THE MARVELS : Tuesday 14th November 2023

I saw the M Rated 'THE MARVELS' this week, and this American superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. It is intended to be the sequel to the 2019 film 'Captain Marvel', a continuation of the 2022 TV mini-series 'Ms. Marvel' and the 33rd film in the MCU. The film is Co-Written and Directed by Nia DaCosta whose previous film making credits take in her debut in 2018 with 'Little Woods' and 2021's 'Candyman'. This film was originally scheduled for an early July 2022 release before being moved back to 11th November 2022, then mid-February this year then the end of July before settling on a release date of 9th November. It forms part of Phase Five of the MCU and is the third entry in this phase following 'Ant-Man and the Wasp : Quantumania' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy : Vol. 3'. The film has polarised critics with it ultimately gaining mixed or average reviews with the three female leads and Nia DaCosta's Direction seemingly the saving grace. As for the Box Office return so far, on a production budget of US$220M it has grossed US$115M and with an opening US weekend tally of US$46M which represents the lowest take of any MCU film ever. 

The film opens up on some desolate planet with the Kree excavating an ancient tomb from far beneath the planets surface. Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) a warrior revolutionary and newly appointed leader of the Kree, orders one of her henchmen to smash open the tomb, so revealing one of the all powerful Quantum Bands which she immediately straps to her wrist, whilst searching among the rubble for the second, but it is nowhere to be found. In the next scene we cut to the bedroom of Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani) in New Jersey where she is avidly drawing scenes of her imaginary escapades with Captain Marvel, whom she idolises. As it turns out Kamala is wearing the second Quantum Band that was gifted to her by her grandmother, but she has no idea of the significance of the bracelet. Meanwhile, Dar-Benn harnesses the power of the Band to tear open a jump point in space. The resulting anomaly is discovered by S.W.O.R.D. (Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division).

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), now residing at the S.A.B.E.R. (Strategic Aerospace Biophysics and Exolinguistic Response) space station, hosts peace talks between the Kree and the Skrulls. Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) investigates a jump point anomaly near S.A.B.E.R. while Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) investigates the source of the anomaly, where Dar-Benn discovered the Quantum Band. When Rambeau comes into contact with the anomaly, she, Danvers, and Kamala switch places via teleportation. The switching causes the three to fight each others' Kree enemies, leaving Kamala's parents house all but destroyed in their wake. 

In a flash back scene we see Captain Marvel defying the influence of the Supreme Intelligence (an artificial intelligence that is the ruler of the Kree) and destroys it, which leads to a Kree civil war, the desolation of their home planet of Hala, and the results of that conflict rendering the planet barren as it loses its air, water, and sunlight. 

After the three women return to their original places, Fury and Rambeau visit Kamala on Earth at her parents house. As Kamala shows off her powers, she switches places with Danvers. When Danvers flies away having been reintroduced to Rambeau for the first time in years, she switches places with Kamala in mid-air, causing Kamala to plummet to the ground helplessly only to be saved by Rambeau in her first, and somewhat uneasy attempt at flight. Back safely on the ground the group surmises that their light-based powers are linked through quantum entanglement, and that they swap places when the three use their powers simultaneously. 

The three join up at a Skrull refugee colony on the planet Tarnax and meet with Emperor Dro'ge (Gary Lewis) where talks of resettlement have dissolved. Dar-Benn rips open another jump point, which sucks the atmosphere of Tarnax into Hala to try and restore its air, and rapidly destroys the colony in the process. After a hasty effort to evacuate the Skrull, Danvers, Rambeau, and Kamala form a team informally referred to by Kamala as 'the Marvels'. Danvers informs the others of the legend that the Quantum Bands had been used to create the jump point transportation network; the three became entangled due to their mutual contact with its energy when Dar-Benn disrupted it. Dar-Benn's continued rupturing of jump points is causing further instability to the network and endangering the order of the universe.

Dar-Benn reaches the planet Aladna where water covers 97% of its surface. The Marvels have also arrived in advance and are greeted in a fanfare of song and dance as Danvers is considered royalty. There she meets with Prince Yan (Park Seo-joon) where she relays the impending threat of Dar-Benn's arrival. Following an intense battle between the Kree and the Marvels supported by Prince Yan's finest soldiers, Dar-Benn successfully wrests the second Quantum Band from Kamala's wrist and then tears open a jump point to draw the ocean water into Hala. 

