What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 19th May 2022.

The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival kicked off earlier this week on 17th May and runs through until 28th May. The Opening Night film is 'Final Cut' - a French ZomCom Directed, written for the screen, Co-Produced and Co-Edited by Michel Hazanavicius and is a remake of the 2017 Japanese film 'One Cut of the Dead'. In competition for the prestigious Palme d'Or award there are twenty-one feature films for whom the onerous task of selecting the eventual winner falls to Jury President Vincent Lindon, the French Actor, ably supported by Rebecca Hall, Ladj Ly, Jeff Nichols, Noomi Rapace, Joachim Trier, Asghar Farhadi, Jasmine Trinca and Deepika Padukone. 

And so in main competition for the Palme d'Or are included the following feature films :-

* 'Armegeddon Time' from the USA and this drama film is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by James Gray and stars Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong.

* 'Broker' from South Korea, this drama film is Directed, Written and Edited by Hirokazu Kore-eda.

* 'Brother and Sister' from France and Directed and Co-Written by Arnaud Desplenchin and stars Marion Cotillard and Melvil Poudpaud.

* 'Close' from Belgium, Netherlands and France, this drama film is directed and Co-Written by Lukas Dhont and stars Lea Drucker and Emilie Dequenne. 

* 'Crimes of the Future' from Canada, Greece and France is Directed and Written by David Cronenberg and this SciFi body horror film stars Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart. 

* 'Decision to Leave' from South Korea and Directed, Co-Written and Produced by Park Chan-wook. 

* 'Leila's Brothers' from Iran and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Saeed Roustayl, this drama film stars Taraneh Alidoosti in the title role. 

* 'Showing Up' from the USA and Directed and Co-Written by Kelly Reichardt this drama film stars Michelle Williams, Judd Hirsch, Andre Benjamin and Amanda Plummer.

* 'The Stars at Noon' from the USA and France and Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Claire Denis this romantic thriller film stars Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Danny Ramirez, Benny Safdie, and John C. Reilly.

* 'Tchaikovsky's Wife' is a Russian and French historical drama film Directed and Written by Kirill Serebrennikov, starring Alyona Mikhaylova in the title role and Odin Biron at Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

* ' Tori and Lokita' from Belgium and Directed, Written and Co-Produced by the Dardenne brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc, and this drama film stars Pablo Schils and Mbundu Joely in the title roles respectively. 

* 'Triangle of Sadness' from Sweden, the UK, the USA, France and Greece, this dark comedy film is Directed, Written and Co-Edited by Ruben Ostlund and stars Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean and Woody Harrelson.

Out of competition, being showcased are also 'Elvis' from Baz Luhrmann, 'Three Thousand Years of Longing' from George Millar and 'Top Gun : Maverick' from Joseph Kosinski. Additionally Forest Whitaker is to be awarded the Honorary Palme d'Or.

For all the other sections and those films featured therein, plus a whole lot more from the 75th Cannes Film Festival you can go to the official website at : https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/

This week then to tease you out to your local Odeon, we have six new movies from all corners of the world to choose from, kicking off with an American actioner about an average guy as he searches for his wife, who vanished without a trace while the two were at a petrol station. Next up is an Aussie film about a middle aged woman who sets up a house cleaning business staffed by good looking hunky male cleaners, with benefits. This is followed by a UK/Estonian offering about a handsome, soulful young soldier who embarks on a clandestine sexual affair with a charismatic fighter pilot on a Soviet Air Force Base at the height of 1970's Communist rule. Then we turn to a Norwegian supernatural thriller about a group of young children, who during the bright Nordic summer, reveal their dark and mysterious powers when the adults aren't looking. Up next is a French drama about an elderly father who suffers a stroke, and his daughter rushes to his bedside; sick and half-paralysed in his hospital bed, he asks his daughter to help him end his life. And we close out the week with a Russian and Hungarian animated film about a wooden puppet hero who is a skilled circus acrobat who longs to become human when he falls for the ringmaster's daughter.

