LITTLE WOMEN : Thursday 6th February 2020.

I saw the G Rated 'LITTLE WOMEN' at the Open Air cinema at Mrs. Macquarie's Point in Sydney last week and this American coming-of-age period drama film is written for the screen and Directed by Actress, Screenwriter and now second time film maker following 2017's highly acclaimed 'Lady Bird', Greta Gerwig. This is the eighth big screen adaptation of the 1868 novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The film cost US$40M to produce, has so far grossed US$177M, was released in the US on Christmas Day, and has garnered universal acclaim from Critics. The film has so far picked up 67 award wins and a further 177 nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit including Six Academy Award nods, two Golden Globe nominations, and a BAFTA win and four other nominations.

The film opens up in 1868 and we see Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) as a New York teacher and budding writer. She visits Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts) and presents him with an article she has written that she is looking to have published in his magazine. Mr. Dashwood scans the article and agrees to publish her work but not until Jo has done some considerable editing to the piece to make it more reader friendly. He pays her US$25, and Jo leaves very happy.

Her sister Amy (Florence Pugh), is in Paris with their Aunt March (Meryl Streep), and notices childhood friend Laurie (Timothee Chalamet) one day walking through a park. She invites him to a party. At the party, she becomes angry over Laurie's drunken behaviour and he scolds her in front of all the other invited guests for spending time with wealthy businessman, Fred Vaughn (Dash Barber).

In New York, Jo meets with Friedrich Bhaer (Louis Garrel), a professor infatuated with her. Jo asks Friedrich to critique her work and when he offers constructive criticism Jo takes it personally and ends their friendship. Following this, Jo receives a letter saying that her younger sister Beth (Eliza Scanlen) has become more sick, and so she returns home to be at her side and help nurse her back to health.

We then go back to 1861 in Concord, Massachusetts, and Jo and her older sister Meg (Emma Watson) go to a party where Jo meets Laurie, the grandson of their neighbour Mr. Laurence (Chris Cooper). On Christmas morning, their mother 'Marmee' (Laura Dern) persuades the girls to give their lavish breakfast to their poor neighbour, Mrs. Hummel and her four starving young children. They do so, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and when they return to their own home, the girls see their table full of food, provided by Mr. Laurence, together with a letter from their father fighting in the American Civil War, saying, amongst other things, how he misses his four 'little women'.

Jo later visits their Aunt March, who invites Jo to travel to Europe with her on an extended stay. One evening Meg, Jo, Laurie and John Brooke (James Norton), Laurie's tutor and Meg's eventual husband, go out to the theatre, leaving a jealous Amy behind at home. Jo hides the manuscript of a novel she has been working on in her bedroom in a chest of drawers. An angry Amy go searching for the manuscript, finds it and burns it out of spite, upsetting Jo when she discovers it missing. The pair get into a fight after Amy admits burning it, which is quickly broken up by their sisters and mother. Amy attempts to apologise but Jo will have none of it. The next day Amy, wanting to make amends with Jo, chases her onto a frozen over lake where Jo and Laurie are ice skating. The two skate over to rescue Amy when the ice breaks below her feet and she falls into the frozen water. That night, Jo expresses guilt to her mother over what happened to Amy.

We then fast forward back to 1868 and Laurie visits Amy to apologise for his behaviour at the party. Subsequently he urges Amy not to marry Fred Vaughn, but to marry him instead. Amy is upset at playing second fiddle to Jo for just about everything, including Laurie. Amy later turns down Fred's proposal only to learn that Laurie has left for London.

Back in the past, Marmee, is informed by letter that her husband and the girls father is ill from the effects of the Civil War. She reluctantly visits their father, for fear of leaving the four girls to fend for themselves. Beth is given the piano from Mr. Laurence, as her playing reminds him of her dead daughter, and he cannot abide to see the piano at which she used to play go to waste. Beth soon afterwards contracts scarlet fever. Amy, who has not had the disease before, is sent to stay with Aunt March. Marmee comes home early when Beth gets worse, but she recovers in time for Christmas, with their father (Bob Odenkirk) returning home too, surprising the girls. However, in the present, Beth's condition starts to deteriorate, and she dies.

On Meg's wedding day Jo tries to convince her to run away, and not proceed with the wedding, but Meg tells her she is happy getting married, opting for a life of security, stability and the love of a good man. Aunt March announces her trip to Europe, but decides to take Amy instead of Jo. After the wedding, Laurie opens up about his feelings for Jo, but she insists she does not feel the same way, and that their marriage would never work.