Dar-Benn's final plan is to seize Earth's sun to restore that of Hala. The Marvels follow Dar-Benn to her space ship where another fight breaks out, which ultimately sees the Kree leader pinned under falling masonry and feigning death. Captain Marvel removes the heavy lump of stone and metal, at which point Dar-Benn jumps up and uses the power of both bangles to tear open another hole in space. The act destroys Dar-Benn but sees the two Quantum Bands returned to the Marvels. However, is also leaves behind a rupture into the multiverse. After Kamala reclaims the Bands, she and Danvers use their combined powers to energise Rambeau, allowing her to close the hole from the other side, but leaving her stranded there in the process. Danvers flies into Hala's sun and uses her power to restore it. Some months later and Kamala is next seen seeking out other heroes to form a new group, starting with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) - the champion archer.

In a mid-credits sequence, Rambeau comes around in a clinic bed in a parallel universe where she is greeted by an alternate version of her mother, Maria (Lashana Lynch), and the mutant scientist Hank McCoy, aka Beast. Maria has no knowledge of who Rambeau is, and the closing frame sees 'Maria' in her Binary suit.

'The Marvels' is an OK film - its not great but its not that bad either. There's a lot going on in this film with ties back to a number of previous MCU cinematic and television offerings, and much of the plot here doesn't add up to the sum of its parts, including the undercooked villain of the piece in Dar-Benn. That said, Nia DaCosta's Directing is on point and the chemistry between the three leads, and in particular Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel saves the movie from the depths of despair. There are also some genuine laugh out moments, particularly with a newly 'hatched' litter of Flerkens, and the film doesn't take itself too seriously. Whilst the media buzz surrounding this film has been largely less that flattering and the Box Office take underwhelming - the film moves along at a good pace and its swift duration of 105 minutes makes for a welcome change in the MCU canon of over inflated run times.

'The Marvels' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th November 2023

The 42nd Three Rivers Film Festival (3RFF) runs this year from Wednesday 8th until Wednesday 15th November in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The 3RFF remains the largest annual film festival in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and this exciting event traditionally highlights unmatched depth and breadth of choice in the best international independent film. 3RFF is part of a long tradition of film innovation in Pittsburgh—from the world’s first Nickelodeon in 1905 to its role today as a popular filming location. 

This year’s festival showcases twenty-two exciting and thought-provoking indie feature films including dramas, comedies, and documentaries. Also presenting all the fun things that make a film festival so much more than just going to the movies, including World and Pittsburgh Premieres of incredible films, the chance to meet cast and crew, an amazing opening night party to kick it all off, and so much more!

Of the twenty-two films being screened, those feature films are as given below :-

* 'Dancing Queen' - from Norway and Directed by Aurora Gosse. Mina, is a nerdy, eager-to-fit-in teenager at the start of a new school year. Despite her self-doubts, she challenges herself to participate in a dance competition to impress E.D. Win, a popular young hip-hop dancer. With the support of her thoroughly enthusiastic grandmother, Mina embarks on her own version of a hero’s journey.

* 'Double Down South' - from the USA and Directed by Tom Schulman. Nick runs an illegal gambling operation in his run-down plantation house in the deep south. Soon he finds himself enamoured with Diana - a smart, tough, and charming ace who’s determined to win big. Together they prepare to risk it all to take down a world champion. 

* 'Hard Miles' - from the USA and Directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna. This humorous coming of age sports drama follows an unlikely crew of at-risk youth on a seemingly impossible bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon, with the aid of a determined coach who pushes the young men to their limits in an effort to teach them life’s most valuable lessons. Starring Matthew Modine and Sean Astin.

* 'The Holdovers' - from the USA and Directed by Alexander Payne. A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam. Starring Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph.

* 'Housekeeping for Beginners' - from North Macedonia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo and Directed by Goran Stolevski. Dita never wanted to be a mother, but circumstances force her to raise her girlfriend's two daughters, tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa. A battle of wills ensues as the three continue to butt heads and become an unlikely family that must fight to stay together.

* 'La Chimera' - from Italy, France and Switzerland and Directed by Alice Rohrwacher. After being released from an Italian prison, Arthur, an English archaeological scholar with an uncanny knack for knowing just where to find hidden artefacts, reunites with a band of misfits. Together they work to extract Etruscan relics until they find a treasure beyond measure.

* 'Little Brother' - from the USA and Directed by Sheridan O'Donnell. When Pete attempts suicide once again, his parents recruit his younger brother Jake to drive him home for a family intervention. But on that 1400-mile trip, the brothers who were once close become an explosive combination, as the brothers’ road trip is filled with trials, tribulations, and revelations.

* 'Love Without Walls' - from the UK and Directed by Jane Gull. This is a heart-wrenching tale of a young married couple and their efforts to keep love alive through adversity in modern day London. Despite their trials and tribulations, Sophie, an art student, and Paul, an aspiring musician, somehow manage to maintain good humour and positivity. US Premiere.

