WRATH OF MAN : Thursday 6th May 2021.

'WRATH OF MAN' which I saw last week at my local multiplex is an MA15+ Rated American action thriller offering Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Guy Ritchie and is based on the 2004 French film 'Cash Truck' Directed by Nicolas Boukhrief. The lead star of this film is Jason Statham, with whom Ritchie has worked on three previous occasions - 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', 'Snatch' and 'Revolver' with a fifth collaboration currently in the works on spy thriller 'Five Eyes'. Originally slated for a mid-January release but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this film was released in Australia last week, one week ahead of its US cinema release and not until 23rd July in the UK. It has so far taken US$8M following its earlier release in Russia, Germany, New Zealand and here in Australia, and has generated mixed or average Reviews so far.

The film opens up with Patrick Hill (Jason Statham) being interviewed for a new job at cash security firm Fortico by the manager Terry (Eddie Marsan) who tells Hill that his references more than check out, and that he has all the necessary credentials to come on board as a new security guard, including a pistol licence. Fortico collects tens of millions of dollars from around Los Angeles every week from hospitality venues, clubs, casinos, banks and businesses and are therefore considered an easy target. So much so that just a matter of weeks ago two of the firms security guards were killed in a heist on one of their trucks. Needles to say Hill is given the job on the spot. He is quickly introduced to his supervisor Bullet (Holt McCallany) who tells him that he will have to undergo four days of intensive training on driving and manoeuvring a cash truck and his shooting skills, and under the latter he needs to score a minimum rating of 70% to pass. After his first day he is introduced to a number of his co-workers. There is Boy Sweat Dave (Josh Hartnett), Dana (Niamh Algar) and a number of others who all treat the 'limey' with disrespect and indifference. All of this treatment is like water off a ducks back to 'H', as Hill has come to be known by his new colleagues, who tries to keep himself to himself, mingles when it is called for, and is pretty adept at playing the strong brooding silent type. 

We then fast forward three months and one day Bullet, Sweat Dave and H are out on a cash collection in their truck at the docks off loading only about US$10K from a recently berthed cruise ship. Bullet is on board for what should be a simple and routine pick-up. But something is not right and over the radio comes a garbled message that they are to drive the truck a couple of blocks to rendezvous with a bunch of crims who have Bullet captive, and they want the US$1.5M that is already in the back of the truck. Sweat Dave goes into a blind panic not knowing what to do for the best, while H remains cool, calm and collected and orders Sweat Dave to drive the truck. At the meeting point, Bullet is bundled out of a car and beaten to the ground. What ensues is a fire fight in which H shows off his very particular set of skills as a precise marksman by taking down all six crims singlehandedly, while Sweat Dave and Bullet are left speechless by what they have just witnessed. 

After this show of force, H is hailed a hero by his colleagues and Terry. After the fact he is interviewed by FBI Agents Hubbard and Okey (Josh Cowdery and Jason Wong respectively) wanting to clear up some details and show him video footage of the earlier heist on a Fortico truck which claimed the lives of the two security guards, to determine if there were any similarities in the crims MO. Afterwards, the Agents call their superior officer Agent King (Andy Garcia), who tells them to lay off Hill and let him do what he has to do, and that he will monitor the situation closely.

We then go back in time five months and Hill and his teenage son Dougie (Eli Brown) are about to go out to watch a game, but they are running ahead of time and decide to go get a bite to eat first. Hill's phone rings and it is one of his henchmen, Mike (Darrell D'Silva) who wants him to do a quick surveillance job of the movements of a Fortico truck as its leaves their depot. Hill says it's his day off and he has his son with him, but Mike responds with the fact that there is no one else available and it will only take a few minutes of his time. Reluctantly Hill agrees. Under the pretext of wanting to stop for a burrito from a food truck parked outside the Fortico depot, he orders Dougie to stay in the car with the doors locked. As the cash truck leaves the depot, turns right and heads under an overpass, the trucks route is blocked by construction workers. But these construction workers are not what they seem and they soon produce weapons and the necessary hardware to break into the armoured vehicle and steal the cash money contained therein. In the process the two security guards are both killed and shot, and Dougie is observed to be witnessing all of this and is also shot four times and killed outright. At this Hill rounds the corner and witnesses his son lying dead on the ground, he runs towards him only to be shot three times sending him crashing to the ground as he looks up at the gunman wide eyed but motionless. 

