SINNERS : Tuesday 22nd April 2025

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'SINNERS' earlier this week, and this American period supernatural horror film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ryan Coogler, whose former feature film output includes his big screen debut with 'Fruitvale Station' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Creed' in 2015, 'Black Panther' in 2018 and 'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' in 2022. This film was released last week too in the US, had a production budget of US$90M, has so far recovered US$87M, and has generated universal critical acclaim.

Here then, set in the early 1930's in the Southern United States during the height of the Jim Crow era, the film follows identical twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who return to their home town in the Mississippi Delta after years in Chicago working for the mob. Using money stolen from gangsters, they purchase a sawmill from racist landowner Hogwood (David Maldonado) to start a juke joint for the local black community (an informal establishment featuring music, dancing, gambling, and drinking, primarily operated by African Americans in the southeastern USA). Their cousin Sammie 'Preacher Boy' Moore (Miles Caton), an aspiring guitarist, joins them despite opposition from his pastor father Jedidiah (Saul Williams), who warns his son that blues music is the music of the Devil. 

The twin brothers quickly set about recruiting other staff - pianist Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) and singer Pearline (Jayme Lawson) as performers, Smoke's estranged wife Annie (Wunmi Mosaku) as cook, local Chinese shopkeepers Grace (Li Jun Li) and Bo Chow (Yao) as suppliers, and cotton field worker Cornbread (Omar Benson Miller) as bouncer. Meanwhile, Stack reconnects with his ex-girlfriend Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), who passes for white, and who tells Stack that she is still angry at him for abandoning her when he left for Chicago. Smoke and Annie argue over her belief in things otherworldly, as Annie insists her practices kept the twins safe, but Smoke bitterly reminds her that their infant daughter still died. Elsewhere, Irish-immigrant vampire Remmick (Jack O'Connell) flees from Choctaw vampire hunters and violently turns a pair of local farmers into vampires.

At the joint's opening night, Sammie's guitar playing accompanied by Delta Slim's skills at the keyboard is remarkable, and unknowingly summons spirits of both past and present to join the already captivated crowd. The performance draws Remmick's attention, and he arrives with his two farmer vampires, offering money and music for entry. Suspicious, the twins hesitate and the vampires leave. Reminding the twins that the bar needs the income, Mary meets Remmick outside but becomes wary of his group. 

As she starts to return to the bar, Remmick glides into the air and bites her, turning her into one of his own. She returns inside, where she seduces Stack and bites him. Smoke intervenes and shoots her unloading several rounds into her at point blank range, but she is unharmed by regular bullets, gets up smiling and escapes. Cornbread is also attacked by other vampires and turned as well.

The juke joint quickly empties, and so the vampires attack and turn the fleeing patrons, including Bo. Stack comes round as a vampire, but Annie repels him with pickled garlic juice. She advises the survivors that only silver or wooden stakes can kill vampires, and that they cannot enter a building unless invited. Now leading a horde of vampires but still unable to enter the bar, Remmick tries his luck at negotiating. He praises Sammie's supernatural talent with the guitar and states that vampirism offers immortality, freedom, and escape from racism, and that he also wants to use Sammie's skills to summon the spirits of his lost community. He also warns that Hogwood, who secretly heads the local KKK, plans to attack the joint at dawn. When the survivors refuse his offer, Remmick and Bo confront Grace, threatening to attack her young daughter Lisa (Helena Hu). A desperate Grace dares the horde to attack the juke joint, inviting them in. In the ensuing battle, Grace and Annie are killed and Delta Slim sacrifices himself by slashing his own wrist with a broken bottle of Irish beer, distracting the horde with the smell of his own fresh blood from the remaining survivors. 

Smoke, Sammie, and Pearline attempt to escape, but Remmick and Stack ambush them. Smoke and Stack clash in an intense head to head and toe to toe fight, while Sammie and Pearline face off with Remmick. Pearline is bitten and begs Sammie to flee before turning. In a final confrontation, Sammie smashes his guitar over Remmick's head, before Smoke arrives just in time to kill him with a stake. As the sun rises, the vampire horde are all incinerated. 

Urging Sammie to flee, Smoke ambushes and kills Hogwood and his fellow Klan members in a hail of bullets, but is himself mortally shot. Before dying, he has a vision of Annie and their baby daughter. Sammie, battered, bruised and grief-stricken, returns to his father's church. His father pleads with him to renounce the Devil's music and seek salvation. Sammie refuses, leaving with the broken off neck of his guitar in hand.

