THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME : Tuesday 3rd June 2025

I saw the M Rated 'THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME' at my local independent movie theatre this week, and this US and German Co-Produced espionage black comedy film is Produced, Written and Directed by Wes Anderson from a story he conceived with Roman Coppola. Anderson's previous feature film credits take in the likes of his debut in 1996 with 'Bottle Rocket', and which he would follow up with other offerings including 'The Royal Tenenbaums' in 2001, 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' in 2004, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' in 2009, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' in 2014, 'Isle of Dogs' in 2018, 'The French Dispatch' in 2021, and 'Asteroid City' in 2023. This film Premiered in the main competition at this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May, was released in the USA and here in Australia last week, has so far recovered US$8M from its production budget of US$30M and has garnered generally positive critical reviews. 

The film opens with wealthy businessman, arms dealer and derring-do multi-millionaire Anatole 'Zsa-Zsa' Korda (Benicio del Toro) narrowly avoiding the latest in a string of assassination attempts on his life when his private plane that he is flying in is sabotaged by unknown assassins. The plane crashes down in a cornfield, and he succumbs to his injuries. He briefly passes into the afterlife where his suitability to be admitted into the great here after is being determined by a council of existential beings, who reject him and thus he returns to this mortal coil.

Being fully aware that he narrowly escaped death, Korda offers an olive branch to his only daughter whom he is not seen in six years, the novice nun, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton), to take over from him on a trial basis while he gets his affairs in order, and in the event that further attempts on his life are ultimately successful. His meeting with Liesl is observed by Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera), a Norwegian entomologist hired by Korda to tutor him in his latest interest, insects of all kinds. Korda takes Bjorn on board as his personal administrative assistant. 

Korda, known unfavourably as 'Mr. Five Per Cent' on account of his ability to intervene in any large deal, is a wanted man, and a shady business consortium, directed by Excalibur (Rupert Friend), unites to fix the price of core materials, mainly crushable rivets, that will cripple Korda’s grand scheme to overhaul the infrastructure of Phoenicia. The price fixing has huge implications for what Korda calls 'The Gap' (the funding deficit of his major capital works) and so he must meet with his network of underground fixers and investors to cover the missing funds. First he heads to Phoenicia and meets with Prince Farouk (Riz Ahmed), who helps thwart a further assassination attempt. Farouk, Korda, Liesl and Bjorn head into a half-built underground railway, which has come to a building halt with Leland (Tom Hanks) and Reagan (Bryan Cranston) having stopped construction works in protest at Korda having changed the terms of their original agreement. Farouk and Korda compete with Leland and Reagan in a game of H-O-R-S-E, despite Farouk having absolutely no knowledge of basketball, with Korda vowing to return to the original deal and cover more of The Gap if his side loses. Farouk manages to complete a half court shot and Leland and Reagan agree to cover 15% of the deficit. 

Later, Korda meets with Marseille Bob (Mathieu Amalric) where it turns out that he has also changed the terms of an existing deal, forcing Bob into a rage and leading him to pull out of the deal completely. Their meeting is cut short when Sergio (Richard Ayoade) and his revolutionary guerilla forces hold Bob’s nightclub at gun point. Bob urges them to stand down and Korda takes a bullet to his lower right side for his friend in the crossfire. Bob, to compensate Korda, vows to cover his share of The Gap.

Next the group head to a ship to meet Marty (Jeffrey Wright), a fast-talking American investor. Marty is also stung by Korda’s backtracking on an existing deal, but quickly leaps to Korda’s aid when he passes-out from the after effects of being shot. Marty offers Korda a blood transfusion and they negotiate as blood is passed from one to the other. Korda realises the deal is going bust and threatens to pull the pin on a hand grenade he had offered as a gift unless Marty concedes, which he does.

They move on and meet with Cousin Hilda (Scarlett Johansson), who is Korda's second cousin and his prospective wife. She accepts a proposal of engagement but refuses to weigh in on helping with the gap, which puts the pressure on Korda to strike an agreement with his nefarious half-brother Nubar (Benedict Cumberbatch) who he has told Liesl is responsible for the death of her mother. 

On the way to the final meeting, Bjorn is revealed to be an agent of the consortium, but he joins up with Korda and Liesl, having developed genuine feelings towards her. At the meeting of various syndicates and investors, Nubar declines to cover any of The Gap, reveals himself as the organiser of Korda's assassination attempts and decides to kill his brother himself. Korda manages to fend him off and subdues him with a vial of poisonous gas. 

In a moment of revelation brought on by the fight and his very recent involvement with Liesl, Korda vows to cover The Gap himself, even though it amounts to his entire fortune and then some, and also outlines plans to pay his workers a fair and honest wage, having previously pledged to use slave labour. The project is a virtuous one that benefits Phoenicia but ends up bankrupting Korda. He retires to a much simpler life running a small restaurant with Liesl as his main waiting staff, while he is the chef, bottle washer and manager stripped of all his previous luxuries. The two close the restaurant late at night and sit down to a game of cards as they have accepted a more modest life.