Soon afterwards Jo begins to wonder if she was too quick in turning Laurie down and writes him a letter, expressing her change of heart. On their way back from Europe with a sick Aunt March, Amy tells Laurie she turned down Fred's proposal of marriage. The two kiss and soon after marry on the journey home. Returning home, Laurie catches up with Jo and breaks the news. Jo is inwardly devastated but outwardly as stoic as ever, and they agree to just be friends. Jo returns to the letterbox and retrieves the letter she wrote for Laurie, tears it up and tosses it into the stream beside the house.

The next day, Jo starts work on a novel based on the lives of her and her sisters. She dispatches the initial chapters to Mr. Dashwood, who is seemingly unimpressed. Bhaer turns up at the March house to bid the family and Jo in particular farewell, as he is on his way to California to teach. Mr. Dashwood in the meantime has agreed to publish her book, but finds it unacceptable that the main character was unmarried. Jo amends her ending so that the main character, herself, chases after Bhaer in the rain and catches up with him at the Concord railway station, and stops him from going to California. She successfully negotiates copyright and royalties with Mr. Dashwood.

Later, after the death of Aunt March, Jo inherits her house and decides to open it as a school. Meg teaches acting and Amy teaches art to the young schoolchildren. Bhaer is also seen to be teaching children. Jo looks on at a printing and binding press as printers run off the first editions of her book, titled 'Little Women'.

It's easy to see why and how Great Gerwig's adaptation of the classic 'Little Women' novel has garnered such widespread critical acclaim. The production values are top notch from the horse drawn carriages, the grand piano's, the wide skirts and dresses and the detail in the homes of that era to the outstanding performances of the principle cast noting especially Ronan, Pugh and Chalamet, with honourable mentions going to Dern, Streep, Cooper and Letts also in the limited screen time they do have, but which make their performances no less effective. And the story is handled with a deft touch by Gerwig whose modern interpretation of the timeless classic presents us with an up to date coming of age story, female empowerment, endearing sisterhood and the power of a tight knit family unit, all wrapped up in a period piece set some 150 years ago. Despite all these positives and those thrust upon the film from Critics the world over, I found the time shifting premise of the film a little confusing and irritating, not knowing if I was watching a scene from 1861/2 or 1868/9 at times. That said, if you are able to get over this, then this is a smart, modern and creative retelling of a nostalgic period in American (fictional) history, that should easily delight the young and old, both the female and male audience, and those familiar with the source material, or those viewing for the first time.

'Little Women' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 4th October 2018.

The Adelaide Film Festival goes live on 10th October and runs for eleven days up to and including 21st October. The Adelaide Film Festival, in its current guise, has run since 2002 and is described as an international film festival held over two weeks in mid October, in Adelaide, South Australia. The film festival has a strong focus on local South Australian and Australian produced content. This particular Festival featured in Variety Magazine's Top 50 unmissable film festivals around the world, saying 'Of the planet’s 1,000-plus film fests, only a select few pack industry impact. A few dozen more, by virtue of vision, originality, striking setting, audience zest and/or their ability to mine a unique niche, also rank as must-attends'.

This year, the opening night presentation is 'Hotel Mumbai' Directed by Anthony Maras telling the true story of 26th November 2008 when a wave of devastating terror attacks throughout Mumbai catapult the bustling Indian metropolis into chaos. In the heart of the city’s tourist district, Jihadist terrorists lay siege to the iconic Taj Palace Hotel, whose guests and staff become trapped in a heroic, days-long fight for survival. Starring Armie Hammer, Dev Patel and Jason Isaacs.

The closing night feature presentation is 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' Directed by Marielle Heller recounting the real life exploits of Lee Israel, a noted American author who became a literary forger and thief. The film stars Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel who made her living through the '60's, '70's and '80's writing profiles of high-achieving women such as Katharine Hepburn, cosmetics executive Estée Lauder and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen and charts her subsequent life as she attempts to revitalise her sagging writing career in the '90's by forging letters from deceased authors and playwrights. She died in 2014 aged 75. The film also stars Richard E. Grant as her loyal and trusted friend Jack Hock.

Of the 84 feature films being screened over the eleven days, the International Feature Film Award values idiosyncratic voices, bold storytelling, creative risk-taking and overall fabulous films. Those films in competition this year are : 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (USA); 'Beautiful Boy' Directed by Felix Van Groeningen (USA); 'Burning' Directed by Lee Chang-Dong (South Korea); 'Capharnaum' Directed by Nadine Labaki (France, Lebanon, USA); 'Celeste' Directed by Ben Hackworth (Australia); 'Emu Runner' Directed by Imogen Thomas (Australia); 'Girl' Directed by Lukas Dhont (Belgium); 'Memories of My Body' Directed by Garin Nugroho (Indonesia); 'Roma' Directed by Alfonso Cuaron (Mexico) and 'The Seen and Unseen' Directed by Kamila Andini (Australia, Indonesia, Netherlands, Qatar).