In a mid-credits sequence we fast forward to October 1992, some sixty years later, to a bar in Chicago where Sammie (Buddy Guy) has just come off stage as a celebrated blues musician. Stack and Mary pay a visit to the now elderly Sammie, where Stack reveals that Smoke spared him that night at the juke joint, allowing him to go free under the condition that Sammie would live in peace. The couple offers Sammie the chance at immortality, but he declines. Stack asks Sammie to play a song, and Sammie obliges. Afterwards, as Stack and Mary are leaving, Sammie tells them that though that fateful night still haunts him, until the sun went down, it was the greatest day of his life. Stack agrees, and turning back to face Sammie says it was the last time he saw Smoke, the last time he saw the sun, and the only time he ever truly felt free.

With 'Sinners' Director Ryan Coogler has delivered us a genre bending film that is all at once part vampire horror film, part historical drama, part social thriller, and part all singing all dancing musical offering all wrapped up in a neat entertaining package that is exciting and will keep you engaged from start to finish. The performances of the principle cast are all top notch, and while the first half drags a little, Ryan Coogler uses this time wisely to establish the characters and their respective back stories so that we are invested in their joy and commitment to Smoke, Stack and the juke joint and then their pain and anguish as the proverbial brown stuff hits the fan. This film needs to be experienced in a movie theatre, and you won't be disappointed. It is worthy of the financial, critical and awards success that surely will follow for this original story.

'Sinners' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 17th April 2025.

The 68th annual San Francisco International Film Festival this year takes place from Thursday 17th through until Sunday 27th April. Founded in 1957, the San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM Festival) is the longest-running film festival in the Americas. The annual event features a range of marquee premieres, international competitions, compelling documentaries, short and mid-length films, live music performances, and dazzling red carpet events. The SFFILM Festival is deeply rooted in the culture and process of film appreciation - film as an art form and as a meaningful agent for social change - and is an important showcase for the most searching and innovative films from around the globe, so reads the official website.

This years Opening Night Film is 'Rebuilding' from the USA and Written and Directed by Max Walker-Silverman, and tells the story of communal love and resilience, as uncertain and mild-mannered man Dusty (Josh O’Connor) determined to rebuild his family ranch and recapture his purpose as a cowboy. Also starring Meghann Fahy, Amy Madigan, Lilly LaTour and Kali Reis. The Closing Night Film is 'Outerlands' from the USA and is Written and Directed by Elena Oxman and is about a gig worker in San Francisco who balances multiple jobs, including dealing party drugs. When their crush asks them to watch her daughter, what starts as temporary childcare evolves into an unexpected journey of self-discovery and healing.

Presented at the Festival since its inaugural year in 1957, the Golden Gate Awards are among the most significant honours for emerging global film artists in the USA. Prizes are traditionally awarded in twelve narrative, documentary, and short film categories and include cash awards. Those films in the Narrative Feature Competition are as follows :-

* 'The Quiet Son' - from France and Written and Directed by the sister duo of Delphine and Muriel Coulin. 

* 'Xoftex' - from Germany and France and Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed, photographed and Co-Edited by Noaz Deshe.

* '3670' - from South Korea and is Written, Executive Produced, Directed and Edited by Joonho Park.

* 'Cactus Pears' - from India, the UK and Canada and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade.

* 'Sukkwan Island' - from France, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and the UK and Written and Directed by Vladimir de Fontenay.

* 'All That's Left of You' - from Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Cherein Dabis.

* 'Ricky' - from the USA and Co-Written and Directed by Rashad Frett.

* 'Surviving Earth' - from the UK and is Written and Directed by Thea Gajic.

* 'That Summer in Paris' - from France and Co-Written and Directed by Valentine Cadic.

For the synopsis of the above highlighted films, plus all the details of the other films in competition, the film sections being showcased, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can visit the official website at : https://sffilm.org/

Turning back to this weeks five hottest new release movies gracing a big screen Odeon close to your home, we launch with a supernatural horror film about twin brothers who return to their hometown but are faced with a greater evil. Next up is a modern telling of war as a surveillance mission goes south for a platoon of American Navy SEAL's in insurgent territory in Iraq. Then we turn to a mystery thriller in  which a widowed mother's first date takes a terrifying turn when she's bombarded with anonymous threatening messages on her phone, leaving her questioning if her charming date is behind the harassment. This is followed by a biographical drama offering telling the story of the arrest, trial and imprisonment of an Australian journalist, who while reporting on the Arab Spring uprising becomes entangled in a deadly game of rivalries. And closing out the week we have a comedy drama about an Englishman who experiences personal and political changes after adopting a penguin during a turbulent time in Argentina's history.

