Weboy family. In the local town Donnie, Lorna and Jimmy are living in a sparsely furnished rental apartment, which Margaret and George visit from time to time to meet with their grandson. One day while out shopping, Margaret observes from her car, Donnie physically striking both young Jimmy and Lorna. Sometime shortly thereafter Margaret has baked a cake which she takes around to Lorna's apartment, only to be told by the landlady that the family hurriedly packed up their belongings and left at midnight the evening before, with no indication as to their future whereabouts.

 

Needless to say this gives Margaret grave concerns for Jimmy's safety. So much so that she decides to pack up the car with essential supplies and go off in search of Lorna and Jimmy and bring them back to their Montana ranch. George arrives home and is confronted with Margaret sat at the kitchen table ready to leave. She explains what she saw, the fact that they have exited town quick smart under cover of darkness, and her fears for the safety and wellbeing of Jimmy. Reluctantly George agrees to go along with Margaret's plan, and they leave together.

They head out of Montana and into North Dakota stopping off at Forsyth and then carrying on to Gladstone where they are told they can find Donnie's uncle, Bill Weboy (Jeffrey Donovan) who may be able to shed some light on the family's whereabouts. Their initial meeting out on the street is a little stilted, but Margaret is steadfast in her determination and refuses to be intimidated by a Weboy. Bill invites them into his house and calls his sister to arrange a family dinner that night at the Weboy homestead. He tells George and Margaret to be back at his place at 4:00pm that afternoon, because they would never ever find the homestead on their own. They duly arrive at 4:00pm and George follows Bill closely behind all the way there to the remote homestead.

At dinner, they meet the Weboy family, including Blanche (Lesley Manville) the intimidating and disturbing matriarch of the clan and her other two sons Marvin and Elton (Adam Stafford and Connor Mackay respectively). Blanche's charms do not last long as the dinner conversation progresses and George begins to feel increasingly uneasy with the situation they find themselves in. When Donnie, Lorna and Jimmy arrive home late, Margaret embraces Jimmy and attempts to carry the young lad out of the house but this very rapidly goes south. Not feeling welcome anymore, they leave the Weboy house.

The next day George and Margaret meet Lorna during her lunch break from work at a local cafe. They convince her to leave with them. She then plans to leave her home at midnight, and tells them to wait for her at their hotel, saying that she'll be there by 2;00am and that they are to leave immediately because the Weboys will be hot on her tail, and they'll have no hesitation in killing her. At about 2:00am instead of Lorna, the Weboys having supposedly caught Lorna sneaking out, come knocking on the door at the hotel. Margaret tries to convince Blanche by telling her about the physical abuse he did to Lorna and her child, but Blanche instead tells Donnie to hit Margaret. George intervenes and later pulls out his pistol but is overpowered by the Weboy brothers who outnumber him four to one. Blanche pulls out a hatchet from a sack and orders Donnie to hack of his fingers so that he'll no longer be able to point a pistol at them. Donnie complies with his mothers wishes and brings down the hatchet on George's restrained hand, cutting off his four fingers. The Weboys leave.

After visiting the local hospital and having emergency surgery on his hand, the local Sheriff (Greg Lawson) arrives to hear George and Margarets side of the story having already heard the Weboys. The Sheriff sides with the Weboys and tells George that it will be in his best interests to leave. They do so but due to George's poor health and injury, have to make a stop at Peter's (Booboo Stewart) house, who is a Native American nineteen year old man they had met while on the way to the Weboys' estate and whom they befriended. Peter lives alone in a wooden shack out in the prairie with only his horse for company. 

That night, George takes the car and leaves for the Weboys house alone. After finding a shotgun propped up against the back door with two new cartridges close by and starting a fire using a dumped can of fuel, he slinks through the house in the dead of night seeking Lorna. Locating Lorna, he keeps Donnie, who was sleeping beside her, at gunpoint and asks her to leave with Jimmy. In a moment of distraction Donnie alerts the others, but Lorna is stopped by Bill. Blanche comes hurriedly out of her bedroom hearing the commotion brandishing a pistol, but accidentally kills Bill by shooting him in the face at point blank range. She then pushes Lorna down the stairs, leaving Jimmy clinging to George, who in a split second throws Jimmy over the banister into the arms of Lorna below. In that moment Blanche shoots George. Marvin and Elton appear smelling burning and go off to investigate the fire which is now taking hold. Returning, George takes control of Blanche's gun and shoots Marvin and Elton dead as they mount the stairs.