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

'LAST SEEN ALIVE' (Rated M) - this American action mystery thriller is Directed by Brian Goodman in his third film making effort following 'What Doesn't Kill You' in 2008 and 'Black Butterfly' in 2017, together with sixty-one acting credits over the last twenty-three years. The film is set for a US release in early June. 

Will Spann (Gerard Butler), is driving his soon-to-be ex-wife Lisa (Jaimie Alexander) to her parent's home when she mysteriously disappears without a trace during a stop at a gas station. A frantic Will engages the local police and Lisa's parents in a desperate attempt to find her, but as time passes and suspicion falls on him, he must take matters into his own hands, delving into the town's criminal underbelly while running from the authorities in a race against time to find Lisa.  

'HOW TO PLEASE A WOMAN' (Rated M) - this Aussie drama film is Written and Directed by Renee Webster in her feature film making debut. Here, a fifty-something year old woman Gina (Sally Phillips) has a business idea to launch an all-male house-cleaning service. However, when her business grows out of control, she must acknowledge her own sexuality, if she is to make a new life for herself. Also starring Alexander England and Erik Thomson.

'FIREBIRD' (Rated MA15+) - this UK and Estonian romantic war drama film is Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Peeter Rebane in his feature film making debut, and is based on the memoir 'The Story of Roman' by Sergey Fetisov. The film stars Tom Prior (who also Co-Wrote and Co-Produces here too), and tells the story of Sergey Serebrennikov (Tom Prior), a troubled young private, who is counting down the days until his military service ends. His life is turned upside down when Roman Matvejev (Oleg Zagorodnii) a daring fighter pilot, arrives at the base. Driven by curiosity, Sergey and Roman navigate the precarious line between love and friendship as a dangerous love triangle forms between them and Luisa (Diana Pozharskaya), the secretary to the base commander. As the walls close in, they risk their freedom and their lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation and the fear of the all-seeing Soviet regime. The film saw its World Premiere screening at the 35th BFI Flare : London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival in mid- March 2021, and went on release in the UK at the end of April this year, having so far grossed just US$174K, garnered mixed or average Reviews and has collected six award wins and another two nominations from around the festival circuit. 

'THE INNOCENTS' (Rated MA15+) - is a Norwegian supernatural thriller film Directed by Eskil Vogt in his second film making outing following 2014's 'Blind'. This film had its World Premier screening at The Cannes Film Festival in July 2021 before being released in its native Norway in late August last year, and only now does it get a limited showing here in Australia. Here then, during the bright Nordic summer, a group of four children become friends during the Summer holidays, and while out of sight of their parents and other adults they learn that they each have dark and mysterious powers which manifests itself when their innocent playtime takes on a more sinister turn and strange things begin to occur. The film has so far picked up nine award wins and a further eight nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit.

'EVERYTHING WENT FINE' (Rated MA15+) - this French drama film is Written and Directed by Francois Ozon and is based on the novel 'Everything Went Well' by Emmanuele Bernheim. When Andre (Andre Dussollier), 85, has a stroke, his daughter Emmanuele Bernheim (Sophie Marceau) hurries to her father’s bedside. When he wakes up diminished and dependent, this vital and curious man who loves life asks his daughter to help him end his life. Also starring Charlotte Rampling and Geraldine Pailhas, the film has garnered generally positive Critical reviews since its World Premier showcasing at the July 2021 Cannes Film Festival, and its subsequent release in its native France at the end of September. 

'PINOCCHIO : A TRUE STORY' (Rated PG) - this animated Russian and Hungarian family fantasy film is Directed and Co-Written by Vasiliy Rovenskiy and is based on the Italian book 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' and its Russian version 'Buratino'. Young Pinocchio (dubbed by Pauly Shore in the English version) runs away from his genius creator Jepetto (Tom Kenny) accompanied by the horse Tibalt (Jon Heder) to see the world and joins the traveling circus run by hustler Modjafocco (Dmitriy Iosifov). He falls in love with Bella (Eliza Martirosova) and with the help of Lucilda (Irina Kireeva) longs to become a real human boy and win over the love of his life.