I left the movie theatre feeling a little ho-hum about 'The Phoenician Scheme'. The plot tends to meander just a tad to much for my liking which made it hard for me to concentrate too much on what was happening, and all the scenes involving a Who's Who of A-list acting talent felt rushed, and at the end of the day they all pretty much delivered the same outcome. That said, Wes Anderson has here once again delivered us a film of his singular quirkiness with vivid colours, larger than life characters, off-kilter action, top notch attention to detail, and at times laugh-out-loud moments. Threapleton, Cera and del Toro all shine in this film and carry off their zany roles with aplomb, whilst the other cast members who add colour and movement to the proceedings get just a few minutes of screen time and a handful of lines of dialogue and then they're gone, and alas never to be seen again. This film is not up there with his earlier 'The Grand Budapest Hotel', 'Isle of Dogs' or 'The French Dispatch', and is sure to please fans of the Director, but of me, well 'meh'!

'The Phoenician Scheme' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 29th May 2025.

The 28th Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) this year runs from Friday 30th May through until Sunday 8th June. BFF, a non-profit organisation, is an International, competitive festival. BFF's mission is to provide a public forum in Brooklyn in order to advance public interest in films and the independent production of films. To draw worldwide attention to Brooklyn as a centre for cinema. To encourage the rights of all Brooklyn residents to access and experience the power of independent filmmaking, and to promote artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censure. Award-winning films from the Brooklyn Film Festival have gone on to be nominated and awarded at the British Academy Awards (BAFTAs), the American Academy Awards (Oscars), and the Canadian Screen Award.

This year there are 145 films divided into forty-two film programmes and in six categories - Feature Narrative, Documentary Feature, Short Narrative, Doc Short, Experimental and Animation. In the Feature Narrative section, the Opening Night film presentation is 'This Will Never Work' from the USA and is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Marina Tempelsman and Niccolo Aeed. This film is about a Black family coming together to have an intervention for Amanda's drinking problem. They've hired a therapist named Trevor, written emotional letters, and now they sit and wait for Amanda to arrive. But when she does, Trevor realises that the family hasn't exactly been honest with him. World Premiere screening.

The other films being showcased in the Narrative Feature section are :-

* 'Alice-Heart' - from the USA and is Written and Directed by Mike Macera. Alice-Heart is an aimless college student residing in Philadelphia. She aspires to be a successful writer but drops out of school in her last semester of senior year on a whim. Immediately cut off from her disappointed Filipino mother and dumped by her studious boyfriend, she finds that she has to pay bills on her own for the first time.

* 'The Courageous' - from Switzerland and Directed by Jasmin Gordon. In a small town on the edge of wild country, an eccentric and delinquent mother has had enough of the rules. Crushed by her mistakes and by a society that doesn’t give a damn, or a second chance, to people like her, she’ll do anything to prove to her children, and to herself, that she still is a good person.

* 'Difference & Repetition, 2020' - from the USA, Peru and Argentina and Written, Co-Produced, Directed, Co-Edited and Scored by Mav Block. In March 2020, an Argentine woman flees New York with her Peruvian husband for his family’s empty beach house outside of Lima, whereupon an unplanned pregnancy precipitates the destruction of her marriage. In the present day, she rips the moments of this narrative from their context, and reconstructs her story to reckon with her profound feeling of loneliness and the experience of time in which it has trapped her. World Premiere screening.

* 'Domestic Animals' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Scored by Juan Pablo Daranas Molina. On the brink of their thirties, five longtime friends reunite for a farewell getaway, but their idyllic retreat turns sour when they lose their beloved dogs in the woods. World Premiere showcasing.

* 'Era' - from Kosovo and Written and Directed by Parta Kelmendi. Set in Kosovo in 1990, and after a series of unfortunate events, Era and her family are forced to move from Pristina to the village of her grandmother. She will need to leave behind her friends, her boyfriend, and her life as she knows it and at the same time comply with the village rules. As she tries to adapt to her new reality the dynamics in her life change, redefining her relationship with her parents, her youth, and her future. World Premiere.

* 'Foul Evil Deeds' - from the UK and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Richard Hunter. A dark comedy showcasing the wide variety of evil behaviour human beings are capable of.

* 'I See The Demon' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jacob Lees Johnson. After seeing a strange object floating in the sky, Lucy comes home to a surprise birthday party with all of her favourite people. She’s overjoyed, but when asked about her day, she realises she can’t remember anything about it. Her loved ones assure her it’s nothing to worry about, but as more unsettling things occur that only she seems to notice, they keep telling her to relax... enjoy the party... there’s nothing to worry about... we’ll take care of you...

* 'Intruders' - from France and Written and Directed by Reza Serkanian. Some foreign minors take refuge on the farm of a caring lady. They are looking for a home but get involved in the story of a broken family. The situation escalates when the lady mysteriously disappears. A family investigation suspects the young migrants, who are hiding something out of fear and ignorance of their rights. During a traditional initiation ceremony, secrets come to light.

* 'Mouse' - from the USA and Directed and starring by Kenny Riches. Between stealing bicycles and breaking into cars, Denny’s only social outlet is spending time with his mother who loves reading correspondence from their Japanese family overseas. Denny’s loneliness pushes him to sign up for a penpal service from a classified-ad. He begins writing letters to a woman named Tess, whom he develops feelings for, but lies to about his nonexistent wealth and success. Unbeknownst to Denny, the penpal service is a scheme Tess and her real-life boyfriend, Maury, run to take advantage of the lonely. Tess and Maury find themselves in financial trouble of their own and decide to travel to Denny to take him for all he’s worth. World Premiere.