Margaret and Peter, who had followed George on horseback, meet up with Lorna clinging onto Jimmy outside the Weboy house. They then go to help George out of the house, but are halted by Blanche. Blanche shoots and kills George. With Peter's help, Margaret blasts Blanche with the shotgun, killing her outright. The fire is now raging through the house, as Peter urges Margaret to leave George where he lays. Margaret whispers fond memories into George's ear to send him on his way and exits the house as she, Peter, Lorna and Jimmy watch the house burn and collapse to the ground. Bidding a fond farewell to Peter    she then takes Lorna and the sleeping boy and leaves in the car, heading for home as day breaks.  

This 1960's revenge fuelled emotional and at times violent neo-Western lingers in places but is carried through by the heft of the performances of the three principle leads - Costner, Lane and Manville. The Direction is solid enough with sweeping vistas of snow clad mountains, river gorges, the plains and the big sky all adding weight to the storyline of an ageing couple marred by their own recent tragedy venture out of their comfort zone to protect their grandson from the clutches of a tyrannical family. Costner and Lane share an on-screen chemistry that is clearly evident in their performances ranging from affection and grumpy toward each other to both sharing in their mission to rescue the young lad, and Manville shines in the few scenes she does have as the menacing matriarch akin to Ma Baker. 'Let Him Go' offers up a simple premise, but is well told, well acted, well filmed even if it does labour in places.

'Let Him Go' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th November 2020.

The third Children's International Film Festival (CHIFF) is being held in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia from 27th November through until 13th December. The official website reads that CHIFF caters 'for children aged 4-16, the festival's program ranges from non-verbal films for the miniature movie lover, through to a more challenging mix of foreign and English language films from all over the world, perfect for older budding cinephiles. All of the new films in the CHIFF programme are Australian premieres, handpicked from world-class film festivals such as Berlin, Toronto, and Seattle. These films rarely get a release outside of their home countries, so CHIFF provides one of the only ways for families to catch them on the big screen in Australia'.

This years line up of twenty child friendly films opens up with 'Lassie Come Home' (as Previewed below), and continue with the likes of the following :-

* 'Babe' - from Australia and the USA and Directed by Chris Noonan, CHIFF presents this special 25th anniversary screening of the Academy Award nominated family film.

* 'The Bears' Famous Invasion of Sicily' - from France and Italy and Directed by Lorenzo Mattotti and based on a classic 1945 Italian children’s book and premiering at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, this French-language animation with English subtitles tells a story of conflict between humans and bears in the kingdom of Sicily.

* 'Captain Sabretooth and the Magic Diamond' - from Norway and Directed by Marit Moum Aune and Rasmus A. Sivertsen is a story of the infamous pirate Captain Sabertooth who wants a magic diamond that holds special powers but, the problem is, so does Maga Kahn, a vampire king with an army of monkeys at his disposal.

* 'Daisy Quokka : World's Scariest Animal' - from Australia and Directed by Ricard Cusso. Here, an unbearably adorable, eternally optimistic Quokka named Daisy wants to achieve the impossible – to win the annual ‘World’s Scariest Animal’ championship. So she enlists the guidance of a washed-up, former champion, a grouchy Saltwater Crocodile, to help her achieve her dreams and prove that champions can come in all shapes and sizes. Featuring the voice talents of Sam Neill and Angourie Rice.

* 'Dino Dana : The Movie' - from Canada and Directed by J.J.Johnson sees Dana, a ten-year-old girl who has the power to imagine dinosaurs into the real world, is ready to commence dino experiment 901 to find out just why there aren’t any kid dinosaur fossils. However, this time Dana has the help of her new neighbour Mateo who can also see the dinosaurs she conjures.

* 'Dreambuilders' - from Denmark and Directed by Kim Hagen Jensen and Tonni Zinck has Minna, one night discovering the behind-the-scenes world of dreams where creatures known as 'dreambuilders' construct and direct the visions that we experience every night while we sleep. Minna’s incredible newfound knowledge soon leads her to discover that she can not only manipulate her own dreams, but also those of others.

* 'The Elfkins : Baking a Difference' - from Germany and Directed by Ute von Munchow-Pohl here tells the story of the tiny gnome-like Elfkins who have lived in hiding, under the German city of Cologne, for more than 200 years. One day, after being dismissed by her fellow Elfkins one time too many for her inventions, the young Elfkin girl Helvi decides it’s time to try and return to the human world on the surface.