Needless to say there's a whole lot more great movie stuff going on down Adelaide way during their Film Festival, which you can check out at the website at : adelaidefilmfestival.org

This week we have just three new release movies coming to your local Odeon. We kick off with a new Superhero from the Marvel stable that does not sit within the realms of the MCU but rather is supplementary to it, seeing this human host taken over by an alien liquid parasite where the two must live in a mis-matched symbiosis and dispense their own brand of justice. We then have an art heist film that tells the true story of four likely University lads who hatch a scheme to rob a Uni library of some of its most prized, most rare and therefore most valuable books. And we wrap up the week with a telling of a famed Anton Chekov play brought to the big screen with an all star cast. 

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

'VENOM' (Rated M) - a big screen version of this Marvel character has been in development since 1997 when David S. Goyer had penned a script with Dolph Lundgren set to star. That went nowhere, and then in 2007 with the release of Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man 3', Venom made an appearance with Topher Grace playing the role, with a spin-off film focused on Venom being announced mid-2007. Subsequently over the following years the project was on again, off again, with various Writers coming and going, various Directors being attached and varying views and opinions as to where Venom should sit - in his own movie, as part of the rebooted 'Spider-Man' franchise, or even in the 'Avengers' universe. And so, finally, Venom gets his own big screen treatment as anti-Superhero based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name first appearing in 'The Amazing Spider-Man' comic edition in May 1984. This film is Directed by Ruben Fleischer, cost US$100M to Produce and is intended to be the first film in Sony's Marvel Universe, adjunct to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where the two are unlikely to cross over but will complement each other and featuring other Marvel characters to which Sony own the film rights. 

And so, following a scandal, investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) attempts to revive his career by investigating the Life Foundation which is headed up by genius inventor Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed). Through his investigations he encounters an alien symbiote - an amorphous, liquid-like form, that requires a host, usually human, to bond with for its survival. After bonding with Eddie Brock, the symbiote bestows its enhanced powers upon him. When the Venom symbiote bonds with a human, that new dual-life form usually refers to itself as 'Venom', and in bonding with Brock, gives him super human powers and a horrific alter ego as long as they share the same body. Also starring Michelle Williams, Woody Harrelson, Scott Haze and Reid Scott. Tom Hardy has already signed up for a further two 'Venom' films, and there could easily be a cross-over into the 'Spider-Man' franchise that sees the two face off against each other, and not for the first time in their history.

'AMERICAN ANIMALS'  (Rated MA15+) - this true crime drama is Written and Directed by Bart Layton in only his second film making outing after 2012's 'The Imposter'. The film saw its World Premier screening at the Sundance Film Festival back in January this year, was released in the US back in early June, and in the UK in early September. It has so far taken just over US$3M and has received generally positive Press. This real life telling sees Spencer Reinhard (Barry Keoghan), Warren Lipka (Evan Peters), Eric Borsuk (Jared Abrahamson) and Chas Allen (Blake Jenner) as four friends who live an ordinary and uneventful life in Kentucky. After a visit to Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, Reinhard and Lipka develop a notion to steal an extremely valuable edition of John James Audubon's 'The Birds of America' and other rare and valuable books from the university library by disguising themselves as much older businessmen. As one of the most audacious and daring art heists in U.S. history begins to materialise, the young men begin to question whether their attempts to add some excitement and meaning into their lives are simply misguided attempts at getting rich quick by selling their ill gotten gains to a black market dealer in Amsterdam. Also starring Ann Dowd as Betty Jean Gooch - the only person guarding the books in the special collections section of the library. 

'THE SEAGULL' (Rated M) - Directed by Michael Mayer, this American drama film is based on the acclaimed 1895 play of the same name by Russian dramatist Anton Chekov. Shown first at the Tribeca Film Festival in April this year and released in the US in mid-May the film has taken so far just US$1.3M and has garnered generally mixed Reviews. The story here unfolds with ageing actress Irina Arkadina (Annette Benning) who visits to her brother Pjotr Nikolayevich Sorin (Brian Dennehy) and her son Konstantin Treplyov (Billy Howle) on a picturesque lakeside estate during the Summer months. On one occasion, she brings along Boris Trigorin (Corey Stoll), a successful writer and her lover. Nina Zarechnaya (Saoirse Ronan), an innocent girl on an adjoining estate who is in a relationship with Konstantin, falls in love with Boris. What will become of this developing love triangle? Also starring Elisabeth Moss.