* 'The Rabbit Hole' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Sam Jonas. Isaac, a neurotic tree-hugger, builds a god-like supercomputer in order to save the natural world. But, when the machine comes to life and his existence begins to crumble, Isaac is forced to choose between destiny and the person he loves most. World Premiere.

* 'The Snare' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Merlin Camozzi. Eighteen year old Dani lives on the edge of lower-middle class America - working fast food, caring for her younger brother, and ignoring letters from her incarcerated father. Her one shot at escape is a scholarship to a state school. But when she’s caught with a few MDMA tabs bought from twenty year old Marty - a small-time dealer to whom she feels deeply drawn, the future she’s worked for begins to collapse. The Police offer her a deal - help them catch someone bigger, and they’ll forget the drugs. Dani agrees, keeping the deal secret from everyone, including Marty. 

* 'Stationed at Home' - from the USA and Written and Directed by Daniel V. Masciari. On a clear and frigid Christmas Eve in 1998, in a small, forgotten city, a solitary taxi driver on the graveyard shift breathlessly awaits the sight of the International Space Station. As the hours count down, a parade of offbeat misfits derail his plans, propelling the story to its exhilarating climax. US Premiere.

* 'Violent Butterflies' - from Mexico and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Adolfo Davila. A graffiti artist and the singer of a punk band, meet in an atmosphere of profound social crisis and discontent. Their idealist and revolutionary minds seek a world of justice and they are willing to fight for it. Music and street art, unite them and serve as their weapons. Naive and innocent, they are unaware of the power of impunity and injustice until they fall victims to Police brutality. US Premiere screening.

* 'White Flash' - from the Netherlands and Co-Written and Directed by Laura Hermanides. This is the story of Aagje, Toon and their forty-two year old son Rick, who suffers from psychotic episodes, depression and severe headaches. We follow their journey in the last six weeks leading up to the death of Rick. A journey proving that letting someone so close to us go, is the most extreme expression of love. US Premiere.

For the full synopsis of the other films featured in all sections of this years Brooklyn Film Festival, plus a whole lot of other good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org/

This week there are just three new movie offerings to tempt you out to your local Odeon, starting off with a story of one of the richest men in Europe, his family and the family business which he bequeaths to his only daughter which soon attracts the unwanted attention of assassins and terrorists alike. This is followed by an Aussie horror film in which a brother and sister witness a terrifying ritual at the secluded home of their new foster mother; before closing out the week with a French romantic drama film in which a local rebellious teenager falls for his schoolmate but gang violence leads him down a darker destructive path.

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

'THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME' (Rated M) - is a US and German Co-Produced espionage black comedy film Produced, Written and Directed by Wes Anderson from a story he conceived with Roman Coppola. Anderson's previous feature film credits take in the likes of his debut in 1996 with 'Bottle Rocket', and which he would follow up with other offerings including 'The Royal Tenenbaums' in 2001, 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' in 2004, 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' in 2009, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' in 2014, 'Isle of Dogs' in 2018, 'The French Dispatch' in 2021, and 'Asteroid City' in 2023. This film Premiered in the main competition at this years Cannes Film Festival in mid-May and is released in the USA and here in Australia this week.

Wealthy businessman and derring-do multi-millionaire Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) who has survived six plane crashes and fathered nine sons, appoints his only daughter, a nun, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton) as sole heir to his estate. With tutor Bjorn Lund (Michael Cera), they embark on a quest to secure the future of Korda’s business ventures, and as Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists and determined assassins. Also starring a cast of notable A-listers including Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Rupert Friend, Richard Ayoade, Bryan Cranston, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Jeffrey Wright, Hope Davis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, F. Murray Abraham and Charlotte Gainsbourg. 

'BRING HER BACK' (Rated MA15+) - this Australian horror film is Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and Co-Written by Danny Philippou, whose debut feature film was the critically acclaimed and commercially successful 'Talk to Me' in 2023. The brothers are known together online as RackaRacka, and are Australian twin filmmakers, YouTubers, and stunt performers, and are known for their horror comedy YouTube videos. Here then, following the death of their father, a brother Andy (Billy Barratt) and sister Catherine (Mischa Heywood) are introduced to their new sibling Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips) by their foster mother Laura (Sally Hawkins), only to learn that she has a terrifying secret at their new secluded home. This film is released Stateside too this week. 

'BEATING HEARTS' (Rated MA15+) - is a French and Belgian Co-Produced romantic drama film that is Co-Written and Directed by the French Actor and occasional film maker Gilles Lellouche, and is based on the 1997 novel 'Jackie Loves Johnser OK?' by Irishman Neville Thompson. Here, seventeen year old Clotaire (Malik Frikah) falls for his schoolmate the fifteen year old Jackie (Mallory Wanecque), charmed by her fearless spirit and sharp wit. As first love blossoms between the two, and they grow into adults (Francois Civil as the 27 year old Clotaire, and Adele Exarchopoulos as the 25 year old Jackie) gang violence entices him into a darker path and destroys everything when he is charged with a crime he didn't commit. The film had its World Premiere in main competition at the Cannes Film Festival in late May 2024, where it received mostly negative reviews from critics. It was released in cinemas in mid-October last year in its native France and only now is it released here in Australia having so far grossed US$36M from a production budget of US$40M.

With three 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 10th August 2023.