* 'Mr. Blake at Your Service' - from France and Directed by Gilles Legardinier. Andrew Blake is a grieving, widowed British businessman who takes a job as a Butler at the Domaine de Beauvillier estate in northern France near where he and his wife spent the early days of their romance. Although everyone at the estate seems to be just as badly off as he is, his arrival seems to spur them all back to life. Starring John Malkovich.

* 'My Love Affair With Marriage' - from Luxembourg, the USA and Latvia and Directed by Signe Baumane. The protagonist, Zelma, a young, spirited woman, is determined to conform to the pressures of the mythological Sirens in order to find love. But the more she attempts to conform, the more her body resists. This tale of inner female rebellion blends both two-dimensional and stop-motion animation to take us on her journey.

* 'Parachute' - from the USA and Directed by Brittany Snow. Riley meets Ethan the night she’s released from a rehab facility. When they’re together, life makes sense, but Riley’s therapist urges her to avoid dating for a year. So, when the pair develop an intimate friendship that borders on codependency, Riley’s insecurities about her body send her back into a spiral.

* 'Perfect Days' - from Japan and Directed by Wim Wenders. Hirayama, is a quite-contented man who spends his days working as a cleaner of public toilets in Tokyo. His thoroughly structured daily routine reveals his passion for music and books and his love of the trees he photographs. As we are immersed in his daily life, a series of unexpected encounters gradually expose more of his past.

* 'The Secret Art of Human Flight' - from the USA and Directed by H.P. Mendoza. Here, an eccentric spiritual guide who just might be a con artist and a widower grieving the tragic loss of his wife and best friend deliver a tale of grief and healing by tapping into that all-too-human attribute of going to almost any length to find hope in the midst of despair. 

* 'Sugar and Stars' - from France and Directed by Sebastien Tulard. The film follows renowned chef Yazid Ichemrahen from his rough early beginnings to working for the world’s top chefs in Paris and Monaco. As a child, Yazid moved from one foster home to another but held onto his dream of becoming a pastry chef. Through Yazid’s indomitable spirit, resourcefulness, and determination, he works to realise his dream of winning an international pastry championship.

* 'Two Lives in Pittsburgh' - from the USA and Directed by Brian Silverman. Confronted by his mother’s illness and his child’s exploration of gender, Bernie Evers, a traditional blue-collar guy, finds himself struggling to come to terms with the man he’s always been and the father his child needs him to be.

* 'Unsinkable' - from the USA and Directed by Cody Hartman. In the aftermath of the Titanic disaster in April 1912, Senator William Alden Smith chaired an inquiry by the United States Senate into the causes of and responses to the shocking event. The film explores the rushed investigation and political interference in the search for accountability when the 'unsinkable' RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden journey. World Premiere.

For the details of the Documentary Features being showcased - '1946 : A Mistranslation That Shifted Culture', 'Black Barbie : A Documentary', 'Citizen Sleuth', 'Karen Carpenter : Starving for Perfection', 'Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones)' and 'O Pioneer', you can go to the official website at : https://filmpittsburgh.org/pages/three-rivers-film-festival

This week we have seven new movie offerings to tease you out to your local Odeon, hailing from all corners of the globe, kicking off with the 33rd entry in the MCU that sees our three protagonists team up after they begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. Then we have a New Zealand dark comedy film about a former teen actress who seeks enlightenment at a remote retreat while also navigating the close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt performer daughter. Next up is an American offering about an ex-special forces operative who takes on a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but, a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview and they are forced to escape into the jungle where they must survive. This is followed by an Aussie comedy about a man whose secret dominatrix cleans out all of his bank accounts, leaving this married stockbroker just one day to save his life from ruin. Then we turn to a French film in which a young woman survives a terrorist attack on a busy Paris brasserie, and after time spent with her mother, she returns to Paris and an event that haunts her in order to find the answers that will allow her to move on with her life. Up next is an Australian drama about a non-resident cab driver and his fare, a old lady who can't remember where she's going, while he can't forget his troubled past. And closing out the week we have a South African animated action adventure film about a team of nano sized, peace keeping aliens who end up stranded in the brain of 16-year-old boy, and who then have to work together with his friends to save Earth from an intergalactic villain who took control of his schools Principal.

