What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd November 2023.

The 20th Edition of the Marrakesh International Film Festival this year takes place between Friday November 24th and Saturday 2nd December, in Marrakesh, Morocco. After more than twenty years, the Festival is a place of expression and discovery that takes up the challenges of diversity, exchange and enrichment. It is also an opportunity for Morocco to welcome and pay tribute to great personalities of the world of film. The event attracts a large audience, both national and international, and benefits from a strong reputation and its prestigious image. The official selection features an international competition of first and second features dedicated to the discovery of filmmakers from around the world, as well as a wide selection of films of different genres from nations worldwide. The Festival’s several sections include Galas, Special Screenings, the 11th Continent—a section dedicated to bold and innovative films—a Panorama of Moroccan Cinema and Cinema for Young Audiences. 

This 20th edition of the festival opens with Director, Co-Producer and Co-Writer  Richard Linklater’s fast-paced action comedy 'Hit Man', starring Glen Powell as an undercover Houston Police Officer who poses as a reliable hitman to arrest those trying to hire him until he tries to save a woman in need.

This years Jury for the Official Competition line-up is comprised of the American Actress and Producer Jessica Chastain, as Jury President, ably aided by the likes of the French Actress Camille Cottin; the Australian Actor and Director Joel Edgerton; the British Director, Screenwriter and Producer Joanna Hogg and the Swedish Actor Alexander Skarsgard.

During the Festival Closing & Award Ceremony, five prestigious prizes are awarded by the Jury to films selected in Competition. Those prizes are the Festival Grand Prize which awards US$50K to be shared between the Director and Producer, the Best Directing Prize, the Jury Prize, the Best Performance by a Actress, and the Best Performance by an Actor. The Official Competition, a selection of first and second feature films, reveals new talent in world cinema. Of the fourteen films in competition, ten are by first-time Directors, of whom eight are women. The films in the running for the Etoile d’Or explore a variety of cinematic genres, from modern fable, documentary, and film noir to political farce, romance and family drama. Those films in Official Competition are as follows :-

* 'Banel & Adama' - freom France, Senegal and Mali and Directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy.

* 'Bye Bye Tiberias' - from Palestine, France, Belgium and Qatar and Directed by Lina Soualem.

* 'City of Wind' - from France, Mongolia, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and Qatar and Directed by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir.

* 'Disco Afrika : A Malagasy Story' - from France, Madagascar, Mauritius, Germany, South Africa and Directed by Luck Razanajaona.

* 'Dormitory' - from Turkey, Germany and France and Directed by Nehir Tuna.

* 'Excursion' - from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, France, Norway and Qatar and Directed by Una Gunjak.

* 'Hounds' - from Morocco, France, Belgium, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and Directed by Kamal Lazraq.

* 'The Mother of All Lies' - from Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Directed by Asmae El Moudir.

* 'The Other Son' - from Colombia, France and Argentina and Directed by Juan Sebastian Quebrada.

* 'Phantom Youth' - from Kosovo and France and Directed by Luana Bajrami.

* 'Prison in the Andes' - from Chile and Brazil and Directed by Felipe Carmona.

* 'Silent Roar' - from the UK and Directed by Johnny Barrington.

* 'Toll' - from Brazil and Portugal and Directed by Carolina Markowicz.

* 'Tuesday' - from the USA and the UK and Directed by Daina O. Pusic. 

For all the other details on the film strands being showcased at this years festival, plus the flagship programme of the Marrakech International Film Festival, the 'In Conversation With . . . ' series gives audiences the chance to meet some of the biggest names in cinema from around the world, including in this years line-up - Simon Baker, Willem Dafoe, Mads Mikkelsen, Viggo Mortensen and Tilda Swinton. For this, and a whole lot more, you can go to the official website at : https://marrakesh-festival.com/en/home/

Turning the attention then back to this weeks four new movies due for release, we launch with an epic historical drama offering from an acclaimed Director based on the true story of a famed French military commander and political leader charting his rise to power and his relationship with his mistress and later wife. Then we have an Aussie psychological thriller about two young female backpackers, who take jobs at a remote Australian Outback hotel and bar where they become disturbed by the male customers. Next up is another psychological thriller offering about a college sophomore student who goes on a date with the older man, but she finds that in real life he doesn't live up to the man she has been flirting with over texts. And closing out the week there is an Aussie biographical music doco that explores the mysterious world of the musical genius, of brilliant musicians as well as transformational story-telling, the mystery of prodigy and the impact of music on the brain.