The 76th Locarno Film Festival this year takes place between Wednesday 2nd and Saturday 12th  August. The Locarno Film Festival was born in the aftermath of the Second World War. It offered a stage for revival, freedom of art and expression for talents from all over the world eager to tell stories in new, different ways. Since its inception, Locarno has been home to the most daring, avant-garde, irreverent and innovative forms of films – screened in their uncut, uncensored versions. Every year since 1946, we present international independent films carefully selected to inspire you, to surprise you, to make you question assumptions, to open your mind, to push you. Nestled in the mountains beside a lake, our remote Swiss-Italian town gives way to an intense eleven day celebration of cinema. The festival this year offers over 350 screenings of which 110 are World Premiere's, talks, events, conferences, concerts, art exhibitions, parties (and so much more!) - so reads the official website.

The Opening Film of the festival was 'Dammi' - from France and is Co-Written and Directed by Yann Mounir Demange and stars Riz Ahmed, the recipient of the years 'Excellence Award'. The Closing Film is 'Shayda' - from Australia and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noora Niasari.

The Concorso internazionale features works shown primarily as World Premieres, coming from all over the globe and competing for the prestigious Pardo d’oro. Showcasing established auteurs alongside the pleasure of discovery, storytelling and innovation, the Concorso internazionale is an open, inclusive place, which aims to mark the new territories of cinematic art. This is where the best forms of contemporary cinema converge. The Pardo d'oro award offers the Grand Prize of the Festival to the best film with an award of CHF75K to be shared equally between the Director and the Producer. There are also awards for Best Direction, two prizes for Best Performance and a Special Jury Prize.

Those seventeen films in official competition for the Pardo d'oro (Golden Leopard) are :-

* 'Animal' - from Greece, Austria, Romania, Cyprus and Bulgaria and Written and Directed by Sofia Exarchou. 

* 'Essential Truths of the Lake' - from the Philippines, France, Portugal, Singapore, Italy, Switzerland and the UK and Written, Co-photographed, Directed and Edited by Lav Diaz.

* 'Home' - from Portugal and Co-Written, photographed and Directed by Leonor Teles.

* 'The Human Surge 3' - from Argentina, Portugal, Netherlands, Taiwan, Brazil, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Peru and Written, Co-Produced, Directed, Edited and Special and Visual Effect by Eduardo Williams.

* 'The Permanent Picture' - from Spain and France and Written and Directed by Laura Ferres.

* 'Lousy Carter' - from the USA and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Bob Byington.

* 'Manga D'Terra' - from Switzerland and Portugal and Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Basil Da Cunha.

* 'Critical Zone' - from Iran and Germany and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ali Ahmadzadeh.

* 'Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World' - from Romania, Luxembourg, France and Croatia and Written, Directed and Costumes designed by Radu Jude.

* 'Obscure Night - Goodbye here, anywhere' - from France and Switzerland and Written, photographed, Directed, Edited, sound engineered and Art Directed by Sylvain George.

* 'The Invisible Fight' - from Estonia, Latvia, Greece and Finland and Written and Directed by Rainer Sarnet.

* 'Patagonia' - from Italy and Co-Written and Directed by Simone Bozzelli.

* 'Rossosperanza' - from Italy and France and Written and Directed by Annarita Zambrano.

* 'Stepne' - from Ukraine, Germany, Poland and Slovakia and Co-Written, Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Maryna Vroda.

* 'Sweet Dreams' - from Netherlands, Sweden, Indonesia and Reunion and Written, Co-Executive Produced and Directed by Ena Sendijarevic.

* 'The Vanishing Soldier' - from Israel and Co-Written and Directed by Dani Rosenberg.

* 'Yannick' - from France and Written and Directed by Quentin Dupieux.

This years 'Excellence Award' goes to Riz Ahmed, the 'Leopard Club Award' goes to Stellan Skarsgard and the Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Renzo Rossellini. For the details on the other Special Award recipients, the other competitive sections and a whole lot more good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://www.locarnofestival.ch/home.html

This week we have five latest cinematic releases to tease you out to your local big screen Odeon, launching with a comedy drama offering from a Director known for his quirky movie offerings that sees world-changing events spectacularly disrupt the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention in an American desert town in the mid-1950's. This is followed by a supernatural horror film about the crew of a cargo ship stuck in the middle of the ocean who must fight for their lives against a blood thirsty and terrifying unknown creature. Next up we have a high octane biographical sports drama film about a video  gamer's skills that wins him the chance to become a professional race car driver. Then we turn to a Sci-Fi comedy about how a man's quiet life gets upended when a UFO crashes in his backyard in rural Pennsylvania; before closing out the week with a drama about a movie location scout, while touring a repossessed chateau, falls for its flirtatious representative, who recounts the story of an influential book written there.

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

'ASTEROID CITY' (Rated M) - this American comedy drama film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Wes Anderson, whose previous film making credits include his debut in 1996 with 'Bottle Rocket' and then 'Rushmore' in 1998, 'The Royal Tenenbaums' 2001, 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou' in 2004, 'Moonrise Kingdom' in 2012, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' in 2014, 'Isle of Dogs' in 2018, and 'The French Dispatch' in 2021. This film saw its World Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in late May this year, where it competed for the Palme d'Or. It began a limited theatrical release in the US in mid-June before its much wider release a week later. It has so far grossed over US$47M worldwide off the back of a US$25M production budget and has received generally positive reviews.