With three new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded 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-

LADY BIRD : Tuesday 20th February 2018.

'LADY BIRD' which I saw earlier last week is a highly praised and critically acclaimed film Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig in her first solo Directorial outing. Costing US$10M to make, the film received its World Premier at last September's Telluride Film Festival, and a week later received a standing ovation when it screened at TIFF. Going on general release in the US in early November, the film has so far taken US$53M at the Box Office, and went out on wide release in Australia and the UK just a couple of weeks ago. The film has so far garnered 83 award wins and a further 190 nominations including the pending Academy Awards for which it is up for five including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. It won two Golden Globes, and was nominated for another two, and also gained three SAG Award nods, three BAFTA nods and five International AACTA nominations.

Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, the film tells the coming of age story of Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who is studying in her last year at Catholic High School. She is seventeen years of age, lives with her parents Marion and Larry (Laurie Metcalfe and Tracy Letts respectively) in a relationship that is somewhat strained with her mother especially, as well as her adopted brother and his girlfriend. Lady Bird yearns to attend a University with culture and adventure somewhere other than Sacramento - ideally on the east coast, and anywhere but Sacramento. Her family is struggling financially - Marion works double shifts as a psychology nurse at the local Hospital to make ends meet, and Larry is unemployed from the IT industry and given his age is unlikely to find another role anytime soon. Marion's chastises Lady Bird as ungrateful for what she has, which creates a constant air of tension between mother and daughter.

Lady Birds best friend at school is Julie Steffans (Beanie Feldstein) and together they join the school theatre programme, and audition for a role each in a school musical production. They each secure a part, as does every other student who auditioned, and Lady Bird is attracted to the male lead Danny O'Neill (Lucas Hedges). Over time they grow fond off each other and begin dating. Danny comes from quite a well to do background and certainly more monied than her own family circumstances.

Lady Bird is invited to spend Thanksgiving Dinner with Danny's family, which attracts the ire of Marion. Sometime later, however, Lady Bird discovers Danny kissing another boy in a passionate embrace in a toilet cubicle, so ending their brief relationship.

At the insistence of her mother, Lady Bird scores a job at a local coffee shop, where she meets young musician and local boys High School student Kyle Scheible (Timothee Chalamet). Fairly soon the pair start dating, and Lady Bird and her bestie Julie begin to see less and less of each other and drift apart. Coinciding with this, Lady Bird befriends Jenna Walton (Odeya Rush) one of the more popular girls in school which will have something to do with her attractiveness, her maturity and her family's wealth. The pair hit it off after Jenna is reprimanded by Sister Sarah (Lois Smith) for wearing too short a skirt to school, and so the girls vandalise the Sisters car to get even.

Lady Bird then drops out of the school theatre production. One day while working at the coffee shop Danny enters and pulls up a seat. Lady Bird cannot look at him and so takes the garbage out the back to avoid any contact. Danny darts around the back and breaks down over his struggles to come out, pleading with Lady Bird not to tell anyone while she offers him a shoulder to cry on. Soon afterwards Lady Bird loses her virginity to Kyle, which ends thirty seconds later! Believing that he was also a virgin, because he said so, he then admits that he has slept with maybe six other girls, and that Lady Bird was not his first. This upsets her. Later in the bathroom at home in conversation with her mother, Lady Bird learns that her father has lost his job and has been fighting depression for a very long time and is on medication.

She begins the application process to numerous east-coast colleges. Her mother is insistent that they cannot afford the fees and the cost of tuition and that she should set her sights on a local college instead. In time after receiving several rejection letters, something positive comes through in the form of a wait list position at a New York college. Her Dad meanwhile helps out secretly with the financial aid applications. The night of the school Prom comes around and with Mum's help a dress is secured. Kyle is her date for the night and she is picked up by him with Jenna an her boyfriend too. Kyle and Jenna decide to give the Prom a miss and make for a party instead. Lady Bird states that she wants to go to the Prom and ask that she be dropped off a Julie's house. There Lady Bird and Julie make up their differences and together attend the Prom and have a blast.