A couple of weeks later Hill comes round in a hospital bed with a doctor standing beside him. The doctor tells him he is lucky to be alive having taken three bullets and lost a quarter of his blood. Hill asks after his son and is told that he died at the scene. Later Hill walks out of hospital and back into his office where Mike, Hollow Bob (Rocci Williams) and Moggi (Babs Olusanmokun) are in attendance saying that they have done everything they can do to locate the perpetrators of Dougie's death, but have drawn a blank. Meanwhile, Hills ex-wife, mourning the death of her son, blames Hill directly for his slaying, leaving him speechless.

After slaying all of the lowlife crims in the neighbourhood who may have had an inkling as to who the perpetrators were responsible for Dougie's death, and having so far still drawn a blank, they hit upon a lead who tells them (under immense duress) who the crims might be. We are then introduced to a bunch of ex-soldiers led by Sergeant Jackson (Jeffrey Donovan) who are all working dead end jobs, as bored as Hell watching TV and drinking beers all day long, and after some excitement in their lives and ideally a big pay cheque. Jackson suggests to his former soldier buddies Jan (Scott Eastwood), Tom (Chris Reilly), Sam (Raul Castillo), Carlos (Laz Alonso) and Brad (Deobia Oparei) a robbery from a wealthy man who Carlos works for but this yields them only a couple of hundred thousand dollars. Jackson later suggests a heist on a cash truck, which eventually leads then to the heist on the Fortico truck in which the two security guards were shot and killed, together with Dougie and in which Hill was collateral damage. 

After successfully pulling off that heist the crims lay low for a couple of month before their next heist. Jackson tells them not to spend up big and just to go about their normal routines so as not to attract any undue attention to themselves. Then comes a major pay day in the form of Black Friday in which Fortico will collect upwards of US$160M in cash. Eight weeks of intense preparation is needed in the lead up to the big day, and all the guys are in, tempted by the excitement of their next 'mission' are the prospect of retirement at the other end. The day duly arrives, and Fortico is as well prepared for every eventuality as it can be. The crims know the high stakes they are playing for and what can go wrong but their planning has been meticulous. Jackson fears only one man in his gang - and that is Jan, the loose cannon, who has attitude, the temperament and the mouth to go with it. Despite being told to lay low he has a furnished warehouse style apartment and a US$28K brand new motorcycle, much to Jackson's chagrin. 

In the truck making their way back to the Fortico depot, Bullet confides in H that he likes him, but that he has a confession to make. Bullet is the man on the inside, feeding intelligence to Jackson and telling him which trucks to hit and when. Bullet is telling H this because he needs his cooperation when they arrive back at the depot to make it look as though all is good to gain access inside. H is surprised and agrees to go along with the plan asking 'what's in it for me' to which Bullet replies with 'your life'. 

Once inside, the other gang members arrive and gain access and needless to say it's not long before a fierce gunfight breaks out as things go awry. H is led into a side room with Terry and Sweat Dave, and has his hands cable tied and is watched over by a pair of the crims wearing full assault gear from head to toe. Meanwhile, all out war is going down outside with Jackson and his remaining crew exchanging rapid gunfire with everyone else working for Fortico. Bullet is making out that he is being held against his will and used as a bargaining tool for the crims to gain access to the main vault. With the shoot out intensifying one of H captors leaves the room to join the fray. This gives H his chance to overpower the remaining one which he does so, ultimately strangling him. In the meantime Terry is on the phone to the S.W.A.T. team who are en route, albeit eight minutes away, and Sweat Dave is dithering about unsure of what to do - fight or flight!

