THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN : Tuesday 27th December 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN' this week, and this is a black tragicomedy film Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh, whose prior film making credits take in his debut in 2008 with 'In Bruges' and then 'Seven Psychopaths' in 2012, and the critically acclaimed 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' in 2017. This film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the Venice International Film Festival on 5th September, where it received a fifteen minute standing ovation from the audience. Colin Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and Martin McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. It was theatrically released in Ireland, the UK, the US at the end of October and was released in Australia this week, having generated widespread critical acclaim and bringing in so far US$20M in Box Office receipts. The film was named one of the best films of 2022 by the National Board of Review, and it has received a leading eight nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Director.

Towards the end of the Irish Civil War in 1923, on the remote Irish island of Inisherin, Padraic Suilleabhain (Colin Farrell) is devastated when his long term friend and drinking buddy Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. Padraic is generally liked well enough by the local islanders, but Colm announces that he finds him dull, and that he now wishes to spend whatever years he has left composing music, writing poetry and doing things for which he will be remembered when his time comes to move on from this mortal coil. 

Padraic is mortified by the sudden loss of one of his closest friends and becomes more and more distressed by the whole situation which he finds tough to reconcile in his own mind. Colm meanwhile becomes more determined to distance himself from his old friend as Padraic attempts to reason with him. One day at J.J.Devine's pub, and at which the pair used to meet at everyday at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, Colm delivers Padraic an ultimatum. Every time Padraic bothers him or tries to talk with him, Colm will cut off one of his own left fingers with a pair of sheep shears that he has back at his cottage.

Padraic's caring sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and local lad Dominic Kearney (Barry Keoghan) make attempts to defuse the whole sorry situation, but their efforts prove to be in vain. One night after Padraic has had a few too many Irish Whiskey's, he confronts Colm in the pub saying that he is 'nice' and he can't still understand why Colm no longer wants to be his friend. Colm responds saying that in ten years, twenty years ands fifty years from now no one will remember you for being 'nice', but people will remember your music, your poetry, your books, just as they remember Mozart from the 18th Century. The next day Padraic attempts to apologise for what he said, but Colm cuts off one of his fingers and throws the bloody digit at Padraic and Siobhan's front door. Later Padraic sees Colm meeting with a fiddler from the mainland, and laughing and chatting in the pub. Padraic sees the fiddler and offers him a ride on his horse drawn carriage and tricks the fiddler into returning home to the mainland by lying about his father's life threatening injuries after being hit by a milk cart. As the tensions grow increasingly bleak, local elder Mrs. McCormick (Sheila Flitton) warns Padraic that death will come to the island soon. Meanwhile, Siobhan diplomatically rebuffs Dominic's romantic advances towards her, which whilst he accepts leaves him devastated. 

Dominic suggests to Padraic that he should stand up for himself and be more forthright. Padraic tells Dominic what he told the fiddler in order to get him off the island, and Dominic responds by walking away in disgust saying that he thought he was one of the nicest people on the island and the truth is that he's one of the meanest. And so the 'new' Padraic visits Colm to reprimand him for behaving so badly. Colm reveals that he has finished composing his song, which he calls 'The Banshees of Inisherin'. Having seemingly made their peace, and as the church bells ring at 2:00 o'clock Padraic suggests that he should go ahead to the pub and order them a couple of pints. Colm says that would be fine. Upon leaving Padraic turns and says that he might run into the fiddler he had run off the island and that perhaps all three of them could have drinks. Colm cuts off his remaining left fingers and thumb with the shears and throws them one by one at the door of Padraic and Siobhan's cottage. 

Come 4:00 o'clock and there is till no sign of Colm at the pub. Siobhan walks in and asks what he is doing there. She tells Padraic to come home immediately as there is something she needs to discuss with him. He gets up, albeit reluctantly and she tells him that she's leaving, that she's sick of life on the island and that she has landed a job as a librarian on the mainland. Devastated by this turn of events, Padraic waves farewell to his sister from atop the cliffs overlooking the harbour where Siobhan catches the ferry boat to take her away to her new life. Padraic comes home to find his pet donkey Jenny had choked on one of Colm's fingers and consequently died, leaving him doubly distraught. He bury's Jenny in the yard of their cottage. 