On the day of her eighteenth birthday, her Dad wakes her up with a cup cake with a single candle planted in it. To celebrate her birthday, Lady Bird buys a packet of cigarettes, a lottery ticket and an edition of Playgirl magazine . . . because she now can! Soon afterwards she passes her driving test too, and then sets about redecorating her bedroom. Her mother then discovers that she has been applying to various east-coast colleges without her knowledge, but knowing full well that the family cannot afford it. Out of spite, Marion stops talking with her daughter, despite Lady Bird pleading for conversation and unequivocal apologies. She learns soon afterwards that she has gained a place at a New York college, and with the financial aid package, and some help from her father who has refinanced the house, is able to afford it.

On the day that Lady Bird flies off for the first time to attend college in New York, Marion refuses still to talk to her daughter. She drops off Lady Bird and Larry at the departure terminal and drives off, not even bidding her daughter good luck and farewell. In exiting the airport terminal and driving round the block tears of regret begin to well up in Marion who has a change of heart. She drives back to the departure terminal to be met by her husband, saying that their daughter has already left, and that she has missed her.

In New York Lady Bird unpacks her bags in her new dormitory accommodation. Her father has stashed several letters therein written by her mother to her daughter and then discarded, but salvaged by Larry. Lady Bird thoughtfully reads them all. She then gets involved in the social scene, gets drunk, wakes up in hospital, visits a Sunday church service, and then calls her parents and leaves a message for her mother saying how sorry she is and how much she loves her.

Greta Gerwig has here penned a sort of semi-autobiographical story that makes references to her growing up in Sacramento herself and some of the influences that have impacted upon her life. In doing so she has crafted an insightful warts and all look at the trials and tribulations of adolescence that propels 'Lady Bird' above the other coming of age genre fodder that we are all too often confronted with. The dialogue is grounded in a realism that keeps you invested in the characters and makes you believe what they are saying - it is sharply delivered, emotional, poignant, dramatic, funny and authentic and the wordplay between the characters never misses a beat. Saoirse Ronan delivers her third Academy Award nominated performance and its easy to see why, as she banters too and fro with her mother Laurie Metcalfe who is also up for an Oscar in a support role. Tracy Letts too gives an understated performance as the down trodden weary husband but well meaning and loving father in the all too brief scenes he shares with his family. This is a coming of age film of an ordinary girl, living in an ordinary city and with a fairly ordinary set of circumstances with the complexities of approaching adulthood and the roller coaster of emotions brought on by family, money, peer pressure, sex, school and wanting to follow your own path in life, that all combine to make this a far from ordinary package.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 15th February 2018.

The 22nd Annual Satellite Awards were presented by the International Press Academy (IPA) from The InterContinental Hotel at Century City, Los Angeles on Sunday 11th February. This awards ceremony honours outstanding performers, films and television shows and is presented by the IPA - an association of professional entertainment journalists, representing both domestic and foreign markets in print, television, radio, cable and new media outlets. The Satellite Awards specifically recognise achievement in the areas of film, television and new media, and the first such awards ceremony was held in January 1997.

In the main category of film achievement, the winners and grinners announced earlier this week were :
* Best Film : 'God's Own Country' and 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'.
* Best Animated Film : 'Coco'.
* Best Foreign Language Film : 'In the Fade' (Germany)
* Best Director : Jordan Peele for 'Get Out'.
* Best Actor : Gary Oldman for 'Darkest Hour' and Harry Dean Stanton for 'Lucky'.
* Best Actress : Sally Hawkins for 'The Shape of Water' and Diane Kruger for 'In the Fade'.
* Best Supporting Actor : Sam Rockwell for 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri'
* Best Supporting Actress : Lois Smith for 'Marjorie Prime'.
* Best Original Screenplay : 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' by Martin McDonagh.
* Best Adapted Screenplay : 'The Disaster Artist' by Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter.
* Best Cinematography : Roger Deakins for 'Blade Runner 2049'.
* Best Visual Effects : 'Blade Runner 2049'.
* Best Art Direction and Production Design : 'The Shape of Water'.
* Best Costume Design : Mark Bridges for 'Phantom Thread'.

 Special Achievement Awards were also presented to the following :
* Auteur Award (for singular vision and unique artistic control over the elements of production) to Greta Gerwig.
* Humanitarian Award (for making a difference in the lives of those in the artistic community and beyond) to Stephen Chbosky.
* Mary Pickford Award (for outstanding contribution to the entertainment industry) to Dabney Coleman,
* Nikola Tesla Award (for visionary achievement in filmmaking technology) to Robert Legato.
* Best First Feature : John Carroll Lynch for 'Lucky'.

