WORTH : Monday 6th September 2021.

With Greater Sydney still in COVID lockdown now until the end of September at least, and as a result all cinema's closed until sometime after this date, I've been reviewing recently some the latest feature films released onto Netflix. One such film that I watched from the comfort of my own sofa at home this week is the American biographical drama film 'WORTH' which is Directed by Sara Colangelo in her third feature film outing following her debut in 2014 with 'Little Accidents' with Boyd Holbrook, Chloe Sevigny and Elizabeth Banks, and then 'The Kindergarten Teacher' in 2018 with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Gael Garcia Bernal. Based on the 2005 book 'What is Life Worth?' by Kenneth Feinberg, the film saw its World Premier screening back in January 2020 at the Sundance Film Festival, and went out on a limited release in the US and simultaneously on Netflix on 3rd September having generated largely favourable Reviews. 

The film opens up with acclaimed lawyer Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton) teaching to his his class of law students at Georgetown 'What is Life Worth'? ultimately saying that its a legal question, not a philosophical one, and that life is worth a number! Next we cut to Feinberg at home with his wife Dianne Shaff (Talia Balsam) overlooking the plans for his soon to be built new absolute ocean front home. The next morning on September 11th 2001 Feinberg is on the train heading into New York City for another day at his company offices, Sony Discman playing a classical music track into his Sony earphones, when he is interrupted by a cacophony of other passengers all gawping out of the window to see a huge plume of smoke rising up out of the city in the distance. Then comes all the news coverage beamed around the world of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre towers and the Pentagon, the cost in human life, and the reaction to the attacks. 

Shortly after the attacks, Feinberg offers to head up the commission to compensate the victims, on a no fee for service basis saying that he has a moral and emotional imperative to do the right thing by those victims. He is subsequently appointed by Attorney General John Ashcroft (Victor Siezak), because no one else was prepared to step up and take on the case, and so becomes the Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund created by an Act of Congress, to compensate the victims of the attack (or their families) in exchange for their agreement not to sue the airline corporations involved. He developed the regulations governing the administration of the fund and administered all aspects of the programme, which had a deadline of 3rd December 2003 by which time 80% of all claimants had to sign a document stating that they were satisfied with the compensation payment being offered and that they would not take out any future legal action against the airlines. Failure to reach that 80% would tie up this act for potentially years to come and could cripple the airlines.

Feinberg was responsible for making the decisions on how much each family of a victim would receive, and had to estimate how much each victim would have earned in a full lifetime. His first stumbling block comes one night while at home musing over his calculations when he deduces that a CFO earning US$750K a year would be compensated north of US$4.5M but a dishwasher working at Windows on the World earning US$60K a year would be compensated just US$250K or thereabouts. Is the loss of that dishwasher to his/her family anything less than the loss of that CFO? This very issue raises its head in an initial packed out public meeting with those impacted family members when tempers and emotions very quickly begin to run high. This meeting is also attended by Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci) - a pilot and activist against Feinberg's plan, who lost his wife in the attacks on the WTC, and who had set up a website called 'Fix the Fund' which garnered much following by those disgruntled victims family members. 

And so Feinberg and his trusted business partner Camille Biros (Amy Ryan) together with two specially recruited graduates Priya Khundi (Shunori Ramanathan) and Darryl Barnes (Ato Blankson-Wood) set about individually interviewing each one of the victims family members over the course of the next two years. At first Feinberg prefers to keep his distance from any direct interview involvement preferring his associates to do that ground work. This begins to alienate him from his colleagues - especially Priya Khundi, and Charles Wolf too. However, Feinberg does take an interest in one particular family of a fireman who lost his life and their three young boys aged 8, 6 and 4. His widow Karen Donato (Laura Benanti) refuses to take a single cent in compensation preferring to let the memory of a loving husband and father look over them. A fact that Frank Donato (Chris Tardio), Karen's brother-in-law, respects and wants to uphold. Feinberg attempts on several occasions to convince her otherwise, saying that it's a tax free payment for the kids education, upbringing and well being. Another case involves Biros talking to a man whose male partner was burned to death in an elevator and he was the last person that victim spoke to, instead of calling his estranged parents in Virginia who were in denial over their sons gay relationship. The turning point for Feinberg comes when he is face to face with a fireman who has no hair, no eyebrows, and the side of his face and ear are badly scarred by burns when another burning fireman fell on top of him. This convinces the attorney to turn tack and adopt a more humanistic stance on an individual case by case basis. 

Time is marching on, a year has past and they have less than 20% of the committed papers signed. As the deadline moves ever closer throughout 2003 we see the whiteboard tally slowly nudge upwards to 35%, then 51% to the point when they are three weeks out and they have 65% committed. Then sometime in or around September 2003 Feinberg attends a 9/11 memorial concert at The Lincoln Centre. Feeling agitated he leaves before the end and in the foyer meets Charles Wolf unexpectedly. Wolf gives Feinberg a pep talk telling him he's 'not the bridge' and recounting a long story about his futile attempts to save a historic bridge while serving on the city council in Ithaca. This conversation serves to reinforce in Feinberg's mind the need to make more of an emotional connection with the families left behind. 