With six 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 27th April 2017.

With the release of 'Free Fire' this week (as Previewed below), cult British Writer and Director Ben Wheatley has already carved out a name for himself in the ten short years that he has been Writing and Directing English television series and feature length films.
His short but highly acclaimed film career started in 2009 with British crime drama 'Down Terrace' which was made for just US$30K but picked up three award wins and four nominations including Most Promising Newcomer for Wheatley at the London Evening Standard British Film Awards, and the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards. Wheatley acted as Director, Writer, Producer and Editor on the film.
The British crime drama psychological horror offering 'Kill List' came next in 2011 which was made for US$800K and again received much critical acclaim and picked up three award wins and sixteen nominations including Best Director and Best Screenplay nods for Wheatley at the British Independent Film Awards. Wheatley Directed, Wrote and Edited this film.
2012 saw the horror comedy 'Sightseers' which gave a whole new meaning to the English caravanning holiday. Directed and Edited by Wheatley the film won eleven awards and a further seventeen nominations including British Independent Film Awards, London Evening Standard Film Awards, London Critics Circle Film Awards and Empire UK Awards.
2013 saw 'A Field In England' an historical psychological horror film set during the mid-17th Century English Civil War. Made for US$385K and Directed and Edited by Wheatley the film collected one award win and eight other nominations all mostly for Wheatley's Direction and Best Film.
The big screen adaptation of J.G.Ballards source novel 'High Rise' came next in 2015 with an all star cast featuring Tom Hiddleston, Luke Evans, James Purefoy, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller and Elisabeth Moss. This film picked up two award wins and eleven nominations with Wheatley Directing and Editing once again. This dystopian drama film is set in the mid 1970's in an exclusive luxury tower block that has every modern convenience so that residents needn't leave the confines of their self contained environment until society begins to crumble and all hell breaks loose.
This brings us up to date with this years 'Free Fire' with 'Freakshift' in pre-production with Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander starring in this action horror film about a band of misfits who hunt down and kill underground nocturnal monsters. Wheatley met Amy Jump in the sixth form while at school in North London, and she has since become his wife. Amy Jump collaborates with Wheatley as Writer on all his films since 'Kill List'. A British Writing and Directing force to be reckoned with, Wheatley just keeps going from strength to strength and can put no camera lens wrong it seems. Read on for more.

In the coming week there are six new release films to coerce you out to your local multiplex or independent picture house. We kick off with the sequel to another comic book adaptation that was a surprising commercial and critical hit way back in 2014, that saw a disparate band of cosmos travelling saviours protect the known galaxy from all manner of foe, and this time around, well they're doing it all over again and this time to a killer mix tape. This is followed up by an all guns blazing shoot 'em up bullet fest set within the confines of an abandoned warehouse in 1978 Boston when an arms deal goes south very quickly for all concerned. Then we have a Hollywood set fictionalised bio-pic helmed by an acclaimed Writer, Director, Producer and Star featuring an ensemble cast that looks impressive on paper but has bombed at theatres; before moving onto two French foreign language films - one set in the present and surrounding a fifty-something year old teacher reinventing her life after her husband of 25 years darts off with another woman, and the other  set in the past at the end of WWII as a French Red Cross doctor comes to the aid of a group of nuns in Warsaw. We then wrap up with an Aussie teenage psychological thriller that pits nature against nurture from which there can be only one victor.

When you have sat through your film of choice sometime in the coming seven days, remember that you are warmly invited to share your movie going experience with your fellow readers here at Odeon Online. Leave your constructive, relevant and thought provoking observations in the Comments section below this or any other Post - we'd love to hear from you as always. In the meantime, enjoy your trip to the cinema.

'GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, Vol. 2' (Rated M) - The Guardians of the Galaxy made their comic book debut in the January 1969 'Marvel Super-Heroes' #18 created by Arnold Drake and Gene Colan as Writer and Artist respectively. The characters that appear in these films however, came together first in the April 2008 edition of 'Annihilation: Conquest' #6 by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning as Writer and Artist respectively and follow a different set of Members to those in the original publications. The first film, Directed and Co-Written by James Gunn was released in 2014, made for US$196M and took almost everyone by surprise by grossing at the global Box Office US$774M, was nominated for two Academy Awards and picked up a total haul of fifty award wins and another 98 nominations, and was hailed a critical success too. And so a sequel was inevitable, and once again Directed and Written by James Gunn, retaining the same ensemble cast featuring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper and Michael Rooker, and this time adding in Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell and Elizabeth Debicki amongst others. The fifteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Premiered in Tokyo, Japan earlier this month, is released in the US on 5th May, and in Australia,and the UK this week.

And so what of the story line? Set about three months or so after the closing events of the first film, we see our intrepid band of intergalactic cosmos traversing Guardian heroes doing their utmost to keep their new found family together and maintain a peaceful accord with one another, as they also seek to discover the truth behind Peter Quill's, aka Star-Lord, (Chris Pratt) true parentage. Along the way old enemies turn into allies, and several Marvel characters that we have come to know and love from the Marvel Cinematic Universe come to their aid, as an enemy has designs on destroying the whole galaxy, so crossing over the rich film catalogue and further expanding the MCU. James Gunn has already announced that he will return as Writer and Director for 'Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3'.

'FREE FIRE' (Rated MA15+) - made for just US$7M this action comedy is Directed and Co-Written by Ben Wheatley and is set in a Boston warehouse in 1978 where an arms trade goes horribly and spectacularly wrong for all concerned. Those concerned amount to a dozen or so low life criminals who all start shooting at each other within the confines of a dirty abandoned rundown harbourside warehouse, when the deal doesn't quite go according to plan. As the shots ring out and chaos ensues, gang members on either side get shot and killed or injured, and so the entire film plays out within the warehouse as the tension reaches fever pitch, bullets fly, the body count rises and those left standing, or limping, try to find an exit in the bullet ballet. Starring Cillian Murphy, Sharlto Copley, Armie Hammer, Noah Taylor, Patrick Bergen, Sam Riley, Jack Reynor and Brie Larson this non-stop shoot-em up extravaganza is likely to be the most bullet riddled blood soaked chaotic fun you're gonna have at the cinema this year.

'RULES DON'T APPLY' (Rated M) - this romantic comedy drama film is Directed, Co-Produced, Written and stars Warren Beatty in his first Directing gig since 1998's 'Bulworth' and first acting role since 2001's 'Town and Country'. It is a bio-pic surrounding a time in the life of Howard Hughes, whom Beatty has been fascinated with for the past forty years, and for all of that time had intended to make a film based on the life of the American businessman, investor, pilot, film Director, and philanthropist. After a number of false starts the film is finally here, having been made for US$25M, starring a huge ensemble cast, and having been released in the US at the end of November last year. The film has been a Box Office bomb, recovering just US$4M, and has met with mixed Reviews from Critics. The plot surrounds newly arrived in Los Angeles beauty queen Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins) who is under contract to Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty). Being collected from the airport she meets with her recently appointed driver Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich). The two instantly feel an attraction for each other, but what are two star crossed lovers to do when their religious beliefs are put to the test, and an employee fraternising with a contract Actress is a definite no-no under Hughes' terms, conditions, and code of conduct. Also starring Matthew Broderick, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Ed Harris, Steve Coogan, Oliver Platt, Paul Sorvino, Dabney Coleman, Annette Benning, Candice Bergen and Amy Madigan.