H picks up the automatic weapon from the man he's just killed and goes off in search of the others. He gets into a fist fight with Tom and it doesn't end well for Tom who is killed with a knife to the jugular, while the others get shot up, leaving Bullet to dispense with Dana and a few others. Jan shoots H several times in the chest and leg, leaving hism prone on the ground motionless, but eyes wide open staring at Jan straight in the face. Jackson, Jan and Bullet are the last men standing although Jackson has sustained a bullet injury to the neck and is beginning to look decidedly pale by the time the cash truck crashes out of the depot, pursued by a convoy of Police vehicles. The truck heads down the highway chased closely behind by the Police, a S.W.A.T team and a chopper above. Eventually the truck heads into an underground parking lot, and as the Police vehicles are about to enter Bullet activates the bollards by remote control to come up out of the ground so preventing the Police from gaining access. Unknown to the authorities there is a secret tunnel leading out of the parking lot, that does not appear on any of the schematics as the lot was built in the '50's and the site has since been redeveloped, masking the tunnel from any blue prints. This was Jacksons plan all along. While Jackson is bleeding out Jan and Bullet off load the bags of cash onto two waiting quad bikes that they drive through the tunnel to a parked up Prius at the other end. While Bullet is attending to the stash of cash Jan goes back to the truck and finishes off Jackson by slitting his throat.  

When the pair arrive at the Prius they load up the boot with the money bags. Bullet knows that Jan can't be trusted and so pulls his gun. When Jan returns from opening the gate, he pulls his weapon before Bullet has time to respond, and shoots him through the head without hesitation. Jan successfully makes his getaway with all the money. At his apartment, after stepping out of the shower, he finds a phone ringing in one of the money bags, which was planted there by H to track his location. H had survived and confronts him with Dougie's autopsy report before shooting Jan in the same places Dougie was shot (liver, lungs, spleen and heart), killing him. Agent King is waiting outside to collect the stolen money while H drives off with one of his associates. 

'Wrath of Man' is an enjoyable, well orchestrated piece of action cinema that both Ritchie and Statham are renowned for with set pieces that more than deliver, an ensemble cast of familiar names, and enough shoot 'em up violence and cuss words to please any lover of the genre. With several time shifting storylines, this revenge and retribution offering is often brutal and uncompromising in its depiction of low life criminals and a man on a mission who will stop at nothing to see that his own brand of justice is duly served on those that wronged him. Statham is light on the fast talking quips and one liners trading these in for brooding menacing dialogue that on occasion misses the mark, but is countered by the fast paced action and the actors cold blooded performance. For Ritchie this is not quite up there with his recent 'The Gentlemen', or his earlier works 'Lock, Stock . . . ' and 'Snatch' but it proves his versatility as a film maker of the action crime drama, and as for Statham you know exactly what you're gonna get, but this would be one of his more noteworthy films in recent memory. At a running time of just under two hours, the film feels slightly over extended and perhaps ten or fifteen minutes could have been shaved off, although this would be a minor criticism only.

'Wrath of Man' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard out of a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE OUTPOST : Tuesday 13th October 2020.

'THE OUTPOST' which I saw this week is an MA15+ Rated American and Bulgarian Co-Produced war drama film that is Directed by Rod Lurie whose previous feature film making credits take in the likes of 'The Contender', 'The Last Castle', 'Nothing But the Truth', and 'Straw Dogs'. This film is based on the 2012 book 'The Outpost : An Untold Story of American Valor' by Jake Tapper about the Battle of Kamdesh during the war in Afghanistan. Due to see its Premier screening at South by Southwest in March of this year, when the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it was released through Premium VOD and in selected US theatres in early July this year. Last week it saw its cinematic release in Australia having earned just over US$1M at the Box Office so far and generated largely positive Reviews.