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

'SINNERS' (Rated MA15+) - is an American period supernatural horror film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ryan Coogler, whose former feature film output includes his big screen debut with 'Fruitvale Station' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Creed' in 2015, 'Black Panther' in 2018 and 'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' in 2022. The film is released this week too in the US and had a production budget of US$90M. 

Here then, set in the 1930's in the Southern United States during the height of the Jim Crow era, the film follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan) who are attempting to leave their troubled lives behind, as they return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back. Also starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O'Connell, Jayme Lawson and Delroy Lindo. 

'WARFARE' (Rated MA15+) - this war action film is Written and Directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland and is based on Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a former US Navy SEAL. Alex Garland's prior feature film making credits take in his debut with 'Ex Machina' in 2014, then 'Annihilation' in 2018, 'Men' in 2022 and 'Civil War' most recently last year. Here then, a platoon of Navy SEAL's embark on a dangerous surveillance mission in Ramadi, Iraq in 2006, with the chaos and brotherhood of war retold through their memories of the event. Starring D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Ray Mendoza with Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Joseph Quinn, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Charles Melton, Noah Centineo, Henry Zaga and Alex Brockdorff. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing in mid-March, was released in the USA last week, here and in the UK this week, has garnered generally favourable critical press and has so far grossed US$8.5M from a production budget of US$20M.

'DROP' (Rated MA15+) - is an American mystery thriller film Directed by Christopher Landon who made his feature film Directing debut with 'Burning Palms' in 2010 and would follow this up with 'Paranormal Activity : The Marked Ones' in 2014, then 'Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse' in 2015, 'Happy Death Day' in 2017, 'Happy Death Day 2U' in 2019, 'Freaky' in 2020 and 'We Have a Ghost' in 2023. Here then, Violet (Meghann Fahy), a widowed mother, is on a date with Henry (Brandon Sklenar) when she is terrorised by a series of anonymous messages to her mobile phone. The caller instructs her to tell nobody, and follow increasingly malicious instructions, or her younger sister, Jen (Violett Beane), and her son, Toby (Jacob Robinson) will be killed, culminating with her being told to kill Henry. The film had its premiere at the SXSW in early March, was released in the US last week, has received positive reviews from critics and has so far grossed US$11M from a production budget of US$11M.

'THE CORRESPONDENT' (Rated M) - this biographical legal thriller film is Directed by Kriv Stenders whose prior feature film output includes 'The Illustrated Family Doctor' in 2005, 'Boxing Day' in 2007, 'Lucky Country' in 2009, 'Red Dog' in 2011, 'Kill Me Three Times' in 2014, 'Red Dog : True Blue' in 2016, 'Australia Day' in 2017 and 'Danger Close : The Battle of Long Tan' in 2019. This film is based on the 2017 memoir 'The First Casualty' by Peter Greste. The film is based on the real-life story of Australian foreign correspondent and journalist Peter Greste (Richard Roxburgh), who was arrested in Cairo, Egypt after being accused of spreading false news and aiding the Muslim Brotherhood. Imprisoned for seven years despite his innocence, he survives on wits alone before being released in 2015. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the Adelaide Film Festival back in September last year and is released this week here in Australia. 

'THE PENGUIN LESSONS' (Rated M) - is a comedy drama film Directed by Peter Cattaneo who made his feature film Directorial debut with 1997's 'The Full Monty' and which he would follow up with 'Lucky Break' in 2001, 'Opal Dream' in 2006, 'The Rocker' in 2008 and 'Military Wives' in 2019. This film is based on the 2015 memoir of the same name by Tom Michell. Inspired by the true story of a disillusioned Englishman, Tom Michell (Steve Coogan) who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach at a Uraguayan resort, his life is turned upside-down, as the penguin then kept following him and so he took it back to the school, where it became a popular pet. Also starring Jonathan Pryce as the school Headmaster. It premiered as a gala presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year, was released in the US in late March and is released in the UK, Ireland and here in Australia this week. It has so far grossed almost US$3M and has generated mixed or average reviews.

With five 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-

BLACK PANTHER : WAKANDA FOREVER - Monday 14th November 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'BLACK PANTHER : WAKANDA FOREVER' this week, and this American Superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics character of Black Panther, as portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in the 2018 film 'Black Panther', and who tragically died from colon cancer in 2020. This is the sequel to that 2018 film and is the thirtieth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is once again Directed and Co-Written by Ryan Coogler. The film saw its World Premier screening in Hollywood on 26th October, was released worldwide last week having cost US$250M to produce and having so far grossed worldwide US$401M, has generated largely positive critical acclaim and is the final film in Phase Four of the MCU.