'THINGS TO COME' (Rated M) - Written and Directed by Mia Hansen-Love this French/German Co-Production was made for US$3.2M and so far grossed US$4.2M since its Premier at the February 2016 Berlin Film Festival where Hansen-Love was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Director, and its release in France in April 2016. Now a year later the film arrives at Australian cinemas having collected a swag full of awards and nominations by film critic associations and during its showing at several film festivals. The film has been universally acclaimed. Starring Isabelle Huppert in a career defining performance as Nathalie Chazeaux, a dedicated and passionate philosophy teacher who juggles her richly rewarding teaching life, her students, her demanding drama queen of a mother, her two grown up children, and her husband of 25 years Heinz (Andre Marcon), also a a philosophy teacher. But things take a turn when her husband announces that he is leaving her and is moving in with another woman. They led a comfortable existence, without any pressures or strains on the relationship - she is stunned and blindsided by this news, but also philosophical about it - her life hasn't come to an end and she has lots going for her. And so Nathalie embarks on a year long voyage of discovery taking in a new friendship with a former student, Fabien (Roman Kolinka), realising that her ailing mother can no longer look after herself and what to do with her independent black cat, the dissolving of her marriage, and a changing of the guard at the publishing house where she publishes her books as a sideline. Causing Nathalie to re-evaluate her life and reassess her future, this is a well crafted film about what constitutes happiness and success amid everyday commonplace situations and the impact of them when confronted with the reality of starting afresh.

'BAD GIRL' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian teen psychological drama is Written and Directed by Fin Edquist, and stars Sara West as Amy Anderson, a seventeen year old no hoper scumbag drop out recently released on probation from juvenile detention whose relationship with her adoptive parents is at breaking point. The family decamp to a new ultra modern rural house set in a compound all of its own. Amy attempts suicide, but is saved just in time by attractive local girl Chloe (Samara Weaving) the recently appointed cleaner to the Anderson household. The two teenage girls hit it off, and the Anderson parents see Chloe as a calming influence on their troubled Amy. In time however, it begins to emerge that Chloe has a hidden agenda and has ulterior motives for wanting to get close to the Anderson family. As Amy's world begins to crumble before her, she discovers Chloe's secret and the far reaching implications of it, and as a result begins to fight for that which she sought to destroy and escape from. The film Premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August 2016.

'THE INNOCENTS' (Rated M) - here we have another forgotten historical true life telling of WWII atrocities meted out by Russian Red Army soldiers occupying Poland toward the end of the war, upon a group of nuns. Directed and Co-Written by Anne Fontaine and telling the story inspired by the aunt of Co-Writer Philippe Maynial who was the French Red Cross doctor Madeleine Pauliac treating French patients at a post-war Warsaw hospital. Here, Mathilde Beaulieu (Lou de Laage) is that Red Cross doctor who is approached and agrees to help a Benedictine abbess, Sister Maria (Agata Buzek) in delivering a baby to a young woman in her convent. After delivering the newborn child, Mathilde returns the next day to check on mother and baby only to discover that seven of the other nuns within the convent are all pregnant, having been raped by Soviet soldiers. Mathilde decides to help the nuns through their pregnancies and child birth, but the Mother Superior (Agata Kulesza) wants their terrible secret kept quiet from the outside world and from prying ears and eyes. Mathilde therefore has to maintain her work with the Red Cross, while helping the nuns and their newborn children and maintain the closely guarded secret for fear of reprisals from the outside world. Made for US$7M the film has so far taken US$6.6M and has received widespread critical acclaim, picking up three awards wins and ten nominations from around the festival circuit.

Six new movie offerings then to tease you out to your local cinema in the week ahead ranging from comic book Superhero action fare to a gun totting blazing bullet action fest, to a couple of French foreign language offerings, to an Aussie teenage psychological thriller, to a fictionalised Hollywood bio-pic that is a passion piece from this acclaimed Director, Writer, Producer and Star. When you have sat through your film of choice, remember to share your thoughts with your like minded cinephiles here at this Blog. Meanwhile, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-