As the film opens we are introduced to a troop of soldiers being helicoptered in to a remote outpost in Afghanistan located some fourteen miles from the border with Pakistan and at the base of three steep mountains. This is Combat Outpost Keating. Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha (Scott Eastwood) is amongst the new arrivals late at night. He settles in taking a lower bunk and as he stretches out he notices that a previous occupant has inscribed the words 'it does not get better' on the underside of the upper bunk. In the camp there is a complete mix of personalities, backgrounds and ethnicities, all led by Captain Benjamin Keating (Orlando Bloom). The next morning following a quick briefing by Keating, the newly arrived troops are shown around the camp ground when they are attacked by Taliban insurgents. The short lived skirmish results in an exchange of gun fire and mortar rounds aimed at a cluster of Taliban perched on a narrow escarpment just within range.  Such skirmishes are almost a daily occurrence with Keating's men generally gaining the upper hand even though they are disadvantaged by being on the lower ground, but they have far superior weaponry and trained soldiers. 

After being introduced to various other soldiers, including Specialist Ty Michael Carter (Caleb Landry Jones), Staff Sergeant Justin T. Gallegos (Jacob Scipio), Private First Class Zorias Yunger (Alfie Stewart), Private Ed Faulkner (Will Attenborough), and following that skirmish these men all had disagreements with one another or with Captain Keating, revealing the amount of pressure and stress the men collectively were under. The next day Captain Keating meets with a group of local tribal elders during which time he states that they must all work together with a shared sense of trust and respect, and he agrees to pay them and offer contracts for projects to help support and grow their communities, including the construction of a local school. He also advises them that the United States will compensate them for anyone who agrees to lay down their arms. After some reluctance the gathered Taliban all lay down their weapons at Keating's feet, and as a show of gratitude one of the English speaking elders embraces Captain Keating.

The next day Captain Keating announces that they are to return a big truck to another military base located just thirteen miles away. But the narrow unsealed mountain roads are too precarious for a vehicle of that weight and size, and so none of the men want to go because it's seen as being way to dangerous a mission. Captain Keating volunteers to drive the truck even though it will take all night to travel the thirteen miles, and Romesha and Carter ride with him in the cabin, with army patrol cars up front and behind. On a narrow stretch of road with a sheer drop to the left, the small convoy comes to halt having spied something in the road up ahead. Romesha and Carter go to investigate and discover that it is nothing, and turning around to go back and join Captain Keating, the truck gives way with its weight on the crumbling roadside and plunges down the mountain side and erupts into a ball of flame a couple of hundred feet below. Keating is thrown free, but has sustained severe head injuries and dies a short time afterwards where he lay. After the soldiers have held a funeral and a gun salute to their deceased Captain Keating, they are introduced to Captain Robert Yllescas (Milo Gibson). 

As he is being shown around the base on his first day, the Taliban insurgents attack, and afterwards Romesha leads his men on a patrol of the surrounding area. Looking down on their camp they see for the first time just how exposed and vulnerable the outpost really is. Sometime later Sergeant Josh Kirk (Jack Kesy) observes a man with a mobile phone taking photos and video footage of the camp. The man does a runner but Kirk give chase and catches up with him, knocking him to the ground. The man advises Kirk that the elders paid him to take photos of the camp. The next day Captain Yllescas is in discussion with the elders wanting to know more details surrounding the covert photography. The elders respond asking about their arrangement with Captain Keating as they feel it is now not being honoured. Captain Yllescas withholds money from the locals which was to be used for the school and to bring clean water and power to their community. As relations with the elders begin to deteriorate the US troops are warned by a local translator Mohammed (Sharif Dorani) of an impending mass attack by the Taliban. The US troops laugh it off and do not take the warning seriously saying that Mohammed cries wolf to them almost everyday, and nothing ever eventuates from his dire warnings.

On a patrol mission headed up by Captain Yllescas, a lot of chatter is picked up over the radio. Mohammed claims that the chat is about nothing really, not realising that it is probably coded. As Captain Yllescas is crossing a narrow rope bridge over a river and talking to Yunger behind him, he is blown up and killed outright. Yunger escapes being wounded but is traumatised after the incident and goes into shock. Later that night Yunger is talked out of shooting himself in the head by Romesha, and is the next day helicoptered off camp for treatment. 