The film follows Conrad Earp (Edward Norton), a legendary playwright on his world famous fictional play about a grieving father who travels with his tech-obsessed family to small rural Asteroid City to compete in a junior stargazing event, only to have his world view disrupted forever. Also starring an ensemble cast that takes in Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Jeff Goldblum, Hope Davis, Rita Wilson and Bob Balaban. The film serves as Anderson's homage to popular memory and mythology surrounding extraterrestrials and UFO's as reported in the Southwestern desert nearby to the atomic test sites during the post WWII period of the late 1940's and 50's in America.

'THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER' (Rated MA15+) - aka 'Dracula : Voyage of the Demeter' is an American supernatural horror film that languished in development hell for almost twenty years going through numerous Directors and lead Actors before eventually in 2019 Andre Ovredal was chosen to Direct. His previous feature film making credits take in 'Trollhunter' in 2011, 'The Autopsy of Jane Doe' in 2016, 'Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' and 'Mortal' in 2020. This film is an adaptation of 'The Captain's Log', a chapter from the 1897 Bram Stoker novel 'Dracula'. Here, strange and horrifying events befall the doomed crew of the merchant ship 'Demeter' as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage from Transylvania to London, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard - a legendary vampire known as Dracula. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck, with no trace of the crew. Starring Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian and Javier Botet as Dracula. It is released in the US this week too.

'GRAN TURISMO' (Rated M) - this American biographical sports film is Directed by Neill Blomkamp whose prior feature film credits take in his debut with the acclaimed 'District 9' in 2009, then 'Elysium' in 2013, 'Chappie' in 2015 and 'Demonic' in 2021. This film it is based on the PlayStation Studios video game series of the same name, and inspired by the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player aspiring to be a race car driver. Here then Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won him a series of Nissan-sponsored video game competitions in 2011 in which he became the third and youngest winner of the GT Academy competition, beating 90,000 entrants, to become an actual professional race car driver. Also starring Orlando Bloom, David Harbour, Djimon Hounsou, Gerri Halliwell, Thomas Kretschmann and Darren Barnet. Originally slated for a wide cinema release this week, this has been reduced to a limited release due to the SAG-AFTRA strike before its release proper from the 25th of this month. 

'JULES' (Rated CTC) - is an American Science Fiction comedy film Directed by Marc Turtletaub whose previous movie making credits take in his debut in 2013 with 'Gods Behaving Badly' and 'Puzzle' in 2018. although he has also accumulated thirty-four Producer credits, three as Writer and two as an Actor. Here then, Milton Robinson (Ben Kingsley) leads a quiet unassuming life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls 'Jules'. Things start to get complicated when two neighbours Sandy and Joyce (Harriet Sansom Harris and Jane Curtin respectively) discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. The film is released Stateside this week also.

'AROUND THE SUN' (Rated M) - this 2019 drama film was released in the UK in early August 2020 and only now does it get a release in Australia. Directed by Oliver Krimpas in his feature film making debut, here the story tells of a movie location scout Bernard (Gethin Anthony) who, while touring a repossessed and in a state of disrepair chateau in northern France, falls for its owners flirtatious representative Maggie (Cara Theobold), who recounts the story of an influential popular science book written and set there. But is their connection for real, or just a projection of the book's 17th Century characters? The film has garnered generally favourable reviews. 

With five 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-

THE FRENCH DISPATCH : Tuesday 14th December 2021.

I saw the 'THE FRENCH DISPATCH' at my local independent cinema earlier this week. This M Rated anthology comedy film is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Wes Anderson whose previous film making credits take in his feature length debut with 'Bottle Rocket' in 1996, then 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Isle of Dogs'. It was set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May 2020, and get a wide release on 24th July, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was cancelled and the film was pulled from the schedule in early April 2020. The film was rescheduled for release in mid-October 2020, before being pulled from the schedule again on 23rd July 2020 for an indefinite period. Eventually the film saw its World Premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-July this year, and was released in the US in late October. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and has thus far grossed US$41M exceeding its production budget of US$25M.

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper - Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun - in the fictional 20th-century French city of Ennui-sur-Blase, that brings to life a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch' where Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), the editor of the newspaper dies suddenly of a heart attack. According to the wishes expressed in his will, publication of the newspaper is immediately suspended following one final farewell issue, in which three articles from past editions of the paper are republished, along with an obituary. 

After a cycling tour of the city of Ennui-sur-Blase by reporter Herbsaint Sazerac (Owen Wilson) in which he guides us through some of the history, the colourful personalities, and the key locations including the arcade, pick-pockets alley, and a noted cafe comparing each place and the residents therein to the past and the present day and observing that whilst so much has altered, just how little has changed over the years in his beautiful city, we see Howitzer critiquing Sazerac's report, while the latter tends to his bicycle. 