The film opens up with Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) frantically trying to synthetically recreate in her lab the heart-shaped herb that could potentially save the life of her dying brother King T'Challa of Wakanda. The Queen Mother of Wakanda Ramonda (Angela Bassett) enters the lab with tears in her eyes proclaiming that her son, Shuri's brother and the King of Wakanda, T'Challa, has passed away and now joins their ancestors. 

We then fast forward a year and a joint expedition force by the CIA and US Navy Seals is somewhere in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Deep down on the seabed is a vibranium detecting machine that has located a source of the world's strongest metal thought previously to exist only in Wakanda. The expedition is attacked and wiped-out by a group of blue-skinned water breathing ocean dwelling superhumans led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta) the King of the underwater city of Talokan. The CIA later lay claim that Wakanda was responsible for the attack on the mid-Atlantic expedition. Later, Queen Ramonda is invited to attend something resembling the United Nations where she is pressed by other countries to share their vibranium, but she flatly refuses believing that they would use it against Wakanda and to bring about widespread destruction. 

On the first anniversary of T'Challa's death, Ramonda takes Shuri out into the bush so they they can grieve together and burn their funeral ceremonial robes on the camp fire as is the custom. Namor appears out of the river confronting them both, having easily evaded Wakanda's advanced security systems. Blaming Wakanda for the vibranium race, he gives them an ultimatum - deliver to him the scientist responsible for the vibranium-detecting machine, or he will attack Wakanda without mercy.

Okoye (Danai Gurira) convinces Ramonda to allow her to take Shuri with her to locate the scientist - after all what could possibly go wrong? They learn from CIA agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) that the scientist in question is Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), a nineteen year old student at MIT, and arrive at the university to confront her, and convince her to come to Wakanda with them. The group is tracked down and pursued first by the FBI and then Namor's warriors, who defeat Okoye before taking Shuri and Williams to the underwater city of Talokan to meet with Namor. Back in Wakanda and Queen Ramonda is angered to say the least that Okoye failed to safeguard Shuri, and so strips her of her title as General of the Dora Milaje. Ramonda then travels of Haiti to locate Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) who has been living there since the blip and who did not return to Wakanda even for T'Challa's funeral. Ramonda enlists Nakia's help to locate and return Shuri and Riri to Wakanda. 

Namor meets with Shuri and shows her his underwater kingdom of Talokan, which he has protected since the 16th century and is rich with vibranium. Bitter at the surface world that once rejected him, Namor meets with Ramonda and offers an alliance with Wakanda against the other nations of the world but promises to destroy Wakanda first if they don't cooperate. Nakia helps Shuri and Riri escape, and Namor retaliates with an attack against Wakanda's capital city, during which Ramonda drowns while saving Riri. Namor vows to return in a week with his full force, as the citizens of Wakanda are relocated to the mountains for their own safety.

Meanwhile, Ross is arrested by his ex-wife and new CIA Director, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), for covertly exchanging classified intelligence with the Wakandans. Using a remnant of the herb that gave the Talokan's their superhuman abilities from a bracelet given to Shuri by Namor, she reconstructs the heart-shaped herb and ingests it in liquified form, giving her superhuman abilities. She then meets with Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) in the Ancestral Plane, who urges her to seek revenge. 

With her new super powers Shuri puts on a new upgraded Black Panther suit and is quickly accepted by the other Wakandan tribes as the Black Panther. Despite M'Baku's (Winston Duke) strong desire for peace, Shuri is determined to exact vengeance on Namor for Ramonda's death and orders an immediate attack on Talokan. Preparing for battle, with Ayo (Florence Kasumba) assuming the mantle of General of the Dora Milaje, Shuri bestows the new Midnight Angel body armour upon Okoye, who in turn recruits Dora member Aneka (Michaela Coel) to join her. Riri creates an Iron Man type powered exoskeleton suit to help the Wakandans in battle. 

The Wakandans lure Namor and his warriors to the surface as a battle ensues, with the relentless Talokan's seemingly gaining the upper hand. Shuri traps Namor in a fighter aircraft, intending to dehydrate and therefore weaken him. The aircraft crashes on a desert beach and a fight ensues. Shuri gains the upper hand and releases an explosion which burns into Namor's back causing him to fall onto the sand just out of reach of his life giving ocean. Shuri holds a spear to Namor's throat, but realises the similarities between their life journey's and implores him to yield, offering a peaceful alliance between their nations. Namor accepts, and their fight ends.