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

'THE MARVELS' (Rated M) - is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. It is intended to be the sequel to the 2019 film 'Captain Marvel', a continuation of the 2022 TV mini-series 'Ms. Marvel' and the 33rd film in the MCU. The film is Co-Written and Directed by Nia DaCosta whose previous film making credits take in her debut in 2018 with 'Little Woods' and 2021's 'Candyman'. This film was originally scheduled for an early July 2022 release before being moved back to 11th November 2022, then mid-February this year then the end of July before settling on this date. It forms part of Phase Five of the MCU and is the third entry in this phase following 'Ant-Man and the Wasp : Quantumania' and 'Guardians of the Galaxy : Vol. 3'. 

Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), has reclaimed her identity from the tyrannical Kree and taken revenge on the Supreme Intelligence. However, unintended consequences see her shouldering the burden of a destabilised universe. When her duties send her to an anomalous wormhole linked to a Kree revolutionary Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton), her powers become entangled with those of Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) - two other superheroes. The trio team up to form 'The Marvels' to determine why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers. The film cost in the region of US$220M to produce, and also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Park Seo-joon.

'BAD BEHAVIOUR' (Rated MA15+) - this New Zealand black comedy drama film is Written, Directed and stars Alice Englert in her feature film making debut. The film saw its Premiere screening at this years Sundance Film Festival back in January and has so far garnered mixed or average reviews. The film tells the story of Lucy (Jennifer Connelly), a former child Actress who seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon (Ben Whishaw) while she also navigates the close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt performer daughter, Dylan (Alice Englert).

'FREELANCE' (Rated MA15+) - is an American action comedy offering Directed by Pierre Morel whose debut feature film was 'District 13' in 2004 which he would follow up with the likes of 'Taken' in 2008 with Liam Neeson, then 'The Gunman' in 2015 with Sean Penn and 'Peppermint' in 2018 with Jennifer Garner amongst others. Here, years after retiring from the Army, former Special Forces operator Mason Pettits (John Cena) takes a job providing security for journalist Claire Wellington (Alison Brie) as she interviews Juan Venegas (Juan Pablo Raba), President of Paldonia. When a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, the three are forced to escape into the jungle together. Also starring Alice Eve, Christian Slater and Morton Csokas. The film was released in the US late last month and cost US$40M to produce. 

'THE BIG DOG' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian comedy film is Written and Directed by Dane McCusker in his feature film debut. One sunny day in an upper middle-class Aussie suburb and a few hours before his despondent son’s graduation party, alpha Sydney stockbroker Richard Morgan (Julian Garner) has his bank accounts drained by his 'findom' mistress, Princess Paige (Asha Boswarva). That’s a (usually) non-sexual dominatrix hired by wealthy men to spend their money and humiliate them. Richard now has to attempt to gather a mountain of cash that will prevent his unsuspecting wife Kelly (Felicity Price) from discovering the ugly truth.

'PARIS MEMORIES' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Written and Directed by Alice Winocour who made her feature film Directing debut with 2012's 'Augustine' then 'Disorder' in 2015 and 'Proxima' in 2019. After an idyllic date night fuelled by red wine and a late-night motorcycle ride home, Mia (Virginie Efira) stops at a Parisian bistro to take shelter from a downpour. Her reprieve is shattered when a gunman opens fire. Three months later after surviving that attack, Mia is still traumatised, unable to recall the events of that night and finds herself numbed and unable to resume her life. In an effort to move forward, she investigates her memories and retraces her steps. The film saw its Premiere in the Directors' Fortnight programme of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, had its US Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, was released in cinema's in France in early September 2022 and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$3.6M at the Box Office and has garnered generally positive critical reviews.

'DAMAGE' (Rated CTC) - is an Australian drama offering Written and Directed by Madeleine Blackwell in her feature film making debut. Here, Ali (Ali Al Jenabi) is not a citizen. He drives a taxi using another man’s license and relies on the GPS to negotiate his way around a city he doesn’t know. His passenger, Esther (Imelda Bourke) is an old woman who can’t remember where she is going. She is angry because she has been stripped of everything that is familiar to her and she doesn't recognise the world anymore. They travel through the night in search of a vague destination while surveillance cameras mark their journey, coldly omitting the human element, defining who belongs and who does not, who is safe and who is not. What they have in common is their damage – she can’t remember and he can’t forget.

'HEADSPACE' (Rated PG) - this South African animated action adventure film is Directed by Paul Meyer (who also Co-Writes here) and Gerhard Painter. Norman (voiced by Bonko Khoza) is a fairly typical teenage boy who has an above average concern for the future of our planet. It all becomes very real when three microscopic, peace-keeping aliens Sophie (Jana Louw), Max (Chris van Rensburg) and Gus (James Cairns) crash land into his iced tea. They enlist him and his friends to save the planet from the intergalactic villain, Zolthard (also quite small, and voiced by Zak Hendrikz) who has in turn taken control of their school principal as well as two other teachers. Zolthard will stop at nothing to get his fleet of droids to invade Earth and dominate the giants that roam it.