The Concrete Masterpiece

J.K.L. Berensen (Tilda Swinton), a writer and staffer at The French Dispatch, is seen giving a lecture at the art gallery of her former employer, Upshur 'Maw' Clampette (Lois Smith), in which she goes into fine detail about the career of Moses Rosenthaler (Benicio del Toro). Rosenthaler, is a mentally disturbed artist serving a sentence in the Ennui prison for a double murder. Allowed out of his straightjacket he paints an abstract nude portrait of Simone (Lea Seydoux), a prison officer with whom he develops a close relationship. Julien Cadazio (Adrien Brody), an art dealer also serving a sentence for tax evasion, is so impressed by the painting that he offers to buy it despite Rosenthaler's reluctance. Upon his release, Cadazio convinces his family of art exhibitors to put it on display, and Rosenthaler soon becomes a sensation in the art world. Rosenthaler, however, struggles with inspiration, and devotes himself to a long-term project. 

Fast forward three years and Cadazio, his uncles Nick and Joe (Bob Balaban and Henry Winkler respectively), Clampette, Berensen, and a bunch of artists inspired by Rosenthaler, all frustrated at the lack of further artworks, bribe their way into the prison to confront him, only to discover that his masterpiece is in fact a series of ten frescoes painted onto the concrete wall of the prison hall. Angered that the paintings cannot be removed from the prison, Cadazio and his delegation gets into a physical altercation with Rosenthaler and the other inmates, but soon appreciates the paintings for what they are, and later arranges for the entire room to be airlifted out of the prison into a private museum in Kansas, owned by Clampette. For his actions in halting a prison riot that breaks out during the reveal of the paintings, Rosenthaler is released on probation.

Revisions to a Manifesto

Lucinda Krementz (Frances McDormand) a journalist for The French Dispatch, reports on a University student protest breaking out in the streets of Ennui that soon escalates into what becomes known as the 'Chessboard Revolution'. While the revolution initially is inspired by petty concerns over access to the girls dormitory, the traumatic military conscription of one student, Mitch-Mitch (Mohamed Belhadjine), leads to more stringent protests. The students’ cause spreads to the working class folk of Ennui.

Despite her insistence on maintaining 'journalistic neutrality', Krementz has a brief romance with Zeffirelli (Timothee Chalamet), the self-appointed leader of the uprising, and in secret helps him write his manifesto while they are in bed together, and adds an appendix. Juliette (Lyna Khoudri), a fellow revolutionary, is unimpressed with his manifesto. After they briefly express their disagreement about its contents and the appendix, Krementz tells the two to 'go make love', which they do. A few weeks later, Zeffirelli is killed while trying to repair the tower of a revolutionary pirate radio station, and soon a photograph of his likeness becomes symbolic of the movement. Years later, Krementz adapts the story of Mitch-Mitch’s conscription, and Zeffirelli and Juliette’s relationship, for a stage play.

The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner

During a television interview, Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) recounts the story to the interviewer (Liev Schreiber) of his attending a private dinner with The Commissaire of the Ennui Police Department (Mathieu Amalric), prepared by legendary Police Officer and acclaimed Chef Lt. Nescaffier (Stephen Park). The dinner is disrupted when the Commissaire's son Gigi (Winston Ait Hellal) is kidnapped and held for ransom by the criminal underworld of Ennui, led by a failed musician called The Chauffeur (Edward Norton), who is demanding the release of an underworld accountant called 'The Abacus' (Willem Dafoe), who possesses their combined financial records. 'The Abacus' is in a solitary confinement cell at Police HQ where the dinner is being held. Wright recounts his own imprisonment in that same cell for his homosexuality, for which he was bailed out by Howitzer and offered a job at The French Dispatch.

Following a late night shoot-out at the kidnapper's hideout, Gigi is able to tap out a message in Morse Code using a coin and a radiator to 'send the cook'. Lt. Nescaffier is sent into the kidnappers' hideout to provide both them and Gigi with food, but secretly the food is laced with poison. The criminals all fall victim to the poisoned fare, and Nescaffier barely survives (because to his strong constitution) after being made to taste test it first. The Chauffeur escapes with Gigi, and leads the police on an animated foot and car chase through the city. Gigi manages to escape out of the sunroof and reunites with his father. During his recovery, Nescaffier saves 'The Abacus' from near starvation by preparing him an omelette, the prisoner having been totally neglected in the fracas. Back at the office of The French Dispatch, Howitzer tells Wright to reinsert a deleted page. In it, a recovering Nescaffier tells Wright that the taste of the poison was unlike anything he had ever eaten in his life, before they commiserate over the state of both being foreigners in France.

In the epilogue, Howitzer is seen to be laid out on his desk, covered in a sheet very dead, on his birthday. The French Dispatch staff, consisting Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Fisher Stevens, Tilda Swinton, Frances McDormand, Griffin Dunne and the waiter (Pablo Pauly) who delivers the birthday cake all mourn Howitzer's passing, but all set to work on his obituary and on the final issue in honour of his memory. 

'The French Dispatch' is whimsical, quirky and imaginative Wes Anderson storytelling at almost its best (although not quite up there with 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'), and that's because with an opening prologue, a closing epilogue and three stories sandwiched between there is so much to take in, so much to see and so much to read on screen that it's really difficult to keep up. That said, the set designs are impeccable and richly realised, the assembled cast of A-list Actors is straight out of the Who's Who of European and American acting talent, and the sure fired quick witted dialogue is sure to raise a smile a least for even the most hard boiled viewers. As far the three individual stories are concerned not one of these stands out as being head and shoulders above the others and whilst each stands alone on its own merits, as a whole it's hardly the sum of its parts. All credit though to Director and Writer Wes Anderson for his truly unique approach to storytelling and film making, that makes his films stand aloft in a world dominated by comic book adaptations, RomComs, and shoot 'em up take no prisoners action fare.  