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

'NAPOLEON' (Rated MA15+) - this US and UK Co-Production is an epic historical drama film Co-Produced and Directed by Ridley Scott, who I'm sure need no introduction, suffice to say he has helmed numerous critically acclaimed films over the years including his debut in 1977 with 'The Duellists' followed by the likes of 'Alien', 'Blade Runner', 'Thelma & Louise', 'Gladiator', 'Black Hawk Down', 'American Gangster', 'Prometheus', 'The Martian', 'The Last Duel' and 'The House of Gucci' most recently. This film is scheduled to be released in the US, the UK and here in Australia this week before streaming on Apple TV+ at a later date. It cost US$130M to produce. 

A look at the French military commander Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix, who also Co-Produces here) who lived from 1769 until 1821, his origins and his swift, ruthless climb to Emperor and his inevitable fall from grace, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine (Vanessa Kirby).

'THE ROYAL HOTEL' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian psychological thriller film Co-Written and Directed by Kitty Green, whose first feature documentary film was 'Ukraine Is Not a Brothel' in 2013 which she would follow up with another documentary 'Casting JonBenet' in 2017 and her debut feature film 'The Assistant' in 2019. This film saw its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in early September and also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival the following week before its wide release in the US in early October having so far grossed US$877K and generating largely positive reviews. Here then, two young American backpackers, Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick), take temporary live-in jobs at The Royal Hotel, a remote Australian Outback mining town bar run by Billy (Hugo Weaving). Soon, they find themselves trapped in an unnerving situation that grows rapidly out of their control as they become increasingly agitated by the male patrons. Also starring Toby Wallace and Daniel Henshall. 

'CAT PERSON' (Rated MA15+) - this psychological thriller film is Directed by Susanna Fogel and is based on 2017 short story of the same name by Kristen Roupenian. Fogel's previous feature film credits take in her debut with 'Life Partners' in 2014 and 'The Spy Who Dumped Me' in 2018, and she is also credited with Co-Writing 2019's 'Booksmart' and 2021's 'The Addams Family 2'. Here, 20-year-old sophomore college student Margot (Emilia Jones) has a brief relationship with Robert (Nicholas Braun), an older man who frequently visits the movie theatre where she works, who she met over an online dating app. and who may just turn out to be a murderer. The film also stars Isabella Rossellini, Hope Davis and Michael Gandolfini, had its World Premiere showcasing at the Sundance Film Festival back in late January, was released Stateside in early October and has so far grossed just US$324K off the back of a US$12M production budget having garnered mixed or average reviews. 

'A MUSICAL MIND : A PORTRAIT IN PROCESS' (Rated M) - is an Australian biographical music documentary Co-Written and Directed by Scott Hicks whose previous feature film making credits take in his 1974 debut with 'The Wanderer' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Shine' in 1996, 'Snow Falling on Cedars' in 1999, 'Hearts in Atlantis' in 2001, 'No Reservations' in 2007, 'The Boys Are Back' in 2009, 'Fallen' in 2016 and most recently 'My Name's Ben Folds - I Play Piano'. Sparked by the impending 25th anniversary of the Academy award-winning blockbuster 'Shine', this vivid theatrical film explores the power of the musical brain. Featuring exclusive, intimate footage of super-star international musicians in their private worlds, it opens an intriguing portal into the musical mind. A glimpse into the private worlds and elite musical processes of four superstar musicians - Daniel Johns, Ben Folds, Simon Tedeschi and David Helfgott whose story inspired 'Shine', brought together through their connection with the blockbuster movie 'Shine' and its Director Scott Hicks.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th August 2018.