With seven 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 coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th August 2021.

Over the last couple of weeks I have shone a light on both the Locarno and Sarajevo Film Festivals. The 74th Locarno Film Festival was held from the 4th through until 14th August, and the 27th Sarajevo Film Festival was held from the 13th until 20th August. The Closing Night's film at Locarno was 'RESPECT' - the biographical musical drama film based on the life of Aretha Franklin as portrayed by Jennifer Hudson and Directed by Liesl Tommy in her feature film making debut. The Closing Night's film at Sarajevo saw the World Premier of 'TOMA' - the biographical musical drama film of the famed Yugoslavian folk singer Toma Zdravkovic as played by Milan Maric and Directed and Co-Written by the Serbian Dragan Bjelogrlic. 

The winners and grinners in the International Competition at both festivals are as given below :-

Locarno Film Festival

* Golden Leopard : awarded to 'Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash' from Indonesia and Directed and Co-Written by Edwin. Set in the 1980's in a society ruled by machismo, a hibernating 'bird' becomes a serious matter. In a life of brutality, the sleeping bird is an allegory for a peaceful and serene life, even when the whole world tries desperately to awaken it.

* Special Jury Prize : awarded to 'A New Old Play' from Hong Kong and France and Directed and Written by Qiu Jiongjiong. The leading clown role in a renowned theatre troupe passes on, and is welcomed into the Underworld. As he relives his vivid memories one last time before entering the afterlife, fifty years of art, struggle and love play out against the background of 20th Century China’s tumultuous history.

* Best Direction : awarded to Abel Ferrara for 'Zeroes and Ones' from the USA and Italy and is Written and Directed by Abel Ferrara. An American soldier stationed in Rome while the Vatican is blown up, embarks on a hero's journey to uncover and defend against an unknown enemy threatening the entire world.

* Best Actor : awarded to both Mohamed Mellali and Valero Escolar for 'The Odd Job Men' from Spain and Co-Written and Directed by Neus Ballus. A peculiar team of three handymen has to face a series of eccentric clients. Their everyday job becomes a surrealist and exhilarating experience.

* Best Actress : awarded to Anastasiya Krasovskaya for 'Gerda' from Russia and Directed and Written by Natalya Kudryashova. Lera lives in the provinces. Her mother naively believes in miracles, and her father abandoned the family for another woman. Lera wants to improve her life, but she doesn't know how. At the same time, she constantly sees dreams in which she sees her soul. And the more difficult life becomes, the more often she sees such dreams.

Sarajevo Film Festival : Heart of Sarajevo Awards

* Best Feature Film presented to 'Great Freedom' from Austria and Directed and Co-Written by Sebastian Meise. In postwar Germany, a man is repeatedly imprisoned for being homosexual. The one steady relationship in his life becomes his long time cell mate, a convicted murderer. What starts in revulsion ultimately becomes love.

* Best Director presented to Melica Tomovic, who also Co-Wrote, for 'Celts' from Serbia. The film centres around three generations who converge at a child’s birthday party against the backdrop of the former Yugoslavia’s painful breakup.

* Best Actress presented jointly to Flaka Latifi, Era Balaj and Urate Shabani for 'The Hill Where Lionesses Roar' from France, Kosovo and the US and Directed, Co-Written and also starring Luana Bajrami. Somewhere in Kosovo, in a small remote village, three young women see their dreams and ambitions stifled. In their quest for independence, nothing can stand in their way : time to let the lionesses roar!

* Best Actor presented to Georg Friedrich for 'Great Freedom' from Austria and Directed and Co-Written by Sebastian Meise.

For all the details of the other award categories and the winners and grinners therein, you can go to the official websites at : https://www.locarnofestival.ch and/or https://www.sff.ba

With Greater Sydney, where I live, still in COVID lockdown for another month ending (at this stage) at the end of September, this means all of our cinema's are closed until this date, which further means that the release of the movies as given below, slated for release this week, will be delayed somewhat across certain parts of Australia at least. That said, these movies will either have been released or are set for an imminent release somewhere in the world, and as Odeon Online has an international audience, I thought it best to carry on regardless.  

And so this week to tempt you to your local movie theatre in the last week of the Australian winter season, we have a story about a stand-up comedian and his opera singer wife who have a two year old daughter with a surprising gift. This is followed up by the sequel to a 1992 horror offering of the same name about a supernatural killer who can be easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. Next up is a horror thriller about a blind Navy Seam veteran who must resort to his military training to save a young orphan from a group of thugs who break into his home; and closing out the week we have a group of criminals who are brought together under mysterious circumstances and have to work together to uncover what's really going on when their simple job goes completely sideways.