Namor's cousin, Namora (Mabel Cadena), is angered at Namor's surrender, but he reassures her that their new alliance will allow them to conquer the surface world at some point in the future. Riri returns to MIT with the blessing of Shuri who extends the warm hand of friendship leaving behind her exoskeleton suit, while Okoye rescues Ross as he is being transported to captivity. In Shuri's absence, M'Baku steps forward to challenge her for the throne. Shuri visits Nakia who has returned to Haiti where she burns her funeral ceremonial robe allowing herself to finally grieve over T'Challa. In a mid-credits sequence, Shuri learns that Nakia and T'Challa had a son who is now eight years old, and that his name is Toussaint (Divine Love Konadu-Sun), who Nakia has been raising in secret away from the trials and tribulations of Wakanda and the throne. Toussaint reveals his Wakandan name is T'Challa, Prince T'Challa the son of King T'Challa.

'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' pays a fitting tribute to the passing of King T'Challa, aka Black Panther, and indeed Chadwick Boseman that is heartfelt and emotional without being forced or contrived. The roles of Bassett, Huerta, Wright and Nyong'o especially are right on the money with each of them delivering compelling and relatable performances that keep the story grounded with a sense of realism. The CGI effects and the continued world building of Wakanda is impressive enough too, as are the action sequences which are delivered at an effectively staged pace so as to allow for characterisation development to come through in between and which is likely to bode well for the story arc when 'Black Panther III' eventually hits our screens at some future date. That said, the second act stagnates a little and I found my mind wandering and asking myself when was the pace going to pick up, and at 161 minutes runtime, this is over extended by twenty minutes I suggest. 'Wakanda Forever' was unlikely to hit the dizzying heights of the first 'Black Panther' instalment but when it boils down to the continuation of the story and establishing a foundation upon which to further build the next film in the 'Black Panther' franchise, then this film delivers on that premise. As of earlier this month, Director and Co-Writer Ryan Coogler and Kevin Feige, the Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment were revealed to have discussed a potential third Black Panther film.

'Black Panther : Wakanda Forever' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 10th November 2022.

The 22nd annual Belfast Film Festival is now in full swing having opened on Thursday 3rd November and closing on Saturday 12th November. This festival is Northern Ireland's largest of its kind, attracting over 25,000 people annually. The festival has grown to include the Docs Ireland international documentary festival, as well as an Audience Development and Inclusion programme. The festival also sponsors year-round film screenings around Belfast. Founded in 1995 the festival began as a part of West Belfast Festival and operated as the West Belfast Film Festival (WBFF) from 1995 to 2000. In its third and fourth year, WBFF ran as an independent event and included venues throughout the city. It became the Belfast Film Festival in the year 2000 and ran as a citywide event, including venues in all four corners of Belfast.

This years Opening Night film presentation was 'Ballywalter', from Ireland and Directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah in his debut feature film and tells the story of Eileen (Seana Kerslake), a caustic, unrepentant University drop-out whose dreams of a successful life in London have fallen by the wayside. Back at home with her mum, she makes ends meet by working as an unlicensed driver in her ex-boyfriend’s minicab. Shane (Patrick Kielty) has exiled himself in Ballywalter following the break-up of his marriage, but now he’s trying to get his life back on track by enrolling in a stand-up comedy course. When Shane calls a taxi to get him to his classes, Eileen answers and a surprising connection is made. As the two spend time together shuttling back and forth, a beautiful friendship develops. The Closing Night film is 'Aftersun' from the UK and US and is Written and Directed by Charlotte Wells in her feature film Directing debut. Here, eleven-year-old tomboy Sophie (Frankie Corio), is going with her single dad Calum (Paul Mescal) on a Turkish package holiday in the late 1990's. Days of sun, sand and shooting pool beckon, but there’s an undertow of sadness, maybe of future estrangement, to Calum’s laddish parenting, and it bleeds into Frankie’s perspective both past and present.

In the International Film Competition for first or second feature films, there are eight films competing for the award of a prize of £7,000 to the Director of the Best Film, alongside Jury Prizes for Outstanding Craft Contribution and Breakout Performance of £1,500 each. Those eight films are :-

* 'Blue Jean' - from the UK and Written and Directed by first timer Georgia Oakley. England, 1988 - and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatising gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new girl at school where Jean works, catalyses a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core.

* 'Unrest' - from Switzerland and Written and Directed by Cyril Schaublin. This is the story of young watchmaker, Josephine (Clara Gostynski), in 1877 Switzerland, who gets involved with the rising anarchist movement as new technologies begin to transform money, time and labor in a small town.