This week then we kick off with the eighteenth film in a comic book cinematic universe giving rise to a whole new African based Superhero in his first dedicated big screen outing that has already won much praise from Critics; before moving onto another critically acclaimed offering of a coming of age story and a year in the life of a high schooler in her last year and the trials and tribulations faced in the twelve months leading up to her 18th birthday; before closing out the week with a jilted wife, a cheating husband, a sympathetic sister and her energetic friends and the new lease on life she ultimately discovers where she least expected it.

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

'BLACK PANTHER' (Rated M) - and so Marvel Studios unleash another Superhero into our movie going world in this stand alone origin offering of 'Black Panther' (aka King T'Challa of the fictional African nation of Wakanda). The character created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby first appeared in the comic book 'Fantastic Four #52' in 1966 and depicts T'Challa as the King and protector of Wakanda. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan ritual, T'Challa also relies on his genius intellect, rigorous physical training, martial arts skills, access to cutting edge technologies and accumulated wealth to ward off his enemies. Back in 1992 Wesley Snipes first muted his desire to work on a Black Panther film, and over the following ten years the project was further developed but eventually came to nothing. Then in 2005 Marvel announced that Black Panther was one of ten characters from its portfolio that would be developed as part of its Cinematic Universe, and in 2011 a Scriptwriter was hired and in 2014 the project was greenlit. Chadwick Boseman was cast in the role of T'Challa and made his first appearance in 2016's 'Captain America : Civil War' in which his character sides with Iron Man/Tony Stark. And so here we have this eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Directed and Co-Written by Ryan Coogler for US$200M. The film Premiered in the US at the end of January and goes on general release around the world this week. The film has received widespread critical acclaim, noting especially the Direction, casting, action sequences, costume design and, in a first for Marvel starring a predominantly black cast.

Following the events of 'Captain America : Civil War' T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns now as the new King of Wakanda following the death of his father and former King, T'Chaka at the hands of Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) a South African black market arms dealer, smuggler and all round gangster. Two enemies conspire against T'Challa to bring down his kingdom - Erik 'Killmonger' Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) - a Wakandan exile who became an American black-ops soldier who now seeks to overthrow T'Challa and who is in cahoots with Ulysses Klaue. T'Challa, as Black Panther, joins forces with CIA Agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) and his own Dora Milaje - Wakanda's own elite team of all female special forces, to prevent a potential global conflict. Also starring Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker and naturally a cameo by Stan Lee.

'LADY BIRD' (Rated MA15+) - this highly praised and critically acclaimed film is Written and Directed by Greta Gerwig in her first solo Directorial outing. Costing US$10M to make, the film received its World Premier at last September's Telluride Film Festival, and a week later received  a standing ovation when it screened at TIFF. Going on general release in the US in early November, the film has so far taken US$45M at the Box Office, and now goes on wide release in Australia and the UK this week. The film has so far garnered 83 award wins and a further 185 nominations including the pending Academy Awards for which it is up for five including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress; and three BAFTA's being Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. It won two Golden Globes, and was nominated for another two, and also gained three SAG Award nods and five International AACTA's nominations. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, the film tells the coming of age story of Christine 'Lady Bird' McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) who is studying in her last year at High School. She lives with her parents Marion and Larry (Laurie Metcalfe and Tracy Letts respectively) in a relationship that is somewhat strained, as well as her adopted brother and his girlfriend. Navigating a turbulent relationship with her mother, applying to out of State Universities, losing her virginity, learning to drive, the break up of her parents marriage, the High School Prom and turning eighteen all combine to create an eventful, full and poignant year for Lady Bird. Also starring Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet and Odeya Rush.

'FINDING YOUR FEET' (Rated M) - Directed by Richard Loncraine, this British feel good romantic comedy drama offering opened the Torino Film Festival back in November last year, and was promoted at the American Film Market that same month. This week 'Finding Your Feet' goes on release in Australia, ahead of its general release in the UK next week and the USA the week after. Telling the story of conservative and well to do Sandra Abbott (Imelda Staunton) who discovers that Mike (John Sessions) her husband of forty years has been carrying on behind her back with her best friend Pamela (Josie Lawrence). Sandra seeks safe haven and a chance to lick her wounds in London with her estranged, older sister Bif (Celia Imrie). Sandra feels like a real outsider compared to her outspoken, outgoing, serial dating, free spirited sister who lives on an inner-city council estate . . . a far cry from the comfort she has been used to. But different is just what the Doctor ordered for Sandra and she reluctantly lets Bif drag her along to a community dance class where she meets her sister's friends, Charlie (a slimmed down Timothy Spall), Ted (David Hayman) and Jackie (Joanna Lumley). This colourful group of defiant and energetic seniors start to show Sandra that retirement is only the beginning, and that divorce might just offer a whole new lease of life, and love.