Heartbroken, Padraic blames Colm for Jenny's death. He confronts Colm to tell him he will burn his house down the next day at 2:00pm either with him inside or not. Following the Sunday church service and 2:00pm comes round, Padraic sets the house on fire as promised, taking Colm's dog to safety. As Padraic leaves he takes one final look inside through a window and sees Colm sitting inside the now burning building smoking a cigarette. The local Policeman, Dominic's abusive father Peadar (Gary Lydon), goes to Padraic's house to deliver him a beating after saying in the pub that he beats up and fiddles with Dominic. However, Peadar is diverted away by Mrs. McCormick, who silently leads him to a nearby lake where Dominic's corpse is floating face up.

The next morning, Mrs. McCormick finds a chair next to one of the windows in Colm's burnt-out and still smouldering house. She sits there as Padraic, with the dog, finds Colm standing on the beach. Colm apologises for Jenny's death and suggests that by destroying the house this has ended their feud and that they are now even, but Padraic advises his former friend that it only would have ended if he'd have stayed inside the house. As Padraic turns to leave, Colm thanks him for looking after his dog, to which Padraic replies, 'any time' and continues walking.

Given the rave reviews for 'The Banshees of Inisherin' I left the movie theatre feeling a little nonplussed. Make no mistake, the acting here by Farrell, Gleeson and Keoghan is top rate and you would be hard pressed to find more nuanced performances on the big screen this year; the dead-pan black and bleak humour when it lands created some real laugh out loud moments amongst the packed cinema audience I saw this with; the cinematography of this little corner of Ireland is beautiful; and Writer/Director Martin McDonagh has crafted a telling story of two lifelong buddies gone horribly wrong and from which the gravity of their situation escalates to a point of no return and from which they will suffer the consequences for as long as they both shall live. This film won't be for everyone, it's hardly uplifting and for some it will leave you feeling melancholy and depressed, while for others it may deliver a heartfelt message about human frailty and the importance of acceptance. 

'The Banshees of Inisherin' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Monday 26th December 2022.

As 2022 draws to a close it's a time to reflect on the cinematic year that was, and the hope for generally better times ahead in the new year, as cinema audiences have continued to stay away from movie theatres (particularly for smaller independent offerings) coming off the back of COVID-19 lockdowns, escalating cost of living impacts and the ever increasing competition from streaming services. This year I have Reviewed forty-four movies, Previewed 237 feature films and documentaries and paid my respects to 258 legends of both the small screen and the big screen who have passed away in 2022. All that remains for me to say is the very best to you for a very Happy New Year that is safe, healthy and prosperous, and wherever you are in the world, get out and watch a movie at your local multiplex or local independent movie theatre and support all those working tirelessly in front and behind the camera who like so many other trades and industries around the world, continue to do it tough but do it for the love of moviemaking. Thanks for your support this past twelve months and I look forward to bringing you more of the same content in the coming year.  

This week there are six new movie offerings coming to an Odeon near you, starting with a tale of two lifelong friends living on a remote Irish isle in the early 1920's who find themselves at a stalemate when one abruptly ends their friendship without any warning and with alarming consequences for both of them. Then we turn to a story of a cruise for the super-rich which sinks, leaving survivors, including a fashion model celebrity couple, trapped on an island. Next up, guided by instinct and spectral visions, an ambitious writer and amateur historian defies the academic establishment to unearth Richard III's 500 year long-missing remains buried under a car park. This is followed by a biopic of a singing sensation who rises from obscurity to international fame in the 1980's to become one of the greatest singers of her generation. We then have a live action animated film based on the 1965 children's book about a singing crocodile that lives in New York City; before closing out the week with an animated film that is a sequel to a 2011 film featuring Puss in Boots who discovers that he has burned through eight of his nine lives, so he embarks on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six 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 coming week.

'THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN' (Rated M) - is a black tragicomedy film Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh, whose prior film making credits take in his debut in 2008 with 'In Bruges' and then 'Seven Psychopaths' in 2012, and the critically acclaimed 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' in 2017. This film saw its World Premiere showcasing at the Venice International Film Festival on 5th September, where it received a fifteen minute standing ovation from the audience. Colin Farrell won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor and Martin McDonagh won the Golden Osella for Best Screenplay. It was theatrically released in Ireland, the UK, the US at the end of October and is released in Australia this week, having generated widespread critical acclaim and bringing in so far US$20M in Box Office receipts.

At the tail end of the Irish Civil War in 1923, on the remote fictional Irish island of Inisherin, Padraic Suilleabhain (Colin Farrell) is devastated when his long term friend and drinking buddy Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. With help from his sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) and a troubled young islander, Dominic Kearney (Barry Keoghan), Padraic sets out to repair the damaged relationship by any means necessary. However, as Colm's resolve only strengthens, he soon delivers an ultimatum that leads to shocking consequences. The film was named one of the best films of 2022 by the National Board of Review, and it has received a leading eight nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and Best Director.

'TRIANGLE OF SADNESS' (Rated M) - this satirical black comedy film is Written and Directed by Ruben Ostlund in his English language feature debut, and follows his success with his highly acclaimed multi-award winning and nominated 'The Square' in 2017 with Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss and Dominic West. Here then, fashion model couple Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean, in her last film role before her untimely death earlier this year), together with a group of billionaires, are invited on a luxury cruise in exchange for promoting it on social media. When the yacht sinks they become stranded on a desert island with the group and a cleaning lady. In the fight for survival, old hierarchies are turned upside down since the cleaning lady is the only one who knows how to fish and who possesses the necessary survival skills. The film also stars Woody Harrelson, and saw its World Premier screening at this years Cannes Film Festival where it received an eight minute standing ovation and won the Palme d'Or and has so far picked up another seven award wins and nineteen nominations from around the awards and festival circuit. Release in France at the end of September, in the US in early October, in the UK in late October and only now in Australia, the film has so far recouped US$16.5M from its US$15.6M production budget and has garnered generally positive reviews. 

'THE LOST KING' (Rated M) - is a British comedy drama film Directed by Stephen Frears and Co-Written by Steve Coogan (who also stars here), based on the 2013 book 'The King's Grave : The Search for Richard III' by Philippa Langley and Michael Jones. Stephen Frears previous film making credits include 'My Beautiful Laundrette' in 1985, 'Dangerous Liaisons' in 1988, 'The Grifters' in 1990, 'High Fidelity' in 2000, 'The Queen' in 2006, 'Philomena' in 2013, 'Florence Foster Jenkins' in 2016, and 'Victoria and Abdul' in 2017. In this inspiring true story, amateur historian Philippa Langley (Sally Hawkins) believes she has made the archeological find of the century, the lost burial site of King Richard III, who has remained lost for over five hundred years, underneath a car park in Leicester. She takes on Britain's most eminent historians, forcing them to rethink the legacy of one of the most controversial rulers in English history. Also starring Steve Coogan. The film saw its World Premier at the Toronto International Film Festival in mid-September this year, and was released in its native UK in early November and has garnered mixed or average reviews. 

'WHITNEY HOUSTON : I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY' (Rated M) - is an American biographical musical film based on the life of American singer Whitney Houston, who died at the age of 48 in February 2012 and is regarded as one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. It is Directed by Kasi Lemmons whose previous film making credits include 1997's 'Eve's Bayou' with Samuel L. Jackson and Jurnee Smollett, 'Talk to Me' in 2007 with Don Cheadle and Chiwetel Ejiofor, 2013's 'Black Nativity' with Forest Whittaker and Angela Bassett and 'Harriet' in 2019 with Cynthia Erivo and Janelle Monae. This film celebrates the life and music of Whitney Houston (Naomi Ackie), one of the greatest female R&B pop vocalists of all time, tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom. Also starring Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis (Houston's record producer), Ashton Sanders as Bobby Brown (Houston's husband) and Tamara Tunie as Cissy Houston (Houston's mother). 

'LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE' (Rated PG) - this American musical comedy film is Directed and Co-Produced by Will Speck and Josh Gordon whose pairing brought us their debut feature film with 2007's 'Blades of Glory', then 2010's 'The Switch', 'The Power Inside' in 2013 and 'Office Christmas Party' in 2016. This film is an adaptation of the 1965 children's story of the same name by Bernard Waber. When the Primm family (Constance Wu as Mrs. Primm, Scoot McNairy as Mr. Primm and Winslow Fegley as young Josh Primm) move to New York City, Josh, struggles to adapt to his new school and friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle, an anthropomorphic saltwater singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) that loves baths, caviar and great music. The two become fast friends, but when evil neighbour Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman) threatens Lyle's existence, the Primms must band together to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places. Also starring Javier Bardem as Hector P. Valenti, Lyle's owner. The film was released Stateside in early October, has so far grossed US$88M from a production budget of US$50M and has garnered mostly positive press. 

'PUSS IN BOOTS : THE LAST WISH' (Rated PG) - is an American computer-animated adventure film that is a direct/stand-alone sequel to the 2011's 'Puss in Boots', which was a spin-off of the 'Shrek' franchise and is the sixth instalment thereof. This film is Directed by Joel Crawford whose two previous Directing efforts are the TV special 'Trolls Holiday' and the 2020 feature film 'The Croods : A New Age'. Here daring outlaw Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas reprising his role from the first film) discovers that his passion for peril and disregard for safety have taken their toll. Puss has burned through eight of his nine lives, though he lost count along the way. Getting those lives back will send Puss in Boots on his grandest quest yet as he embarks on an epic journey into the Dark Forest to find the mythical Wishing Star and restore his lost lives. But with only one life left, Puss will have to humble himself and ask for help from his former partner and nemesis, the captivating Kitty Soft Paws (Salma Hayek). In their quest, Puss and Kitty will be aided, against their better judgment, by a ratty, chatty, relentlessly cheerful mutt, Perro (Harvey Guillen). Together, our trio of heroes will have to stay one step ahead of Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) and the Three Bears Crime Family (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone and Samson Kayo), 'Big' Jack Horner (John Mulaney) and terrifying bounty hunter, The Big Bad Wolf (Wagner Moura). The film was released in the US last week and has received generally positive critical acclaim. 

With six 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI : Tuesday 2nd January 2018.

'THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI' which I saw earlier this week, following its Australian release on New Years Day, is a black comedy crime drama film Written, Directed and Co-Produced by British/Irish playwright, screen writer and film maker Martin McDonagh whose previous feature film credits are 'In Bruges' and 'Seven Psychopaths'. The film Premiered at the Venice International Film Festival back in early September and then TIFF later that month taking out the top prize - The People's Choice Award. Since then the film has been shown at numerous film festivals and has received widespread critical acclaim, so far picking up 49 award wins and a further 140 nominations including six Golden Globe nominations, four SAG nominations and five AACTA International nods with the winners & grinners yet to be announced. The film opened in the US in early November, went on general release in Australia on 1st January and in the UK on 12th January. Having cost US$12M to make, the film has so far grossed US$24M. Apparently, McDonagh gained inspiration for the premise of the film after seeing billboards about an unsolved crime while travelling 'somewhere down in the Georgia, Florida, Alabama corner'. Of the event that inspired the film, McDonagh stated 'the rage that put a bunch of billboards like that up was palpable and stayed with me'. Eventually he was inspired to create the fictional scenario around such a situation, into the film we have today.

The film follows a mothers plight, who after seven months have passed by without a culprit in her daughter's violent rape and murder case, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), a small town shop assistant, makes a bold move and rents three abandoned roadside billboards close by to her home in Ebbing, Missouri. She rents the billboards from Ebbing Advertising managed by Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones) who states that these have not be leased since 1986, and as the new highway cut off that part of town where the billboards are located, anyone driving along that stretch of road would either have to be lost, or be a complete retard! But she proceeds and lays down an initial one months rental fee of US$5,000 and then orders that each sign in bold lettering portray a specific message directed at William Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), the town's revered Chief of Police. Each of the signs reads, in sequence, 'Raped while dying', 'And still no arrests?', and 'How come, Chief Willoughby?'. 