* 'Beautiful Beings' - from Iceland and Written and Directed by Guomundur Arnar Guomundsson. Here, Addi (Birgir Dagur Bjarkason), who is being raised by a clairvoyant mother and an absent father, decides to take pitiful, beaten-up Balli (Askell Einar Palmason) under his wing and into his little band of outsiders. The gang's comradeship gives them an escape from troubled, often abusive home situations, but their bonds of teenage brotherhood will be sorely tested by a toxic tide of systemic, cyclical male aggression that almost ceaselessly seeks to turn frightened boys into violent men.

* 'Falcon Lake' - from Canada and Co-Written and Directed by Charlotte Le Bon in her feature film making debut. Fourteen-year-old Bastien (Joseph Engel) and his family are on holiday at a lakeside cabin in Quebec with an old friend of his mother's. More importantly, with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Chloe (Sara Montpetit), an unsmiling teen with a morbid sense of humour, on whom Bastien immediately crushes very hard.

* 'Tommy Guns' - from Portugal and Angola and Written and Directed by Carlos Conceicao. In 1974, after years of civil war, the Portuguese and their descendants fled the colony of Angola where groups of independents gradually claimed their territory back. A tribal girl discovers love and death when she crosses paths with a young Portuguese soldier. Meanwhile, another group of Portuguese soldiers is barracked inside an infinite wall from which they will have to escape once the past comes out of the grave to claim its long-awaited justice.

* 'Carajita' - from the Dominican Republic and Argentina, and Co-Written and Co-Directed by Ulises Porra and Silvina Schnicer. Sara (Cecile van Welie) and her nanny Yarisa (Magnolia Nunez) have a relationship that seems to transcend their class conditions. They are the closest thing to a daughter-mother, but an accident will test their intimate loyalty and the innocent illusion that nothing can separate them.

* 'A Room of My Own' - from Georgia and Co-Written and Directed by Ioseb 'Soso' Bliadze. Tina (Taki Mumladze), a young woman who has lost her way in life, rents a room from the vibrant Megi (Mariam Khundadze), thanks to whom she gradually starts to discover what it's like to be free and to be able to make her own decisions without being reliant on men.

* 'Return to Seoul' - from France and South Korea and Written and Directed by Davy Chou. A twenty-five-year-old French woman, Freddie (Park Ji-Min) returns to Korea, the country she was born in before being adopted by a French couple, for the very first time. She decides to track down her biological parents, but her journey takes a surprising turn.

For the full details of the other film and presentation strands taking place at this years Belfast Film Festival, you can go to the official website at : https://belfastfilmfestival.org/

Turning the attention then back to this weeks three new movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you in the coming week, we kick off with the 30th film in the MCU and the sequel to a massive hit in 2018 that this time sees the nation of Wakanda pitted against intervening world powers as they mourn the loss of their king T'Challa. This is followed up by a doco set in the heart of the Tibetan highlands, where an award-winning photographer guides a writer in his quest to document the infamously elusive snow leopard; before closing out the week with a celebration song and dance film marking the 30th anniversary of a classic Christmas story as told by a renowned English contemporary choreographer. 

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

'BLACK PANTHER : WAKANDA FOREVER' (Rated M) - this American Superhero film is based on the Marvel Comics character of Black Panther, as portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in the 2018 film 'Black Panther', and who tragically died from colon cancer in 2020. This is the sequel to that 2018 film and is the thirtieth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and is once again Directed and Co-Written by Ryan Coogler. The film saw its World Premier screening in Hollywood on 26th October, is set for a worldwide release from this week, and is the final film in Phase Four of the MCU.

Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M'Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death, and a new threat emerges from the hidden undersea nation of Talokan and its king, Namor (Tenoch Huerta). As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman) and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.

'THE VELVET QUEEN' (Rated M) - this French documentary film is Written and Directed by Vincent Munier and Marie Amiguet and is set in the heart of the Tibetan highlands amongst unexplored and inaccessible valleys, where multi-award-winning nature photographer Vincent Munier guides adventurer and novelist Sylvain Tesson on his quest to document the infamously elusive snow leopard. Munier introduces Tesson to the subtle art of waiting from a blind spot, tracking animals, and finding the patience to catch sight of the beasts. Through their journey in the Tibetan peaks, inhabited by invisible presences, the two men ponder humankind's place amongst the magnificent creatures and glorious landscapes they encounter along the way. 

'MATTHEW BOURNE'S NUTCRACKER!' (Rated CTC) - to celebrate its 30th anniversary with family-sized helpings of Bourne’s trademark wit, pathos, and magical fantasy, Nutcracker! follows Clara’s bittersweet journey from a darkly comic Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross’ Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland, influenced by the lavish Hollywood musicals of the 1930's. Tchaikovsky’s glorious score and Anthony Ward’s newly-refreshed delectable sets and costumes combine with Bourne’s dazzling choreography to create a fresh and charmingly irreverent interpretation of the classic production. This film is Directed for the screen by Ross MacGibbon. 