Captain Sylvanius Broward (Kwame Patterson) arrives at the camp and when it is attacked he delays the orders for his troop to fire back when engaged in gunfire by the Taliban, and subsequently berates Romesha for engaging with the enemy when they are not seen to be holding any firearms. So many changes in their leadership over such a short period of time is only adding to the tension and stress the men are feeling. Captain Broward offers to pay the men an extra US$1,000 per month for their troubles. The relationship with the elders and the locals continues to deteriorate. Mortars come raining down on the base at night. The next day at the village, Broward is confronted by the villagers with a corpse of a young woman who claim that she was killed by mortars from the camp the night before, even though it is obvious to the soldiers that she has been dead for two or three days at least. The elders demand money for the loss of one of their daughters and further state that everyone knows the troops are leaving soon. Captain Broward gets upset and questions why they think they are leaving soon? As Captain Broward tries to get an answer to his question, the sniffer dog companion of one of the US soldiers bites a local man's hand. Mohammed explains that in their culture it is extremely disrespectful to get bitten by a dog. Captain Broward then pulls out his sidearm and shoots the dog, which only serves to alienate him even more from his own men. As he turns to walk away he orders one of the men to pay US$3,500 out of the Captains discretionary fund to compensate for the loss of the young woman. 

The next day as the soldiers are letting off some steam in their quarters, Captain Broward enters and announces that he has been relieved of his duties. Broward also advises that they are scheduling the birds to come pick them up with a Captain Stoney Portis and that the Saudi's will then close up the base on October 6th and ultimately blow it to kingdom come. Broward appoints First Lieutenant Andrew Bundermann (Taylor John Smith) to assume command until then. Bundermann's first order is to remain silent on all outgoing communications about leaving as they do not want to give the Taliban the heads up. He instructs the soldiers not to talk about leaving the base to anyone on Skype, email, the radio, or over the phone.

Early morning on 3rd October, Mohammed runs around the camp screaming that the Taliban are here. In the mountains, hundreds of Taliban soldiers are seen advancing on the camp as they begin their attack using mortars, rocket propelled grenades and gunfire. Soon the soldiers find themselves in a life or death battle at a base that is fully surrounded by mountains and the Taliban have the advantage of the high ground. The attack is one of the bloodiest battles and is known as the Battle of Kamdesh, that raged through the entire day until early evening when air support finally arrived dispensing with many of the remaining attackers. 

Eight U.S. soldiers were killed and twenty-seven wounded; eight Afghan soldiers were wounded, along with two Afghan private security guards. The US military estimated that 150 Taliban militants were also killed as a result of repulsing the assault. The US soldiers killed in the battle were Staff Sergeant Justin T. Gallegos, Specialist Christoper Griffin (Alexander Arnold), Private First Class Kevin C. Thomson (Bobby Lockwood), Sergeant Michael P. Scusa (Scott Alda Coffey), Staff Sergeant Vernon W. Martin (Cory Hardrict), Specialist Stephan L. Mace (Chris Born), Sergeant Joshua J. Kirk and Sergeant Joshua M. Hardt (Jack DeVos). Twenty-seven soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. Thirty-seven soldiers were awarded the Army Commendation Medal with 'V' device for valour, three soldiers were awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and eighteen others the Bronze Star Medal with 'V' device for valour. Nine soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for valour. Staff Sergeant Justin Gallegos and First Lieutenant Andrew Bundermann were ultimately awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha and Staff Sergeant Ty Carter were both subsequently awarded the Medal of Honour in 2013.