'The French Dispatch' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 9th December 2021.

The 24th British Independent Film Awards were presented on Sunday 5th December to highlight and reward the best, most innovative, and creative independent filmmaking and filmmakers in the UK. Identifying and encouraging emerging talent, the BIFA supports and celebrates the independent film community and promotes British film and talent to the public. Each year, the BIFA voters view the 300+ entered films. After a rigorous discussion-based selection process the long list and nominations are decided by confidential vote. The winners in most categories are decided by independent juries, newly appointed each year and not involved in the nominations process. These juries, comprised of leading professionals and talent from the British film industry, meet to discuss the nominated films and the winners are decided by secret ballot.

The winners, grinners and nominees in each category, are as given below :-

Best British Independent Film

* Awarded to 'AFTER LOVE', beating out 'Ali & Ava', 'Boiling Point', 'The Nest' and 'The Souvenir Part II'. 

Best Director

* Awarded to ALEEM KHAN for 'After Love', beating out Clio Barnard for 'Ali & Ava', Philip Barantini for 'Boiling Point', Sean Durkin for 'The Nest' and Joanna Hogg for 'The Souvenir Part II'.

Best Actor

* Awarded to ADEEL AKHTAR for 'Ali & Ava', beating out Riz Ahmed for 'Encounter', Stephen Graham for 'Boiling Point', Jude Law for 'The Nest' and James Norton for 'Nowhere Special'.

Best Actress

* Awarded to JOANNA SCANLAN for 'After Love', beating out Caitriona Balfe for 'Belfast',  Carrie Coon for 'The Nest', Claire Rushbrook for 'Ali & Ava' and Ruth Wilson for 'True Things'.

Best Supporting Actor

* Awarded to TALID ARISS for 'After Love', beating out Richard Ayoade for 'The Souvenir Part II', Lucian River-Chauhan for 'Encounter', Ciaran Hinds for 'Belfast' and Ray Panthaki for 'Boiling Point'.

Best Supporting Actress

* Awarded to VINETTE ROBINSON for 'Boiling Point', beating out Judi Dench for 'Belfast', Jo Hartley for 'Sweetheart', Nathalie Richard for 'After Love' and Tilda Swinton for 'The Souvenir Part II'.

Breakthrough Performance

* Awarded to NELL BARLOW for 'Sweetheart', beating out Lauryn Ajufo for 'Boiling Point', Max Harwood for 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie', Jude Hill for 'Belfast' and Ellora Torchia for 'IN THE EARTH'.

Best Screenplay

* Awarded to 'AFTER LOVE' by Aleem Khan, beating out 'Ali & Ava' by Clio Barnard, 'The Nest' by Sean Durkin, 'Benediction' by Terence Davis and 'The Souvenir Part II' by Joanna Hogg.

Best Documentary

* Awarded to 'POLY STYRENE : I AM A CLICHE', beating out 'Cow', 'Dying to Divorce', 'I Am Belmaya' and 'Keyboard Fantasies'. 

Best International Independent Film

* Awarded to 'FLEE', beating out 'Compartment No. 6', 'First Cow', 'Petite Maman' and 'Pleasure'. 

Cinematography

* Awarded to MATTHEW LEWIS for 'Boiling Point', beating out Matyas Erdely for 'The Nest', Magda Kowalczyk for 'Cow', Annika Summerson for 'Censor' and Haris Zambarloukos for 'Belfast'.

Best Editing

* Awarded to HELLE LE FEVRE for 'The Souvenir Part II', beating out 'Cow, 'Belfast', 'Censor' and 'IN THE EARTH'.  

Best Effects

* Awarded to STEVEN BRAY and MIKE KNIGHTS for 'DASHCAM', beating out 'Censor' and 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain'. 

Best Music

* Awarded to CONNIE FARR and HARRY ESCOTT for 'Ali & Ava', beating out 'Pirates', 'Encounter', 'IN THE EARTH' and 'Belfast'.

Best Sound

* Awarded to JAMES DRAKE, ROB ENTWISTLE and KIFF MCMANUS for 'Boling Point', beating out 'Cow', 'Censor', 'IN THE EARTH' and 'Encounter'.

Best Production Design

* Awarded to STEPHANE COLLONGE for 'The Souvenir Part II', beating out 'Boiling Point', 'Belfast', 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' and 'Censor'. 

The Douglas Hickox Award for Best Debut Director

* Presented to ALEEM KHAN for 'After Love', beating out Prano Bailey-Bond for 'Censor', Cathy Brady for 'Wildfire', Celeste Bell for 'Poly Styrene : I Am a Cliche' and Marley Morrison for 'Sweetheart'.

Best Debut Screenwriter

* Awarded to CATHY BRADY for 'Wildfire', beating out Prano Bailey-Bond for 'Censor', Aleem Khan for 'After Love', Marley Morrison for 'Sweetheart' and Reggie Yates for 'Pirates'.

In addition RIZ AHMED was named the recipient of the Richard Harris Award back in late November. The Richard Harris Award honours an Actor or Actress who has contributed significantly to British films throughout their career. It has previously been bestowed upon, amongst others, Kristin Scott Thomas, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helena Bonham Carter, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Julie Walters, John Hurt, Emma Thompson, Jim Broadbent and Glenda Jackson.