With three new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephiles afterwards here at Odeon Online, and meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th February 2016.

This year the 69th annual British Academy Film Awards presented by BAFTA will be held on Sunday evening 14th February at the Royal Opera House in London and hosted once again by Stephen Fry. Recognising the best in film performance and production the main contenders in the top categories are : Best Film - 'The Big Short', 'Carol', 'Spotlight', 'The Revenant' and 'Bridge of Spies'. Best Direction  - Adam McKay, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Todd Haynes and Alejandro Inarritu.  Best Actor - Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Eddie Redmayne, Bryan Cranston and Michael Fassbender.  Best Actress - Maggie Smith, Cate Blanchett, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander and Saoirse Ronan. Best Supporting Actor - Christian Bale, Idris Elba, Mark Ruffalo, Mark Rylance and Benicio del Toro. Best Supporting Actress - Kate Winslet, Alicia Vikander, Rooney Mara, Julie Walters and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Of course there are a whole bunch of other Awards that take in all the usual categories - Original Screenplay, Adapted Screenplay, Original Score, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Hair & Make-up, Editing, Animated Film, British Film etc. 'Bridge of Spies' and 'Carol' each have nine nominations - the most this year, 'The Revenant' has eight, 'Mad Max : Fury Road' has seven, 'Brooklyn' and 'The Martian' have six, 'The Danish Girl', 'Ex Machina' and 'The Big Short' each carry five, and 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' has four. You can see more at www.bafta.org and, you can read the Reviews of most of these within this Blog. Good luck, best wishes and well done to all nominees.

And so what of this weeks latest release movies, of which one is released in Australia this week just in time for the aforementioned BAFTA and Academy Awards and tells the story of a young Irish migrant woman venturing forth to New York in search of a new life; then there is a haute couture spoof sequel that has been sixteen years in the making and reuniting that comedy classic cohort staring down right at you; followed up with the first Marvel offering of 2016 with the first feature dedicated to this character even though we have seen him before; and finally to tantalise your tastebuds there is a story of food, food and more food and a certain world renowned Chef's obsession with it!

A diverse mix of films to choose from in the coming week with plenty of great offerings still on general release and as either Reviewed or Previewed between these humble Blog Posts.  Remember to share your views and don't be backward in coming forward with your opinions of your film experience by sharing a Comment below this or any Post. Enjoy your movie this week.

DEADPOOL (Rated MA15+) - this is the next instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will also see 'X-Men : Apocalypse' later this year and another 'Captain America' instalment. This is not the first time we have seen 'Deadpool' on the big screen, with the character making his first appearance in 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine' in 2009 when Ryan Reynolds portrayed this character back then too. Development of this first film kicked off way back in 2004 passing through several Studios and Writers along the way, although Tim Miller was hired to Direct in 2011 with filming starting in Canada in early 2015. Reynolds had always wanted to play the character of Wade Wilson/Deadpool since 2003, and stated that this adaptation of the Superhero character would be more authentic than the role he portrayed in the earlier 2009 'Wolverine' outing.

And so Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a special forces operative who  undergoes an experimental regenerative operation to cure his cancer. Things don't go quite according to plan and as result he is left badly scarred with disfigured skin and with borderline insanity, a dark twisted sense of humour,  but with the ability to heal himself . . . and quickly. Armed with new abilities and a new identity, Wilson goes on the hunt for the man who almost destroyed his life. Ed Skrein stars as Francis/Ajax, Gina Carano as Angel Dust, Stefan Kapicic as Peter Rasputin/Colossus, T.J.Miller as Weasel, Morena Baccarin as Wilson's girlfriend Vanessa Carlysle, and watch out for the trademark Stan Lee cameo.

BROOKLYN (Rated M) - another Academy Award nominated film in the race for three golden statues - Best Actress, Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay based on the novel of the same name by Colm Toibin. Premiered at Sundance in early 2015, the film was released in the UK and US in early November , with its Australian release this week just days before the BAFTA's for which it is nominated for six Awards and the Oscar's two weeks later. Directed by John Crowley and starring Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey - a young Irish woman who relocates herself to 1950's Brooklyn in the hope of finding a better life. She quickly falls for local lad Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen) and begins to feel more settled in her new home town until the day comes when she must choose between the two countries and the two lives that have become intertwined. Also starring Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Julie Walters and nominated for six BAFTA's, three Academy Awards, and has won 23 accolades already with another 109 nominations.