'The Outpost' presents the viewer with a truly immersive rendition of the Battle of Kamdesh underpinned by a sense of urgency and hopelessness by being overcome by a group of marauding insurgents who outnumbered those US soldiers in Camp Keating eight to one. This is a realistic retelling of one of the bloodiest and boldest battles of the nineteen years of the Afghan War, that pays tribute to the brave soldiers who stood their ground and won the day against the odds, but not without sacrifice. The cast are all to be commended for their authentic depiction of the soldiers they portray with a particular stand out performance by Caleb Landry Jones, and the Director here has crafted a surprisingly visceral, gritty, intense, no holds barred depiction of the horrors of the battlefield, its bravery, its failures and the true cost of war on both sides. 'The Outpost' reminded me in some ways of Ridley Scott's 2001 'Black Hawk Down' - another true life account of American soldiers a long way from home fighting for their lives amidst seemingly impossible odds. Certainly worth watching on the big screen if you can. 

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SNOWDEN : Wednesday 28th September 2016.

'SNOWDEN', which I saw earlier in the week, is a biographical political drama Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Oliver Stone and based on the books 'The Snowden Files' by The Guardian's foreign correspondent Luke Harding, and 'The Time of the Octopus' by Russian lawyer and Doctor of Law Anatoly Kucherena. The former is an in depth biography of Edward Snowden's story, and the latter is a story of a fictional American whistleblower seeking asylum in Russia. The film rights for both books were acquired by Oliver Stone and form the foundation of this account of Edward Joseph Snowden, who hit the international headlines in mid-2013 for leaking classified information from the National Security Agency to The Guardian in the June of that year. With an all star cast, Stone was so worried about filming in the US and reprisals from the NSA, that he shot the film mostly outside of the US in Munich and Hong Kong with some footage filmed in Washington D.C. and Hawaii. A controversial man and a controversial story with Snowden being hailed a whistleblower, a dissident, a hero, a freedom fighter, a patriot and a traitor - you'll just have to decide for yourself based on this 'dramatisation of true events' as the films opening titles tell us! The film was made for US$40M and has so far grossed US$19M since its release.

Featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden and Shailene Woodley as his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, the film tells the story of this American computer professional, former Central Intelligence Agency employee and former contractor for the United States government who copied and leaked classified information from the NSA without any authorisation. The film charts Snowden's career from when he was first serving in the army, and was medically discharged to him applying for entry into the CIA and going through numerous rigorous tests to gain entry and prove himself worthy. It also explains how he first met his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, a tech-smart photographer, and how their relationship coped with the peaks and troughs of the stresses and strains of the highly secretive world in which he worked, and what he was exposed to.

Once accepted into the CIA he is introduced to Corbin O'Brian (Rhys Ifans) as a major high ranking CIA official who takes the new recruit under his wing recognising the inner geek and computer programming genius that is now in his midst. He also meets with Hank Forrester (Nicolas Cage) on his first day on the job at 'The Hill' (a closely guarded CIA Training Facility) who will be one of Snowden's instructors, and they share common interests in historical computers and code-cracking hardware before Forrester lets out a barrage of stories about highly secretive projects and the modern spying game. Forrester is somewhat jaded having developed an intricate computer programme to target known enemies of the state, that was dismissed before completion and handed over to a third party contractor for US$4B - more money than sense!

As Snowden becomes more entrenched with the CIA and in turn the NSA and gets ever closer to O'Brian having proven his capabilities and his worth repeatedly, so his responsibilities and his authorities increase. He is quickly introduced to the world of surveillance and how the NSA is keeping tabs on every mobile phone, every social media site, Internet activity, messaging service  and computer use across the world with the ability to peer into all and any users private lives with astonishing speed and accuracy and completely unhindered. He's uncomfortable with this revelation and so seeks to get on to field operations and sample the world of the international spy, and so teams up with CIA Agent Geneva (Timothy Olyphant) and is exposed to some dirty dealings that sits uneasily with him too. Increasingly we see Snowden questioning himself to the point when he resigns his job because the burden of responsibility and accountability is all getting too much. However, he comes back as a contractor hired by blue chip consulting firms to work with the CIA and NSA again - same shit, different bucket!