* 'Fritzi : A Revolutionary Tale' - from Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Czech Republic and Directed by Ralf Kakula and Matthias Bruhn, here it is 1989 and twelve-year-old Fritzi lives in East Germany. When Fritzi’s best friend Sophie goes on holiday Fritzi happily agrees to take care of Sophie’s dog, Sputnik. But then Sophie doesn’t come back: she and her mum have fled across the border seeking refuge in Hungary. Fritzi becomes determined to reunite Sophie and Sputnik so starts planning to cross the border herself.

* 'The Great Detective Sherlock Holmes : The Great Jail-Breaker' - from Hong Kong and Directed by Toe Yuena and Matthew Chow here sets the scene on the streets of Victorian era London, where nothing gets by Sherlock Holmes the dog and his trusted companion Dr. Watson the cat. Nothing, that is, except for the notorious burglar White Storm, who may well be a Robin Hood type who only steals from the rich to give to the poor, but the law is the law. Or is it?

* 'Jackie and Oopjen' - from the Netherlands with English subtitles and Directed by Annemarie van de Mond here sees Jackie who loves spending time at the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Her mother works there and the museum has partnered with the Louvre to display a collection of Rembrandt’s paintings including his famous portrait of Oopjen Coppit. But there’s just one problem - Oopjen has gone missing!

* 'Phantom Owl Forest' - from Estonia with English subtitles and Directed by Anu Aun here has Eia’s Christmas holiday getting off to a disappointing start as both her parents have to travel for work so she is sent to stay on a farm in remote Southern Estonia, surrounded by a forest and covered in snow. The ten-year-old soon befriends the farmer and the various friends and family who pass through Phantom Owl Forest, but all is not as it may seem here.

* 'The Prince's Voyage' - from France and Luxembourg with English subtitles and Directed by Jean-Francois Laguionie and Xavier Picard tells the story of washing up on an unfamiliar beach, the monkey Prince is found by twelve-year-old Tom who takes the wounded Prince with him to stay with his parents: two scientists who have been outcast for their radical ideas about the existence of other monkey civilisations. 

* 'Sky Raiders' - from Israel with English subtitles and Directed by Lior Chefetz sees classmates Yotam and Noa who are both obsessed with aircraft and flying, although both of the thirteen-year-olds have major obstacles in their way. Yotam is still grieving the loss of his father in a plane crash and Noa has to deal with her bullying older brother, plus the fact that her father won’t take her interests in flying seriously.

* 'Too Far Away' - from Germany with subtitles and Directed by Sarah Winkenstette here tells the story of Ben who was happy being popular at school and the star player on his local soccer team, but his life is turned upside down when his family have to move after his village becomes the site for a new open brown coal mine. At Ben’s new school he is bullied and relegated to playing defence on his new soccer team. Things start to look up when he meets another new student, Tariq, a refugee from Syria.

You can see the full programme and learn more about CHIFF at the official website at : https://www.chiff.com.au

This week then we have seven new feature films to tempt you out to your local Odeon. Kicking off we have a film about an pair of caring grandparents who go off in search go their young grandson now living off grid with the ruthless family of their former daughter-in-law who has remarried into that family. We then have a change of pace with an English film about the 1970 Miss World competition and the Women's Liberation Movement who fought against it. Next up is a Sci-Fi psychological horror film about a secret organisation using brain transplant technology to inhabit someone else's body; followed by a French film about a returning son who goes home to his fathers farm in rural France, buys him out, raises a family, expands the business and then it all goes pear shaped. Then there is a concert film featuring a famed front man from a very popular and successful '80's band together with eleven other musicians recorded live on Broadway; which is followed by a Christmas holiday film about a young woman who wants to propose to her girlfriend at her parents holiday party, but her parents are unaware of their daughter's true feelings for the woman. And we close out the week with a German remake of a classic 1940 novel and a 1943 movie about a dog who needs to find his way home to his rightful owner after being sent away.  

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new movies 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 coming week.

'LET HIM GO' (Rated M) - is an American neo-Western drama offering Directed, Co-Produced and written for the screen by Thomas Bezucha whose sporadic film making career takes in just three credits being 'Big Eden' in 2000, 'The Family Stone' in 2005 and 'Monte Carlo' in 2011. This film is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Larry Watson. Originally slated for a US release in late August, this date was pushed back due to COVID-19 to early November and has so far taken just over US$7M at the Box Office. Now getting a release in Australia from this week, the film has generated largely positive Reviews. 

Set in the mid-'60's, following the untimely death of their son in  tragic horse riding accident, a retired sheriff, George Blackledge (Kevin Costner) and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) leave their Montana ranch to rescue their young grandson from the clutches of the dangerous Weboy family ruled over by stern matriarch Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville) living off the grid in the Dakotas. Also starring Will Brittain, Jeffrey Donovan, Kayli Carter and Booboo Stewart. 