With three 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-

CREED II : Tuesday 4th December 2018.

I saw 'CREED II' earlier this week, and this sports drama film probably needs little introduction. After all it is the sequel to 2015's highly acclaimed 'Creed' film as Directed and Written by Ryan Coogler and Co-Produced and starring Sylvester Stallone in his seventh turn as our titular pugilist hero Rocky Balboa. That film cost US$40M to make, grossed US$174M and picked up a whole slew of awards and nominations along the way. Now the team reunite for 'Creed II' the eighth film in the 'Rocky' franchise, but this time Directing duties are given over to Steven Caple Jnr. in only his second feature film outing as Director. Ryan Coogler takes an Executive Producer credit and Sylvester Stallone takes on the role once more as Rocky Balboa, Co-Wrote the Screenplay and also Co-Produces. Released in the US on 21st November, the film has so far recovered US$100M from its US$50M Budget investment, and has generated generally positive Reviews.

The film opens up somewhere in a drab and dreary Ukraine. It is early morning, and woken up from his slumber on the sofa is Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu). The man who did the wake up call is his father Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) as he looks out of his apartment window on to the grey city scape before him. We then cut to Las Vegas and a bout at the MGM Grand involving Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and Danny 'Stuntman' Wheeler (Andre Ward) for the WBC (World Boxing Council) World Heavyweight Championship title. His trainer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gives Adonis a final pep talk, before his girlfriend Bianca Taylor (Tessa Thompson) has the final word. Needless to say Adonis wins the title and is crowned World Heavyweight Boxing Champion.

With his new found fame, Adonis decides to propose marriage to Bianca, which she accepts. Bianca later suggests to Adonis that they move away from Philadelphia and return to Los Angeles where she can concentrate on her escalating singing career, and he can still train and be based there. However, Philadelphia has been good to him, he is established, is known, and furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, Rocky lives there, and there is a great sense of loyalty between the pair.

In the meantime, Ivan Drago, a former Russian boxer who killed Adonis's father, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers seen in flashback), in the ring thirty-three years earlier, sees a chance to regain the glory that was taken from him as a result of his loss to Rocky Balboa in Moscow later that same year by pitting his son, Viktor Drago, against Adonis. Boxing Promoter Buddy Marcelle (Russell Hornsby) has been maintaining a watchful eye on Viktor's progress in the ring in recent times, and when he feels that Viktor is ready, he pitches the idea to both sides.

Ivan and Viktor both arrive in Philadelphia even though the bout has not yet been agreed to. Ivan visits Rocky in his restaurant one evening unannounced. The pair eye off against each other for the first time in more than thirty years. Ivan says that he returned to Russia a broken man after his fight in which he lost to Rocky, and that Russia turned its back on him. He has nothing . . . . except his son now. Ivan goads Rocky by saying that his son Viktor will break his boy. When Adonis mentions the idea to Rocky, he refuses to support the notion, and says that he'll be going into the ring without him therefore. Feeling betrayed and dejected, Adonis leaves with Bianca for LA where they take out a luxurious apartment overlooking the city skyline, and close to Apollo's widow and Adonis' adoptive mother Mary Anne Creed (Phylicia Rashad).

The day of the bout with Drago is quickly upon them. Adonis has been training in LA with Tony 'Little Duke' Evers (Wood Harris), the son of Apollo's, and later Rocky's, trainer. Bianca meanwhile has announced that she is pregnant. With so much going on his life - marriage proposal, baby on the way, recently relocated to LA, newly crowned World Champ, new trainer, no Rocky - Adonis rushes into his world title defence bout with Drago.

Drago is clearly the far superior Boxer, in terms of his height, weight, reach, strength and build. Adonis is ill prepared and comes off worse, and badly injured as well. Maintaining a bedside vigil, Bianca and Little Duke receive news that the Boxing Governing Body has upheld the decision to disqualify Drago for punching Adonis while he was still down, so allowing the World Champ to still retain his crown. Viktor and Ivan return to Russia where their popularity soon grows on a wave of national support.

Afters several weeks of recuperation in hospital Adonis is released with a frenzy of the media in waiting. Back at his apartment over the following weeks and months he becomes increasingly distant from Bianca. His body is still hurting, his confidence has taken a blow, and his mind is on other things. Mary Anne reaches out to Rocky in the hope that with his support and advice he will pull through his personal crisis. Rocky arrives at Mary Anne's palatial house, and waits for Adonis to arrive expecting to meet with his mother. Instead the pair say a few candid words to each other and make up their differences. Rocky agrees to train Adonis in preparation for a rematch with Drago which the Boxing Governing Body are putting pressure on Adonis to name an opponent or forfeit his title, due to the time that has now lapsed between world title contests.