As the team sit around the office each morning waiting for the mail delivery with more committed papers to arrive, the team look increasingly depressed as only sixty or seventy are delivered. Three days out and Feinberg is at a lunch meeting with Lee Quinn (Tate Donovan), another attorney who is attempting to get money for wealthier clients who lost high-income victims in the 9/11 attacks, and is leading the group suing airline companies. He is seeking to pressurise Feinberg to increase the amount of money he is granting to his clients, and with the deadline fast approaching and the magical 80% looking remote, wants Feinberg to sign a deed of release granting Quinn the go ahead to take out a class action. But as Quinn hands Feinberg a fountain pen to sign his papers, Feinberg squeezes the ink out of the cartridge onto the document, gets up and leaves. 

Walking into his office later on that evening, Feinberg is greeted by a plethora of individuals and family members all wanting to talk about the fund payment or handover their duly signed commitment documents. Charles Wolf is there too, and says that he changed the wording on his website from 'Fix the Fund' to 'The Fund is Fixed' and this had the desired effect, having seen too that Feinbergs's interests in every single case was genuine and that he can be trusted to deliver on the undertakings. The next morning the mail men deliver crate loads of signed documents taking the tally to 95%. Karen Donato comes into the office later that evening and personally hands Feinberg her signed commitment papers. At the end of the process a total 97% of the families shared in a US$7B payout from the fund out of a maximum US$7.375B fund including administrative and operational costs as legislated. In the closing scene Feinberg is seen down at the waters edge along the ocean front on an overcast day with his newly built house in the background. 

This film couldn't be more appropriate for the time we're living in given that this week marks the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, and just days out from the end of the 'War on Terror' as America finally pulled out of Afghanistan. That said 'Worth' is a timely reminder of those ghosts that now harbour in the annals of world altering history, and a fitting testimonial to the courage, conviction and determination of a handful of people to ensure that the lives of those victims and their families left behind could carry on beyond the enduring pain and suffering. This is Michael Keaton's film who carries the weight of Kenneth Feinberg squarely on his shoulders and puts in a nuanced, conflicted and redemptive performance as the accomplished New York lawyer prepared to go out on a limb and ultimately do the right thing. Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan are equally stoic in their reliable supporting roles, and Director Colangelo delivers a nuanced and emotionally resonant film that adds another dimension to the growing list of 9/11 feature films and documentaries out there that is a reflective and rewarding memorial to those almost three thousand victims and their families. My only criticism is that the film gets a little repetitive in places, but this in only a minor gripe.

'Worth' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 11th April 2019.

In just a couple of weeks the most highly anticipated, eagerly awaited and much hyped film of 2019 will hit our movie theatres, with expectations already reaching fever pitch. As if you didn't already know it, the direct sequel to 2018's 'Avengers: Infinity War', a sequel to 2012's 'The Avengers' and 2015's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe 'Avengers : Endgame' will arrive at an Odeon near you on 25th April.

Following on immediately from where 'Infinity War' left off the film picks up after half of all life in the universe was killed due to the actions of Thanos once he had amassed all six infinity stones and placed them strategically in his Infinity Gauntlet. The remaining Avengers and their allies must reassemble to revert those actions in one final stand to restore balance to the universe and save all humanity.

With an ensemble cast that consists all of our much loved superheroes and a few nefarious intergalactic villains too, and the conclusion of eleven years of MCU story telling that has so successfully interwoven individual standalone films with cross-over episodes to drive a franchise that we're invested in, Box Office records could well & truly be smashed here. On April 4, industry tracking projected the film would gross US$200–250 million in the US during its opening weekend, although some insiders saw those figures as conservative and expect a $260–300 million debut, with  a potential worldwide debut of approaching US$850M. The first trailer of the film released in December 2018 generated 289 million views in its first 24 hours, and the second trailer released in March 2019 garnered 268 millions views in its first 24 hours. Advance ticket sales seem to indicate that this blockbuster is going to be huge, with the potential to top the worldwide Box Office takings of US$2.05B as seen for 'Infinity War'. At a running time of three hours and two minutes, strap yourselves in for a wild ride as Thanos faces off against all the might and power that the Avengers and their allies can muster. Can't wait!

This week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, we have five new cinematic releases coming your way. Kicking off with the third instalment in this graphic novel franchise that returns with a new Director at the helm and a new Actor playing our titular summonsed from the very depths of Hell lead character, to battle an ancient sorceress intent on destroying life as we know it. This is followed up by a 1946 set just post-WWII drama about an English couple relocating themselves to Hamburg to help rebuild the war torn city to find themselves shacking up with a German widower in his grand home - a situation that has a profound impact on each of them. We then turn to a drama film about a pre-school teacher who comes to realise that one of her young pupils is a child prodigy and over time tries to nurture his talents - but at what costs ultimately to herself, the boy and his parents? Then, next up is a fantasy comedy offering about a ruthless corporate executive who one day finds herself reliving her life as her younger self; and we then wrap up the week with an Aussie feel good sporting offering about a teenage girl caught in the wrong place at the right time and how she uses her science skills to overcome adversity in a soccer final.