Willoughby's second-in-command, Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) an immature Mummy's Boy with a leaning towards violence, is the first person to come across the billboards as they are being finished off early one evening. He calls Willoughby while he is having dinner with his family, and the next day the pair visit the roadside billboards. It is revealed that Willoughby has terminal pancreatic cancer which only heightens their disapproval of the signage, and the Police Chief thinks this is a personal attack against his character and his standing within the local community. Meanwhile, the towns folk have also become increasingly upset by the three signs, and Mildred and her son Robbie (Lucas Hedges) are threatened and harassed. Mildred however, is unwavering in her stance.

Willoughby visits Mildred at her home and the two talk. He is sympathetic to her cause, but does his best to explain that their investigations into Angela's murder all led to dead ends and for now there is very little else he can do, except to offer her some hope that at a future date something may come to light that will lead to a conviction. Willoughby confides in Mildred that he is terminally ill with cancer, hoping for some sympathy, but he gets none. She replies that his 'secret' is not nearly the secret he believes, and that the whole of Ebbing knows. She further states that the buck stops with him and that he is ultimately responsible for finding her daughters rapist and killer, and if the signs gel him into action then so be it. They won't be much good after he 'croaks'!

Dixon is frustrated and angered by Mildred's lack of respect for the Chief and retaliates by threatening Red, who rented the billboards to her. After discussion with his mother too, Dixon begins getting back at Mildred through her friends and supporters, and arrests her colleague in the shop on exaggerated marijuana possession charges. Mildred confronts Dixon in the Police station.

After an altercation with the vastly overweight town dentist that involves a wobbly tooth, hastily administered anaesthetic, a drill and a fingernail Willoughby brings Mildred in for questioning and threatens to tie her up in red tape for years, when the dentist wishes to press charges against her for assault with a deadly drill. While waiting to be questioned over the incident, there is another heated exchange with Dixon over his alleged beating and torture of a coloured man held in custody. When Dixon is discharged from the interview room and Willoughby is chatting to Mildred, he coughs up blood unexpectedly over her, signifying to them both that his condition is worsening. He is taken by ambulance from the Police Station to the local hospital.

Willoughby discharges himself from hospital as soon as he can, and goes home and takes his two young daughters and his wife Anne (Abbie Cornish) out to the lake for a picnic, where they spend a near perfect afternoon. Later that night, Willoughby goes out to the stable to attend to his horses, and shoots himself in the head, dead. He leaves several suicide notes - one for his wife explaining his actions, and for Mildred which is delivered that day by a distraught Anne to her place of work. In his letter to Mildred he explains that she wasn't a factor in his suicide, but he paid a further US$5,000 in secret to keep the billboards going for another month, finding amusement with the antagonism they would continue to cause her after his death.

Dixon is shocked and distraught by the news of Willoughby's suicide, and violently takes his anger out on Red Welby and his assistant, by forcing entry into the premises, beating him up, and throwing him out of the first floor window onto the street below, and then further beating him on his way back to the Police Station just across the road. All of this is witnessed in broad daylight by Abercrombie (Clarke Peters), Willoughby's replacement, who promptly fires Dixon. Later, the billboards are destroyed by fire in an arson attack, believed to be by Dixon.

Mildred retaliates by fire bombing the Police Station with molotov cocktails under cover of darkness. Believing the Station to be deserted at night, she is unaware that Dixon has gained entry to retrieve a letter left to him also by Willoughby and to return his keys to the place. In the letter Willoughby explains to Dixon that he should learn to let go of his anger and his hatred and be forgiving, loving and see the good in people - the only way of following his dream of becoming a detective. Dixon is able to escape the fire with Angela's case file, but is badly burned in the process. A friend James (Peter Dinklage) witnesses the incident, and fronts up immediately with an alibi for Mildred, claiming that the pair were on a date.