Meanwhile back in Russia at a grand dinner at which Viktor and Ivan are the centre of attention by the gathered guests and dignitaries, in waltzes Ludmilla Drago (Brigitte Neilsen), the former wife of Ivan and mother to Viktor, who deserted them both soon after Ivan's loss to Rocky. Viktor can hardly contain himself out of anger towards seeing his mother all proud, glamorous and clearly well off while they have nothing. He walks out of the dinner quickly followed by Ivan, much to the chagrin of the other guests. Meanwhile back in LA Bianca has given birth to a girl, whom they name Amara.

Viktor continues to goad Adonis, while Ivan puts his son through a relative pedestrian albeit fairly brutal training regime. Rocky, on the other hand, drives Adonis out to the middle of the Californian desert to a run down dust bowl of an outdoor gym with makeshift equipment and a boxing ring. Rocky tells Adonis, that it is a place where fighters come to be 'reborn'.

What follows is the obligatory training montage that sees Adonis beating the sand and the dust with a sledgehammer with all his might, running to keep up with Rocky driving the car ahead, getting pummelled to the stomach with a medicine ball, strengthening his neck by lifting weights with his head, shadow boxing with the camp fire at dusk and sparring with an opponent in the ring with each man having to maintain a foot inside a tyre. This brutal regime goes on for seemingly a few weeks, but eventually Adonis has got his mojo back, he's in great shape and ready for the fight of his life (predictably).

The rematch is staged in Moscow, amidst all the glitz and glamour that Russia can muster and in front of a capacity crowd all cheering on Drago. Early on Adonis, in a more controlled and focused manner that his first bout against Drago, is on an equal footing with the Russian, exchanging blows one for one. Drago wins the second round by punches landed and the number of times Adonis falls to the mat.

And so it continues, into Rounds three, four, five and six. Drago has always won his fights by a knock out early on, and so is unaccustomed to going the distance with a worthy adversary, and someone who can take a pummelling and still keep coming back. A fact that Adonis plays to his advantage. In Round 10, after being floored again, Adonis gets mightily pissed off at himself and barely rising up off the mat musters the strength and the inner rage to let his punches rain down on Drago, sending him to the mat twice.

Ludmilla, who had been sitting ringside with other supporters of Viktor, departs when the fortunes of this title bout start leaning very much in Adonis' favour. Viktor sees this and is caught off-balance emotionally. Ivan also noted her prompt departure, but has now seemingly reconciled the fair-weathered nature of those supporters who had run Ivan out of Russia originally thirty years before. With Viktor cornered and Adonis landing multiple strikes without any retaliation by his opponent, Rocky watches in disbelief as Ivan steadily inches his way to where his son is cornered and throws in the towel, conceding the fight to Adonis to ensure his son isn’t seriously injured or worse.

Though Viktor is ashamed by his defeat, Ivan embraces his son motioning that it's OK that he lost and that he put up an admirable fight. Bianca, also watching from a ringside seat enters the ring to celebrate with Adonis who motions for Rocky to join them. Rocky stops himself from joining the celebrations telling Adonis that it is 'his time' and so he takes a seat and watches them from outside the ring. Sometime after the fight and back in LA, Adonis visits the gravesite of his father to make peace with him and for carrying the heavy burden of his legacy. Ivan and Viktor are seen jogging through the streets back in Ukraine. Rocky visits his estranged son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia) in Vancouver and meets with his young grandson Logan, for the first time. 

For the eighth film in the 'Rocky' franchise this instalment is light on genuine surprises and follows a tried and tested, and predictable, formula. Champion Boxer has crisis of confidence, check; has inner demons he must overcome, check; gets beaten up, loses and has a rematch, check; must face off against a formidable opponent against the odds, check; undergoes a brutal training regime seen in montage, check; goes the full ten rounds in the World Title fight despite being battered, bruised, bloody and broken, check; slo-mo body and facial blows, check; but wins the day and is victorious, check; and the principle characters all have their own little side story to deal with along the way too, check! Despite the predictable formulaic nature of this franchise as described, it is nonetheless a well executed sequel to 'Creed' that has strong performances from Jordan and Stallone once more especially, the fight scenes are well choreographed and excitingly shot from a myriad of angles, and the film has heart and conviction that invests you in the characters, their lives, challenges, triumphs and emotions. Certainly worth the price of your ticket.

'Creed II' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-