Throughout the film we are taken back & forth in time over the course of nine years culminating in a Hong Kong hotel room. We see his relationship with Lindsay ebb & flow as she struggles with the secrecy he is sworn to, and not being able to discuss his working life with him openly to help relieve the stresses and strains he is feeling as a result of his work.

After postings in some far away places that culminated in a secret NSA underground facility in Hawaii, Snowden downloads several hundred thousand files onto a USB drive while his superior, NSA Agent Trevor James (Scott Eastwood) is pre-occupied with an emergency crisis. Casually, Snowden walks out of the heavily guarded facility with the USB hidden inside a Rubik's Cube which he is rarely seen without, and out into the sunshine having taken his leave from his desk because he wasn't feeling so good.

After leaving his job at an NSA facility in Hawaii, Snowden flew to Hong Kong and is holed up in a Hotel Room with Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) an American documentary film Producer and Director who was in attendance by invitation from Snowden to record his testimony. In the room too was Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) - an American journalist and author also invited by Snowden to document his testimony for the world press, and most notably The Guardian. And, Ewen MacAskill (Tom Wilkinson) - a Scottish journalist working for The Guardian as defence and intelligence correspondent. So, is came to be that over the course of four days in June 2013 holed up inside that hotel room, Snowden spilled the beans and revealed thousands of classified NSA documents to the three journalists and confidants, which then appeared in The Guardian and The Washington Post, other newspapers including Der Spiegel and The New York Times and across global television networks. Watching these events unfold on national news are Lindsay at home with her parents, Corbin O'Brian, Hank Forrester, and assorted world leaders.

Snowden's disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and Governments across Europe. After being charged by the US Government on two counts of espionage and theft of classified information he flew to Moscow seeking asylum which he was granted for twelve months, subsequently extended to three years. He remains in Russia as of this date, and was subsequently joined there by Lindsay.

In a closing scene we see Snowden being interviewed live via an Internet link-up in front of a live studio audience. He is asked probing questions, and why he did what he did. As the camera pans around the monitor on which Snowden is speaking from his apartment somewhere in Russia, the image cuts from Edward Snowden as portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt to the real Edward Snowden who continues the discussion about peoples freedom, privacy and security and the violation of those basic human rights by President Obama. Edward Snowden co-operated in the making of this film.

I have to say I was fascinated about this film, and even if only 50% of what is depicted on the screen by Oliver Stone is true and correct, then that is a very scary prospect too - for all of us! Gordon-Levitt carries his character along with nuance and grace that makes him grounded, real and believable. There are no arousing speeches, chest beating, table thumping or over the top antics to be seen here, but rather a considered somewhat introverted but nonetheless highly intelligent man just doing what he believes in, and who has the courage of his convictions to speak out about what he believes in, and what he knows to be true. There was no personal gain here, no bag of gold at the end of this rainbow - for Snowden it was all down side - living in exile, the possibility of prison, labelled a traitor, alone and turning his back on his country, his family, his loved ones and the life he had thus far made for himself. One man against the world and prepared to blow open the lid. A riveting film based on fact that we cannot ignore, well delivered, very watchable and it will cause you to debate and discuss the subject at hand long after the credits have rolled.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th April 2015.

If like me, your Easter came and went with chocolate overload, Easter eggs aplenty, work, and all the pleasure of a long weekend, now it is time to turn attention to this weeks latest movie releases and all the silver screen things we love when its not Easter and we're working the j-o-b!

This week then we have four new offerings for this second week of the Easter school holiday period that offer decidedly more adult fare than we have seen of late, but the themes of those on offer we have seen before in various guises. Kicking off is another afflicted individual who against the odds rises to the challenge of an intellectual opportunity to discover himself, prove himself and set himself free; a love story of two opposing worlds that collide and do so amidst a friendship that inspires and motivates their own feelings for each other; then a dramedy of a middle aged couple each struggling with their own mid-life challenges who hook up with a much younger couple who help them rediscover themselves and overcome their life's roadblocks; and finally a story of single Mum and teenage ADHD and often violent son and what happens when she pulls him out of an institution and the unlikely friendship that develops between the son and the neighbour.