For further details and the complete list of all winners and nominees, you can go to the official website at : https://www.bifa.film/

Turning attention to this weeks five new films coming to an Odeon near you, we kick off with an anthology story set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in a magazine. Next up is a coming of age tale about a high school senior who embarks on a journey of self-discovery when a letter he wrote for a writing exercise falls into the hands of a grieving couple whose son took his own life. This is followed by a film based on truly possible events as two low-level astronomers embark on a grand scale media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet heading directly for Earth. Then there is a reboot of a highly successful action horror franchise set in 1998, and exploring the secrets of the mysterious Spencer Mansion and the ill-fated Raccoon City. And closing out the week we have a Japanese anime film about a high school student who struggles to survive with a young swordsman after it's revealed that she is trapped inside an online game, where if your hit points drop to zero, your brain will be destroyed in real life.

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 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.

'THE FRENCH DISPATCH' (Rated M) - is an anthology comedy film Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Wes Anderson whose previous film making credits take in his feature length debut with 'Bottle Rocket' in 1996, then 'The Royal Tenenbaums', 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'Fantastic Mr. Fox', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' and 'Isle of Dogs'. Following a delay from 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film saw its World Premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-July this year, and was released in the US in late October. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and has thus far grossed US$38M exceeding its production budget of US$25M.

A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper - Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun - in a fictional 20th-century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in 'The French Dispatch' where Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray), the editor of the newspaper dies suddenly of a heart attack. According to the wishes expressed in his will, publication of the newspaper is immediately suspended following one final farewell issue, in which three articles from past editions of the paper are republished, along with an obituary. The film stars an ensemble cast taking in Owen Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Lea Seydoux, Henry Winkler, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Cecile de France, Christoph Waltz, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe and Saoirse Ronan. 

'DEAR EVAN HANSEN' (Rated M) - is an American coming of age musical film Directed by Stephen Chbosky whose previous film making credits take in 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' in 2012 and 'Wonder' in 2017, and is based on the 2015 stage musical of the same name by Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul. The film saw is World Premier at the Toronto International Film Festival in early September as the opening night film and was released in the US later on that same month having received negative reviews from critics, who compared it unfavourably to the stage musical. Here then, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role from the successful Broadway stage show as Evan Hansen, a high school senior with Social Anxiety disorder who aches for understanding and belonging following the suicide of a classmate amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media era. Also starring Julianne Moore, Amy Adams and Kaitlyn Dever, the film has so far grossed US$17M off the back of a US$28M production budget. 

'DON'T LOOK UP' (Rated M) - this American satirical Sci-Fi black comedy is Directed, Written and Co-Produced by Adam McKay whose prior film making credits include 'Anchorman : The Legend of Ron Burgundy' and its sequel 'Anchorman 2 : The Legend Continues', 'Talladega Nights : The Ballad of Ricky Bobby', 'Step Brothers', 'The Other Guys' and then a change of tack to more dramatic territory with 'The Big Short' and 'Vice'. Here then, two low level astronomers Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Dr. Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence) attempt to bring to the attention of mankind, via a media tour to raise awareness, of an impending disaster that will destroy Earth, by way of an approaching comet. The film stars an ensemble cast taking in Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Timothee Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Matthew Perry, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis, Himesh Patel, Ariana Grande and Gina Gershon. This has a limited cinema release from this week before streaming on Netflix from 24th December, and cost somewhere in the region of US$75M.

'RESIDENT EVIL : WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY' (Rated MA15+) - this action horror film is Written and Directed by Johannes Roberts whose previous films include 2016's 'The Other Side of the Door', 2017's '47 Metres Down', and 2019's '47 Metres Down : Uncaged'. This film serves as a reboot of the 'Resident Evil' film series and the seventh live-action film overall, which was loosely based on the video game series of the same name. Since 'Resident Evil' first appeared in 2002, this franchise has seen 'Apocalypse' in 2004, 'Extinction' in 2007, 'Afterlife' in 2010, 'Retribution' in 2012 and 'The Final Chapter' in 2017, and together with this latest instalment the series has so far racked up US$1.253B at the global Box Office from combined production budgets of US$313M. Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company’s exodus left the city a wasteland, with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night. Starring Kaya Scodelario, Hannah John-Kamen, Robbie Amell, Tom Hopper and Neal McDonough, the film saw its World Premier in Paris in mid-November, went on release in the US on 24th November, in the UK last week, has so far grossed US$25M off the back of a US$25M production budget and has garnered mixed Reviews. 

'SWORD ART ONLINE PROGRESSIVE : ARIA OF A STARLESS NIGHT' (Rated M) - is a Japanese animated science fiction action adventure film based on the 'Sword Art Online : Progressive' light novels written by Reki Kawahara which serve as an expanded retelling of Sword Art Online's Aincrad storyline. The film is Directed by Ayako Kono, and is the second film after 'Sword Art Online The Movie : Ordinal Scale' of the Sword Art Online series. The film depicts the story of the encounter between young swordsman Kirito and high school student Asuna, covering the events on Aincrad's first floor, and in particular Asuna's initial struggle to cope with the realities of being trapped inside her new world - that of the game of Sword Art Online where thousands of players have already died. The film Premiered in Japan in late October. 

With five 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 at your local Odeon in the week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-