'MISBEHAVIOUR' (Rated M) - this British comedy drama film is Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe in only her second feature film following 2016's 'Swallows and Amazons' although she has Directed TV movies 'The Other Boleyn Girl', 'Beau Brummell : This Charming Man' and 'Cider with Rosie' as well as a number of episodes of 'Call The Midwife', 'The Crown' and 'Jamaica Inn'. Set in 1970, the Miss World Competition took place in London, hosted by the US comedian Bob Hope (Greg Kinnear). At that time Miss World was the most-watched TV show in the world with over 100 million viewers. Arguing that beauty competitions objectify women, the newly formed women's liberation movement achieved overnight fame by invading the stage and disrupting the live broadcast of the competition. Starring Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley, Lesley Manville, Rhys Ifans and Suki Waterhouse. The film has garnered generally positive Reviews, was released in the UK in mid-March and then on VoD in the UK a month later because of the escalating impact of COVID-19, and has so far taken just over US$1M at the Box Office. 

'POSSESSOR' (Rated CTC) - Directed and Written by Brandon Cronenberg (son of David) this Sci-Fi psychological horror film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in late January this year, was released Stateside and in Canada in early October and now gets its release in Australia and the UK from this week. This is only Brandon's second feature film offering following 2012's 'Antiviral' and has received generally favourable Reviews, with Critics praising the films originality and the performance from the principle cast. It has so far taken US$753K at the Box Office. The film follows an agent Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) who works for a secretive organisation that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies - ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients. Also starring Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Sean Bean, Tuppence Middleton and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

'IN THE NAME OF THE LAND' (Rated M) - this French film is Directed and Co-Written by Edouard Bergeon in his feature film debut, and is inspired by his own childhood and is dedicated to his parents. The film tells the story of Pierre Jarjeau (Guillaume Canet), who returns from Wyoming to the Mayenne district of France in the late 1970’s to marry his sweetheart Claire (Veerle Baetens) and take over the farm from his his arrogant and domineering father Jacques (Rufus). The couple have two children, Thomas (Anthony Bajon) and Emma (Yona Kervern) and for many years, life is good. But the business is soon placed under enormous financial and operational pressure due to expansion, and what was once a satisfying lifestyle begins to take an insidious toll on the family.

'DAVID BYRNE'S AMERICAN UTOPIA' (Rated M) - is an American concert film Directed and Co-Produced by Spike Lee, from a screenplay by David Byrne. The film is a live recording of a Broadway performance of a modified version of the album 'American Utopia', including several songs and contributions from throughout Byrne's career. Byrne performs alongside eleven other musicians, all performing with wireless or portable equipment. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in September this year and shortly thereafter at the New York Film Festival and then the British Film Institute London Film Festival, and has received universal critical acclaim. 

'HAPPIEST SEASON' (Rated M) - this American romantic comedy film is Directed, written for the screen, based on a story and stars Clea DuVall in only her second feature film making outing since 2016's 'The Intervention' although she has totals of four Producer credits, four as Writer, six as Director and eighty-five as an Actor to her name. Here Abby (Kristen Stewart) plans to propose marriage to her girlfriend Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) while attending her family's annual Christmas holiday party. At the party, she comes to the realisation that Harper has not come out to her conservative parents yet, Ted and Tipper Caldwell (Victor Garber and Mary Steenburgen respectively). Released in the US this week too on streaming service Hulu and in other international markets, the film has generated largely favourable press. Also starring Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Daniel Levy and Mila Kunis.

'LASSIE COME HOME' (Rated PG) - Directed by Hanno Olderdissen, this German film with English subtitles is a remake of the 1943 classic novel of the same name by Eric Mowbray Knight about the iconic long haired Collie dog with a keen sense for adventure. Here Lassie and twelve-year-old Florien Maurer (Nico Marischka) are inseparable best friends, so it breaks both their hearts when Lassie is sent away after Florien’s father loses his job. While Lassie’s temporary minders, which includes twelve-year-old Priscilla von Sprengel (Bella Bading), mean well; Lassie is mistreated by an opportunist caretaker and escapes the first chance she gets. It is the start of an epic adventure across southern Germany as Lassie makes her way back home while Florien and Priscilla set out to find her. Both human and canine characters face many challenges and obstacles, but the bond between a child and their dog is not one that can be easily broken.

With seven 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 coming week, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-