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

'ANNETTE' (Rated MA15+) - this French musical romantic drama film is Directed by Leos Carax (in his English-language debut), and with a screenplay by Ron and Russell Mael of 'Sparks' fame, and Carax, from an original story, music and songs by the band. Leos Carax is a French film maker whose Directorial debut came in 1984 in 'Boy Meets Girl' then 'Bad Blood', 'The Lovers on the Bridge', 'Pola X',  and 'Holy Motors' in 2012. The film was chosen as the Opening Film at this years Cannes Film Festival on 6th July and opened in France the next day, with a limited release in the USA in early August before streaming on Amazon Prime from the 20th. It cost US$15.5M to produce, has so far grossed US$2.5M and has garnered positive Critical acclaim. Leos Carax won the Best Director Award at Cannes, and the film was selected to be in competition for the Palme d'Or.

Set in the present day Los Angeles, Henry McHenry (Adam Driver) is a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humour who falls in love with Ann Defrasnoux (Marion Cotillard), a world-renowned opera singer. Under the spotlight, they form a passionate and glamorous couple. With the birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious little girl with an exceptional destiny, their lives are turned upside down. Also starring Simon Helberg, Russell Mael, Ron Mael and Leos Carax.

'CANDYMAN' (Rated MA15+) - is anAmerican supernatural slasher film directed by Nia DaCosta and Co-Written by Jordan Peele and DaCosta. It is a direct sequel to the 1992 film of the same name and the fourth film in the Candyman film series, based on the short story 'The Forbidden' from the 1984/85 anthology horror fiction novels series 'Books of Blood' by Clive Barker. This is DaCosta's second feature film outing following 2018's 'Little Woods' with 'The Marvels' (the follow up MCU film to 'Captain Marvel') currently filming and due for release in November 2022. In the present day, a decade after the last of Chicago's Cabrini Towers were torn down, Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris) move into a loft in the now gentrified Cabrini district and occupied by upwardly mobile millennials. A chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer exposes Anthony to the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to use these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, he unknowingly opens a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifying wave of violence. The film was originally set for release in mid-June 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was pushed to late September 2020 and then again to mid-October 2020 before being delayed until this week in the US, UK, Australia and other territories. Tony Todd reprises his role as Daniel Robitaille/Candyman and Vanessa Estelle Williams also reprises her role as Anne-Marie McCoy.

'DON'T BREATHE 2' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror thriller story is Directed and Co-Written by the Uruguayan Rodo Sayagues in his feature film debut, and is the direct sequel to the 2016 film 'Don't Breathe' Directed by Fede Alvarez. That first instalment took US$158M at the global Box Office off the back of a US$10M production budget making this sequel inevitable. Set eight years after the events of the first film, former Navy Seal and blind man Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) lives in relative solitude with his eleven year-old daughter Phoenix (Madelyn Grace) and his Rottweiler, Shadow, in the suburbs of Detroit. Things however, quickly go south as Norman must once again use his military training and his heightened senses of hearing, smell and touch to save a young orphan from a group of thugs who break into his home. Also starring Brendan Sexton III, the film was released Stateside earlier this month, has so far grossed US$17M off the back of a US$15M production budget and has garnered mixed critical Reviews. 

'NO SUDDEN MOVE' (Rated MA15+) - is an American period crime thriller film Directed, lensed and Edited by Steven Soderbergh, whose previous acclaimed back catalogue of feature films include 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' his 1989 debut, plus 'Out of Sight', 'Erin Brokovich', 'Traffic', the 'Ocean's' trilogy, 'Contagion', 'Magic Mike', 'Side Effects', 'Logan Lucky', 'Unsane', and 'The Laundromat'. Set in 1954 Detroit, small-time criminals are hired to steal a document. When their heist goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them, and for what purpose, sends them meandering through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city. Starring an ensemble cast taking in Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Amy Seimetz, Brendan Fraser, Kieran Culkin, Noah Jupe, Ray Liotta and Matt Damon. The film cost just US$8.2M to produce, saw its World Premier screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in mid-June, was released on HBO Max on 1st July in the US and has generated mostly positive Reviews.

With four 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, or perhaps not!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th May 2019.