With 'Mission : Impossible - Fallout' which was released just last week rapidly raking in the Box Office dollars across the world and having been hailed as the best in the series so far, and some even going so far to rate the film as one of the best action movies of all time, I thought this an appropriate time to review the franchise to date. So, in case you're not up to speed with the previous five instalments, here is a quick synopsis, ahead of this weeks Previews, which as usual are given further below :

* 'Mission : Impossible' - released 1996, Directed by Brian de Palma, Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner, and starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, Kristin Scott Thomas and Vanessa Redgrave. Production Budget costs US$80M, Worldwide Box Office take US$458M. Ethan Hunt is framed for the murder of his fellow IMF agents during a Prague Embassy mission gone wrong and falsely accused of selling government secrets to a mysterious international criminal known only as 'Max'.



* 'Mission : Impossible II' - released 2000, Directed by John Woo, Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner and starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Dougray Scott, Dominic Purcell, Thandie Newton, Brendan Gleeson, Richard Roxburgh and Anthony Hopkins. Production Budget costs US$125M, Worldwide Box Office take US$547M. Ethan Hunt sends international thief Nyah Nordoff-Hall undercover to stop rogue IMF agent, and Nyah's former lover, Sean Ambrose from stealing a deadly virus to start a pandemic and sell the antidote to the highest bidder.

* 'Mission : Impossible III' - released 2006, Directed by J.J. Abrams, Produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner and starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Aaron Paul, Maggie Q, Laurence Fishburn, Eddie Marsan and Michelle Monaghan. Production Budget costs US$150M, Worldwide Box Office take US$398M. Ethan Hunt, retired from being an IMF team leader and engaged to be married, assembles a team to face the elusive arms and information broker Owen Davian who intends to sell a mysterious dangerous object known as 'The Rabbit's Foot'.

* 'Mission : Impossible - Ghost Protocol' - released 2011, Directed by Brad Bird, Produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, and starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Michael Nyqvist, Tom Wilkinson and Lea Seydoux. Production Budget costs US$145M, Worldwide Box Office take US$695M. Ethan Hunt and the entire IMF are blamed for the bombing of the Kremlin while investigating an individual known only as 'Cobalt'. He and three other agents are left to stop him from starting a global nuclear war.



* 'Mission : Impossible - Rogue Nation' - released 2015, Directed and Written by Christopher McQuarrie, Produced by Tom Cruise, J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger, and starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Jeremy Renner, Sean Harris, Tom Hollander, Rebecca Fergusson and Alec Baldwin. Production Budget costs US$150M, Worldwide Box Office take US$683M. Ethan Hunt comes under threat from the 'Syndicate', a near-mythical organisation of rogue agents who kill to order. Faced with the IMF's disbandment, Hunt assembles his team for their mission to prove the Syndicate's existence and bring the organisation down by any means necessary.

* 'Mission : Impossible - Fallout' - released 2018, Directed and Written by Christopher McQuarrie, Produced by Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie, Jake Myers and J.J. Abrams and starring Tom Cruise, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Sean Harris, Rebecca Fergusson, Alec Baldwin, Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Kirby and Michelle Monaghan. Production Budget costs US$178M, Worldwide Box Office take so far US$334M. When an IMF mission ends badly, the world is faced with dire consequences. As Ethan Hunt takes it upon himself to deliver on his original briefing, the CIA begins to question his loyalty and his motives.

This week we have four new feature films coming to your local Odeon that kick off with a remake of a blaxploitation crime drama film from the early '70's probably best known for its soundtrack back then, but which has been dusted off and given the 21st Century treatment for a whole new audience. We then turn to an action comedy about two hapless girlfriends who somehow get caught up in an international conspiracy and get chased half way around the world dodging bullets, nasty criminal types and corrupt cops in their attempt to save the world from a fate worse than this film. Next up is a British period piece of one young couple who have a less than satisfying wedding night which ultimately has lifelong lasting repercussions on them both; and we then wind up with a sequel to a found footage horror film about a laptop, a group of friends, and things that go bump in the night with terrifying consequences for them all.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release 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 coming week.