So when you've made your choice and sat in a dark room with a bunch of complete strangers gawping up at a big screen for two hours at any one of these new movies on offer, or those still out on general release, drop a Comment below this, or any other Post, and share your thoughts with the Odeon Online world. Enjoy your film!

X + Y (Rated M) - Directed by Morgan Matthews and based loosely on a documentary he filmed back in 2007 - 'Beautiful Young Minds' that is of a similar subject matter, here we have socially inept teenager Nathan (Asa Butterfield) who is an autistic genius who has a strong bond with his father and who understands and has patience with his sons condition. When Dad passes away Nathan struggles to connect with his Mother Julie (Sally Hawkins), but enter tutor Martin Humphries (Rafe Spall) who throws Nathan a lifeline and suggests he enter an international maths competition, because he has a gift with numbers.

Accepting the challenge that takes Nathan from his English suburban comfort zone to competition around the world to Taipei and back again, this charts his story of relationships forged, friendships founded, confidence established and love experienced. Touted as heart warming, funny in parts, engaging and emotional this film is likely to pull audiences in as 'Still Alice' and 'The Theory of Everything' also did with its subject matter and nuanced performances.

THE LONGEST RIDE (Rated M) - based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks and Directed by George Tillman Jnr., this is the story of two young lovers from very different backgrounds - Luke Collins (Scott Eastwood) - a former bull riding champion looking at another shot at the limelight, and Sophia Danko (Britt Robertson) - a graduating college student about to move to New York for her dream job in the art world. As their worlds collide and their ideals differ they forge an unlikely relationship with Ira (Alan Alda) whose decades long love of his wife draws parallels with their own fledgling relationship and from which they learn to adapt, accept and agree their differences so that they can move on . . . together.

MOMMY (Rated MA15+) - Written, Produced and Directed by 25 year old Xavier Dolan this Canadian French foreign language film was in competition at last years Cannes Film Festival and came away with the Jury Prize and so far has walked away with 41 award wins and another forty nominations. Made for a meagre US$5M this film tells the story of widow of three years Diane 'Die' Despres (Anne Dorval) who struggles to make ends meet and will do (almost) whatever it takes to get ahead in life. Her 15 years old son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) was institutionalised in a care facility just after his father died because of his ADHD affliction and his violent outbursts, and now Die has decided to get him outta there. With a history of issues in his wake Die now needs to bring Steve home realising that he is never likely to be rehabilitated in an institution. Facing many of her own challenges Mommy Die has to adapt and accept her actions to care for her unpredictable son. Neighbour Kyla (Suzanne Clement) takes a shine to Steve and helps Die with his home schooling and his eventual assimilation into society . . . but not without challenges, emotion and passion all the way.  Last week I commented that 'Leviathan' was the must see foreign language film of the year . . . but this might just be it instead - you decide!

WHILE WE'RE YOUNG (Rated M) - Written, Produced and Directed by Noah Baumbach this comedy drama stars Ben Stiller as Josh, husband to Naomi Watts wife Cornelia. They are 40-somethings at a watershed in their lives. Josh is a struggling film-maker and with their lives going no where quickly and rapidly overtaking them while caught napping! With their friends getting married, having children and pursuing sensible careers Josh and Cornelia gravitate toward young 20-somethings Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried) whose younger, energetic and enthusiastic lives begin to rub off on the older couple. But as time wears on Josh begins to think that perhaps there is more to this growing friendship than meets the eye and can the young ones be trusted.

Four new films released for the week ahead for you viewing pleasure, that may not offer something for everyone, but provide plenty of more mature movie motivation to get you out there amongst it. Don't be shy and share your thoughts with your like minded cinephiles reading this Blog and pass on your filmic recommendations . . . or not as you see fit!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-