And so perhaps the most famed and glamorous of all film festivals kicked off this week on 14th May, and runs through until 25th May. The 'Cannes Film Festival' now in its 72nd year boasts a whole swathe of mainstream cinematic releases, independent features, documentaries, short films, restored classics and various competitions. This year's main competition is overseen by acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu who serves as Jury President aided by the likes of Elle Fanning, Yorgos Lanthimos and Pawel Pawlikowski. American film director Jim Jarmusch's ensemble zombie comedy film 'The Dead Don't Die' will serve as the opening film of the festival and is also in main competition. The closing film is the French offering 'The Specials' by Directors Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano which is being screened out of competition.

In total there are 21 films in main competition, with entries from the USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, South Korea and China as well as some other far flung places.
Among these are :
* 'The Dead Don't Die' - an American ZomCom Directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloe Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Selena Gomez, Tom Waits, Iggy Pop, Caleb Landry Jones and Carol Kane.
* 'Frankie' - an American/French Co-Produced drama film Directed by Ira Sachs and starring Isabelle Huppert, Greg Kinnear, Marisa Tomei and Brendan Gleeson.
* 'A Hidden Life' - this American/German Co-Produced historical WWII offering is Directed by Terrence Malick and stars Bruno Ganz and Michael Nyqvist (both in their final roles) as well as Jurgen Prochnow, Matthias Schoenaerts and August Diehl.
* 'It Must Be Heaven' - here this French-Canadian comedy is Directed, Written, Co-Produced, Narrated and stars Elia Suleiman and also stars Ali Suliman and François Girard.
* 'Matthias & Maxime' - is a Canadian drama film Directed, Produced, Written and starring Xavier Dolan together with Gabriel D'Almeida Freitas and Harris Dickinson.
* 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' - here this eagerly awaited US/UK Co-Produced back comedy set in the Hollywood of the late '60's is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Quentin Tarantino and stars Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Damian Lewis, Bruce Dern, Emile Hirsch, Scoot McNairy, Luke Perry, Damon Herriman, Timothy Olyphant with regulars Zoe Bell, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Kurt Russell also joining the throng.
* 'Oh Mercy!' - is a French crime drama story Directed and Co-Written by Arnaud Desplechin and starring Roschdy Zem, Léa Seydoux, Sara Forestier and Antoine Reinartz.
* 'Pain and Glory' - is a Spanish drama film Written and Directed by Pedro Almodovar and stars Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas.
* 'Parasite' - is a South Korean drama film Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Bong Joon-ho and starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik and Park So-dam.
* 'Sorry We Missed You' - is a UK drama film Directed by Ken Loach and starring largely a cast of relative unknown acting talent that takes in Kris Hitchen and Debbie Honeywood.
* 'The Young Ahmed' - is a Belgiam drama film Directed, Written and and Produced by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and stars a cast of relative unknowns including Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou, Victoria Bluck, Claire Bodson and Othmane Moumen.

You can get the full low down on these films, plus the many more screening both in and out of competition, and all the latest news and views at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival by visiting the official website at : https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/

Turning attention back closer to home, we have five latest release movies to entice you out to your local Odeon in the coming week. We start off with the third instalment in this fast paced action thriller franchise where the world is out to kill our hero with a huge bounty on his head and only a handful of trusted friends he can turn to . . . and his faithful dog by his side. Expect plenty of guns, knives, explosions, chases, close quarter combat and a high body count. We then have a crime thriller of two sisters, cross border drug trafficking and some poor decisions on their part before they can finally put their past behind them. Next up is a story of man who wrestles with his own inner voice while trying to decipher whether or not the girl he has been seeing for the last few months has the same feelings for him as he has for her, whilst also trying to get a good nights sleep before an important interview the very next morning. This is followed up with a bio-pic of a Christian Missionary in deepest darkest India in the late '90's who is brutally murdered for allegedly converting Hindus to Christianity - a story fuelled by an over zealous journalist maybe! We then close the week with a legendary ageing rocker still going strong to sell out audiences who takes us back to his roots to the club south of New York where it all began in the hope of resurrecting the music scene to its once former glory.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the five latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'JOHN WICK 3 : PARABELLUM' (Rated MA15+) - here we see the third and allegedly final instalment in the 'John Wick' fast paced neo-noir action thriller film series, that launched in 2014 with 'John Wick' then its sequel in 2017 with 'John Wick : Chapter 2' and now 'Parabellum'. All three films have been Directed by Stuntman and movie maker Chad Stahelski with the first two films in the franchise grossing US$260M at the global Box Office off the back of a combined US$65M Production Budget, and positive Critical acclaim. The films title 'Parabellum' is taken from a Latin adage 'Si vis pacem, para bellum' which when translated becomes 'If you want peace, prepare for war'. The phrase is used above all to affirm that one of the most effective means to ensure peace for a people is always to be armed and ready to defend oneself. Seemingly a television series spin off titled 'The Continental' based on the characters and safe haven location for assassins and hitmen of the film series is in the works with Keanu Reeves, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch Producing.