'SUPERFLY' (Rated MA15+) - here we have a remake of the 1972 Blaxploitation action crime drama film of the same name, this time Directed by Director X (aka Julien Christian Lutz). This Canadian film and music video Director has been shooting music videos since 1998, but this is only his third outing helming a feature film since 'Across the Line' in 2015 and 'Centre Stage : On Pointe' in 2016. Released in the US in mid-June, the film cost US$16M to make, has so far grossed US$21M and has garnered generally mixed or average Reviews.

Cocaine kingpin Youngblood Priest (Trevor Jackson) comes to the realisation that it's time to exit the game after surviving a violent attack from a crazed rival. Hoping for one last score, so that he can retire to the good life, Priest and his partner travel down Mexico way to arrange a deal. The career criminal now finds himself trying to out run and out smart the local cartel, a pair of corrupt Police officers, a betrayed supplier and all them pesky double-crossing no-good criminal types who want his piece of the action that threaten his road to peace and freedom. The film also stars Jason Mitchell, Michael Kenneth Williams, Lex Scott Davis, Jacob Ming-Trent and Jennifer Morrison.

'THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME' (Rated MA15+) - channeling the great Mike Meyers (aka one Austin Powers), here we have an all girl line up in this riff on that action comedy offering as Directed and Co-Written by Susanna Fogel in only her second feature film outing after 2014's 'Life Partners'. The film stars Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon as Audrey and Morgan respectively as two thirty-something best friends living the quiet life in LA. The pair of besties find themselves caught up in no uncertain terms in a major international conspiracy when Audrey's ex-boyfriend unexpectedly re-emerges in her life chased down by a team of deadly assassins hot on his tail, while it emerges that he actually works for the CIA as an Agent. The dynamic duo suddenly spring into action and chase half way across Europe trying to evade those pesky assassin types and a charming British Agent all the while trying to save the world. Also starring Justin Theroux, Gillian Anderson and Paul Reiser. Sound like a laugh a minute!

'ON CHESIL BEACH' (Rated M) - this British drama film is helmed by first time Director of a feature length film Dominic Cooke, and was adapted for the screen by the author of the 2007 book of the same name Ian McEwan. The film received its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year and was released both in the UK and the USA in mid-May, has received generally favourable Reviews and has so far taken US$2.5M at the Box Office. Set in 1962, the film tells the story of newlyweds Edward (Billy Howle) and Florence (Saoirse Ronan), both in their early 20's and also both virgins. They spend their honeymoon preoccupied and terrified by the prospect of consummating their marriage, which as a disastrous first attempt at sex and their differing reactions to that initial failed experience has lasting lifelong impacts for them both. Also starring Emily Watson and Anne-Marie Duff.

'UNFRIENDED : DARK WEB' (Rated MA15+) - this 'found footage' horror offering is Written and Directed by Stephen Succo in his first feature length Directorial outing, despite the fact that he has Written and Produced such horror films as 'The Grudge', 'The Grudge 2', 'Texas Chainsaw 3D', 'The Possession' and 'Beyond the Reach'. This film is a stand-alone follow-up to 2014's like minded found footage supernatural horror 'Unfriended' which off a Budget of US$1M grossed US$64M at the Box Office. Here, a young man jumps online to play a game with five of his good friends on a laptop he came by in lost property that has remained unclaimed for some months. He shows them a mysterious folder that he came across while checking out his new device that plays disturbing videos of people who appear to be in danger accessed via the Dark Web. While viewing some of the disturbing scenes from that folder, the group receive an anonymous message that tells them they will all die if they disconnect, or call the Police. Their planned night of fun rapidly turns deadly as each user becomes the target of something sinister, while the others watch helplessly in terror. The film Premiered at SXSW back in March, cost US$1M and since its release in the US on the 20th July, has so far taken US$9M, and has received mixed or average Reviews.

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-