In time, Dixon is discharged from hospital having recovered sufficiently from his burns. Feeling sorry for himself one night and drinking alone in a bar, he overhears a conversation from two guys talking about an incident that one of them was involved in that sounded suspiciously similar to Angela's rape and murder. Dixon takes note of the interstate car number plate and engineers a fight in which he scratches the mans face to gain a DNA sample under his fingernails to compare to the forensics collected at the time of Angela's murder. In the meantime, Mildred is on a dinner date to thank James for his intervention with the alibi, when her abusive and volatile ex-husband Charlie (John Hawkes) enters the restaurant with his nineteen year old bimbo girlfriend Penelope (Samara Weaving) and siddles up to the pair. Charlie admits that in a drunken stupor he set light to the billboards.

Sometime later, the results of the DNA tests come back, but prove that their new suspect is no suspect at all, as he wasn't even in the country at the time of Angela's rape and murder, and was overseas on military service. However, the pair conclude that the man must be guilty of some rape crime otherwise why would be be bragging about it in such a cavalier way to his friend in the bar that night. Mildred and Dixon agree to join forces and drive interstate to where the man lives and kill him anyway, but show some reservation in their mission shortly after leaving. They resolve to have made their final decision by the time they reach their eventual destination.

In this film McDonagh has crafted a great story, fine dialogue and captured memorable performances most notably from Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell, but Woody Harrelson deserves a special mention too. McDormand owns this film with an equally best performance that is up there with her Marge Gunderson in 'Fargo', as the determined, unwavering and relentless woman who's on a mission and she really doesn't care who she steps on along the way. Rockwell plays the racist, discriminating, violent and dumbass cop who you really don't want to cross that comes good in the end so much so that your earlier opinion of him is reversed. And Harrelson plays the approachable, warm hearted, forgiving local pillar of the community who is the big fish in the small pond and with whom you can't help but feel sympathy. Imbued with the darkest humour that starts out with a clever and witty moment of inspiration, and gives way to the deep rooted anger and frustration that drives the human spirit to extremes and in particular some of those residents in small town USA. The film offers twists and turns aplenty and explores on many levels anger, frustration, grief, injustice and the power of forgiveness with a number of laugh out loud moments along the way. One of the best films of the year and a worthy contender come Academy Award time and deserving of the accolades already bestowed upon the film, McDonagh, McDormand and Rockwell. A truly original film, you won't be disappointed.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Monday 1st and Thursday 4th January 2018.

As 2017 draws to a close with the curtain falling on another great year of cinematic wonder; movie highs and lows; and films that stirred the emotions, made us think, made us laugh, made us cry, made us wince with great performances, epic spectacle, technological wizardry, and top notch storytelling, all that remains for me to say is Best Wishes to you all for a very Happy New Year in 2018. Stay safe, be happy, remain healthy and get out and see a movie or two at your local Odeon. Thanks for your readership and support in 2017, and we'll do it all over again at the movies and in this Blog in the coming year.

And kick starting the new year this week, we have three new releases - two released on New Year's Day in Australian cinemas, and one on Thursday 4th January. The first of those is a highly acclaimed black comedy crime drama set in small town USA and what happens to the local community when a mother of a murder victim goes very public with her thoughts on how the local law enforcement are dragging the chain in hunting down the killer. This is followed up by the third and final instalment of a comedic a cappella singing troupe scoring one last gig, one last hurrah as they go out in fine voice with some (mis)adventures and mischief along the way. And then we close out with a '70's set true crime thriller that sees the world's richest man decline the ransom demands to set his kidnapped grandson free.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest 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 in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon experience during the week ahead.

'THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI' (Rated MA15+) - is a black comedy crime drama film Written, Directed and Co-Produced by British/Irish playwright, screen writer and film maker Martin McDonagh whose previous feature film credits are 'In Bruges' and 'Seven Psychopaths'. The film Premiered at the Venice International Film Festival back in early September and then TIFF later that month taking out the top prize in competition - The People's Choice Award. Since then the film has been shown at numerous film festivals and has received widespread critical acclaim, so far picking up 36 award wins and a further 116 nominations including six Golden Globe nominations and four SAG nominations with the winners & grinners yet to be announced. The film opened in the US in early November, goes on general release in Australia on New Year's Day and in the UK on 12th January. Having cost US$12M to make, the film has so far grossed US$23M. Apparently, McDonagh gained inspiration for the premise of the film after seeing billboards about an unsolved crime while travelling 'somewhere down in the Georgia, Florida, Alabama corner'. Of the event that inspired the film, McDonagh stated 'the rage that put a bunch of billboards like that up was palpable and stayed with me'. Eventually he was inspired to create the fictional scenario around such a situation, into the film we have today.

The film follows a mothers plight, who after seven months have passed by without a culprit in her daughter's violent rape and murder case, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), a small town shop assistant, makes a bold move and rents three abandoned roadside billboards close by to her home. She then sets about painting these signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), the town's revered Chief of Police. Each of the signs reads, in sequence, 'Raped while dying', 'And still no arrests?', and 'How come, Chief Willoughby?'. When Willoughby's  second-in-command, Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) an immature Mummy's Boy with a leaning towards violence gets involved, the battle is only heightened, with the signs having already polarised the local community. The film also stars Peter Dinklage, Caleb Landry Jones, Lucas Hedges, Samara Weaving and Abbie Cornish.

'PITCH PERFECT 3' (Rated M) - this is allegedly the third and final film in the musical comedy 'Pitch Perfect' franchise that launched on an unsuspecting world back in 2012 and off the back of its US$17M production budget grossed US$116M prompting a follow up instalment in 2015 aptly titled 'Pitch Perfect 2' which off the back of a bigger budget of US$29M grossed US$288M. And so now on New Year's Day 2018 on general release in Australia we have the third offering which was made for US$45M and so far grossed US$63M since its World Premier screening in Sydney, Australia in late November, and its US release the week before Christmas. Directed by Trish Sie, the film here tells the story following on from The Bellas winning the world championships and riding the crest of a wave to finding themselves having graduated from College, torn apart and learning the hard way that job prospects for making music a cappella are few and far between. But, all is not lost and when they get the opportunity for one final gig and to reunite for an overseas USO (United Service Organisations) tour, this group of awesome nerdettes will unite to make music, some questionable decisions, get up to some mischief and have a few laughs one last time. Starring Rebel Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld, Anna Camp, Elizabeth Banks, Ruby Rose, John Lithgow and a host of other songsters reprising their roles from the prior two films.

'ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD' (Rated MA15+) - released in Australia on 4th January, this true crime thriller is Directed by Ridley Scott and is based on the John Pearson 1995 book 'Painfully Rich: The Outrageous Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Heirs of J. Paul Getty'. The film tells the story set in 1973, of J. Paul Getty (then multi-billionaire oil tycoon and the richest man in the world as played here by Christopher Plummer) and his refusal to cooperate with the extortion demands of a group of kidnappers from the organised crime Mafia group 'Ndrangheta, who abducted his sixteen year old grandson John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer). When his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) makes desperate attempts to convince her wealthy father to pay the US$17M ransom and he refuses her son's captors become increasingly agitated, unpredictable and violent. With her son’s life hanging in the balance and the clock ticking, Gail and Getty’s advisor and former CIA operative Fletcher Chase (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money. Kevin Spacey originally portrayed J. Paul Getty, appearing in the film's earlier promotional campaign. However, following numerous sexual assault allegations being made against Spacey in October 2017, the role was recast with Christopher Plummer, who was Ridley Scott's original choice for the role. Scenes were reshot just a month prior to the film's release, adding millions of dollars to the production costs which reportedly ended at US$50M, and delaying the films Premier by a month and its US release date by just three days. The film has received positive Reviews and is up for three Golden Globe Awards - to be announced in early January.

With three 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 cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-