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

'HELLBOY' (Rated R18+) - in 2004 Writer and Director Guillermo del Toro first brought us his rendition of the Dark Horse Comics Graphic Novel 'Hellboy' starring Ron Perlman in the title role as an immensely powerful Demon who works for the governmental organisation Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence. That initial instalment was generally well received by Critics and is took US$100M at the Box Office off the back of a US$66M production budget. Then four years later in 2008 Guillermo del Toro returned to the Directors chair with 'Hellboy II : The Golden Army' with Ron Perlman once again portraying our titular hero. That film was equally well received by Critics and scored US$161M off the back of a US$85 budget. Then in 2009 a third instalment was in development with del Toro returning once more to helm a film titled 'Hellboy III : Dark Worlds'. However, due to funding challenges that film was subsequently scrapped, in favour of this reboot which is released this week. Directed this time around by Neil Marshall whose previous film making credits include 'Dog Soldiers', 'The Descent', 'Centurion' and two episodes of 'Game of Thrones'. This film stars David Harbour in the title role, after Ron Perlman refused to return to the franchise without del Toro's involvement.

And so to this story. During World War II, Hellboy (David Harbour) was summoned from Hell by Nazis looking for an edge in the latter days of the war. He was instead adopted by the US, and raised under the auspices of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defence (an agency founded by Hellboy's adoptive father Trevor Bruttenholm, played by Ian McShane) to help fend off paranormal threats. One such threat comes in the form of an ancient medieval sorceress named Nimue, the Queen of Blood (Milla Jovovich) who has risen, and is threatening to wipe out London by turning everyone to dust and laying the nations capital to siege while unleashing an evil most foul. Also starring Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim and Thomas Haden Church.

'THE AFTERMATH' (Rated M) - this drama film is Directed by James Kent and is based on the 2013 book of the same name by Welsh novelist and Screenwriter Rhidian Brook. The film saw its Premier screening at the Glasgow Film Festival in late February, went on release in the UK on 1st March, in the US on 15th March and has so far collected less that US$4M at the Box Office. Now it gets a run in Australia from this week. Set in the aftermath of a postwar Germany in 1946, Rachael Morgan (Keira Knightley) arrives in the bombed out ruins of Hamburg in the middle of a bitterly cold winter, to be reunited with her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), a Colonel of the British Forces Germany tasked with rebuilding the broken city. As they set off for their new home however, Rachael is stunned to learn that Lewis has made the unexpected decision that they will be sharing their grand new home with its former owners, a German widower Stefan Lubert (Alexander Skarsgard) and his troubled daughter. In this fraught atmosphere, hostility and grief ultimately pave the way to passion and betrayal. The film has so far receive mixed or average Reviews.

'THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER' (Rated M) - Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2018, released in the USA in mid-October last year, and now getting a limited release in Australia, this drama film is Directed by Sara Colangelo and is based on the 2014 Israeli film of the same name. Here Lisa Spinelli (Maggie Gyllenhaal), is a kindergarten teacher from Staten Island, who struggles with feelings of dissatisfaction in her life. Lisa attends a poetry class every week chaired by Simon (Gael García Bernal), but her poetry is dismissed as derivative. One of Lisa's students, Jimmy (Parker Sevak) is regularly collected late from school by the babysitter. One day, as Jimmy waits to be picked up, Lisa overhears him reciting a poem he wrote. Lisa reads the poem at her poetry class, where her fellow classmates and Simon are struck by it and compliment Lisa on her poetic talent. Lisa thereafter decides that Jimmy is a prodigy, and begins to dedicate her time to nurturing his talent, but at what cost ultimately? Also starring Rosa Salazar, the film has generated generally favourable Reviews.

'LITTLE' (Rated PG) - this American fantasy comedy offering is Directed and Co-Written by Tina Gordon, cost US$20M and is released Stateside this week too. In it, a ruthless tech mogul, Jordan Sanders (Regina Hall) soon faces an unexpected threat to both her personal life and her working career when she is given the opportunity to relive the life of her younger thirteen year old self (Marsai Martin) at a time in her life when the pressures of adulthood become too much for her to bear after a girl she offended wishes she was little. Jordan receives help from her overworked and long suffering Personal Assistant, April (Issa Rae), to find a way to return her boss to her normal self.

'BACK OF THE NET' (Rated G) - here we have another true blue Aussie sporting offering that sees the underdog wrong kid in the wrong place at the right time. Directed by Louise Alston, this film charts the story of young teenage science geek Cory Bailey (Sofia Wylie) who gets on the wrong bus and winds up at The Harold Soccer Academy instead of The Harold Academy Australian Semester at Sea. Like a fish outta water Cory must stay put while her parents are overseas volunteering in India. It's not long before Cory makes friends at her new temporary home, but she butts heads with Evie (Tiarnie Coupland) who just so happens to be the academy's star soccer player.  When Cory learns that the Academy is playing host to a National Soccer Championship, Cory is determined to pitch her scientific prowess and her own teams various soccer skills to beat Evie at her own game and get her shot at the tournament finals.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-