And so following hot on the heels of the last instalment we find John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is on the run as he is being hunted down for a global US$14M open contract on his life, and for breaking a central rule - taking a life on Continental Hotel grounds. The victim was a member of the High Table - a Camorra crime lord Santino D'Antonio who ordered the open contract. John should have already been executed, except the Continental’s manager, Winston (Ian McShane) has given him a one-hour grace period before he’s officially declared 'excommunicado' ie. membership revoked, banned from all services and cut off from other members. John uses the service industry to stay alive as he fights and kills his way out of New York City, only to return for a blood bath back where it all began - at The Continental. Also starring Lance Reddick and Laurence Fishburne reprising their roles from the earlier films, this time supported by Halle Berry, Angelica Houston, Asia Kate Dillon, Mark Dacascos and Jerome Flynn.

'LITTLE WOODS' (Rated M) - this American and Australian Co-Produced crime thriller western is Directed by first time filmmaker Nia DaCosta, saw its World Premier screening at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival in April of last year, went on limited release in the US exactly one year later, and now gets a limited showing in Australia having so far grossed US$138K and garnered generally positive Reviews. The film tells the story of sisters Ollie (Tessa Thompson) and Deb (Lily James), who find themselves falling into the illegal world of the cross-border drug trade along the Canada/United States border after their mother dies and facing the consequences of poor decisions. Also starring James Badge Dale, Lance Reddick and Luke Kirby.

'ME & MY LEFT BRAIN' (Rated M) - Written, Produced, Directed and starring Alex Lykos in his first filmmaking capacity here he plays Arthur who suffers from OCD, and has spent the last couple of months spending time with Helen (Chantalle Barry), but he doesn't know for sure where he stands with her. Are they just friends, or potentially more than friends? Coming to his aid is his vivacious next door neighbour Vivien (Rachael Beck) who persuades Arthur to summons the courage to ring Helen to find out once and for all where he stands with her. But Helen doesn't answer. And so begins a long night of tossing and turning where Arthur, whilst adopting a variety of methods in an attempt to get some much needed shut eye, reflects on the time he has spent with Helen and dissects every moment of their time together to determine whether she is genuinely interested in him or not. Whilst in this deep reflective analysis of sleep deprivation, Arthur bickers with his opposing inner-voice (Malcolm Kennard), who is extremely opinionated on this particular night. Added to this, Arthur has a job interview the next morning for which he needs to be fresh, alert and well rested.

'THE LEAST OF THESE : THE GRAHAM STAINES STORY' (Rated PG) - this faith based story of Graham Staines, an Australian Missionary working in the far reaches of India to help leprosy sufferers is Directed Aneesh Daniel. The film is based on the tragic true story of Staines who, along with his two sons Philip (aged 10) and Timothy (aged 6), was burnt to death by a gang of Hindu Bajrang Dal fundamentalists while sleeping in his station wagon at Manoharpur village in Kendujhar district in Odisha, India on 23 January 1999. In 2003, a Bajrang Dal activist, Dara Singh, was convicted of leading the gang that murdered Graham Staines and his sons, and was sentenced to life in prison. He had been working in Odisha among the tribal poor and lepers since 1965. Some Hindu groups alleged that Staines had forcibly converted or lured many Hindus into Christianity - Staines' widow Gladys subsequently denied these allegations. This is that story, fuelled by an undercover investigative journalist Manav Banerjee (Sharman Joshi) forced to make a choice between his own career ambitions and the truth. Stephen Baldwin stars as Graham Staines.

'ASBURY PARK : RIOT, REDEMPTION, ROCK & ROLL' (Rated PG) - New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen performs to a sold-out crowd in this live performance documentary Directed by Tom Jones, that also examines his hometown's past. A once storied seaside resort, located about a seventy minute drive south of New York, Asbury Park suffered a race riot on Independence Day, 1970, crippling the town for the next 45 years and reducing it to a state of urban blight. A town literally divided by a set of railroad tracks, the riot destroyed the fabled Westside jazz and blues scene. But from the rubble and the flames of the burning city rose Bruce Springsteen and the fabled Jersey sound. 'Asbury Park' returns Asbury denizens Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt and Southside Johnny Lyon to the legendary 'Upstage', the psychedelic after hours club where they got their start. As part of the event, Springsteen reunites with his earliest band members to play a now legendary concert to a sold out Paramount Theatre and to trade guitar licks with the future of music in Asbury - a group of pre-teen rockers who prove the best days for the town may just lie ahead.

With five new release movies this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-