2OOLANDER (Rated M) - in 2001 Ben Stiller introduced the world to his creation of Derek Zoolander in a satire of the fashion industry that he wrote, Directed, Produced and starred in for US$28M that he turned into US$61M. Having created a comedy cult character it was almost inevitable that a follow up would eventuate, and so here 15 years later is the follow up that he also wrote, Directed, Produced and stars in, with his stablemates from that earlier film - Hansel (Owen Wilson), Jacobim Mugatu (Will Ferrell), Matilda Jeffries (Christina Taylor) and a few others. This instalment centres around the 'worlds most beautiful people' being systematically assassinated  all wearing Derek's famed 'Blue Steel' look as their death mask. Needing to bring the arch criminals behind the killings to justice, Derek and Hansel are  put on the case by Interpol, but in the meantime  Mugatu is released from jail and is after Derek now and seeking revenge. Also starring Penelope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Kanye West, Benedict Cumberbatch and a host of cameo's including Sting, Billy Zane, Justin Bieber and others. If this is anywhere near as good as the first, then it will be hit for sure.

NOMA : MY PERFECT STORM (Rated M) - if you consider yourself a foodie, a gourmand, a lover of food porn and a follower of gastronomy then this is the film of the week for you! Voted Best Restaurant in the world in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, Rene Redzepi's famed Copenhagen eatery 'Noma' barely knows no equal. This documentary film charts Redzepi's journey from humble beginnings to rise to the very top of the food chain as Chef and joint owner of this restaurant -  voted the world's best four times and to which people will travel from the world over to dine at. Charting the story of what drives the man to extraordinary lengths of culinary excellence, his determination, his vision, his sacrifices and what it takes to reach the very pinnacle of fine dining . . . and stay there! Directed by Pierre Deschamps, starring the great Chef, his kitchen brigade and some great food!

Four very different films to tempt you out to a movie theatre in the week ahead. When you have dined out on your movie of choice remember to drop us a line and share your experience - we'd love to hear from you! In the meantime, see you at the Odeon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HANNA : archive from 3rd August 2011.

Saw 'HANNA' last night because I thought this looked quite intriguing, has a strong cast, a proven Director in Joe Wright at the helm, and pace, emotion and gritty set pieces. The film was made for US$30M and made about US$64M at the global Box Office so not a huge success, but along the way it picked up five award wins and 24 other nominations.

The story surrounds Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) and her father Erik Heller (Eric Bana) who have been holed up in the frozen backwoods of remote Finland, ever since Erik said goodbye to his life as a CIA operative about 13 years or so earlier. Since Hanna was knee high to a grasshopper she has been trained religiously and diligently by Dad as a ruthless skilled assassin but with intelligence, an education and the smarts to survive on her own. Cut off from the outside world Hanna has not experienced music, film, electricity, the Internet or McDonald's, let alone other human contact. Hanna even has several identities all drummed into her over the years with intricate history detail that she can call upon as she travels across Europe and further afield. Erik's focus has been clear, and his mission with Hanna has been to prepare for the inevitable day when his teachings will be duly required to serve then both well.

Erik harbours a closely guarded secret and knows that the day will come when senior CIA Official Marissa Wiegler (Cate Blanchett) will finally catch-up with him and attempt to take him out . . . unless he and Hanna can get to her first! With the day fast approaching Erik advises Hanna that she is now 'ready' and so sets in motion a chain of events that will bring those searching for them out of the woodwork all guns blazing.

A game of cat & mouse ensues across Europe as Hanna finds herself up against the authorities, against travelling tourists, against hired killers instructed to take her out, and against the wonders and dangers of everyday life that she has never experienced before, and, with Wiegler hot on her tail. With the intention of meeting up with her father in Berlin, Hanna must overcome adversity and put her particular set of skills to the test on many occasions so that she can move ahead and accomplish the mission. As the plot moves on there are a few twists & turns as you would expect, moments of tension, some intense action, and it is delivered in a gritty style that reminded me of 'Bourne' with a few truths emerging that will help piece this puzzle together.

A lot of this has been seen before in 'The Professional' but it's an interesting take on the orphan brought up to be a killing machine by a lone parent living in the middle of nowhere until the teenager can wreak revenge on the establishment. Some good set pieces and a thumping Chemical Brothers soundtrack, this alternative coming of age story is OK only, and you can easily wait for the DVD, or catch it now on TV as I did again only recently.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-