What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th February 2019.

Continuing with the coverage of awards season, Sunday 27th January saw the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards honouring the best achievements in film and television performances for 2018, staged at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Awarded to the finest big screen and small screen acting talent as nominated by the finest big screen and small screen acting talent, these awards have a special significance considering that those nominated are done so by their acclaimed industry peers. Hosted this year by Megan Mullally (she of Karen Walker fame on 'Will & Grace'), this years winners and grinners who walked away with the gong, and those that didn't, are given below :-

* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role : won by REMI MALEK for his role as Freddie Mercury in 'Bohemian Rhapsody', beating out Christian Bale for 'Vice', Bradley Cooper for 'A Star Is Born', Viggo Mortensen for 'Green Book' and John David Washington for 'BlacKkKlansman'.

* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role : won by GLENN CLOSE for her role as Joan Castleman in 'The Wife', beating out Lady Gaga for 'A Star Is Born', Olivia Colman for 'The Favourite', Melissa McCarthy for 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' and Emily Blunt for 'Mary Poppins Returns'.

* Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role : won by MAHERSHALA ALI for his role as Don Shirley in 'Green Book', beating out Timothée Chalamet for 'Beautiful Boy', Adam Driver for 'BlacKkKlansman', Sam Elliott for 'A Star Is Born' and Richard E. Grant for 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?'

* Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role : won by EMILY BLUNT for her role as Evelyn Abbott in 'A Quite Place', beating out Amy Adams for 'Vice', Margot Robbie for 'Mary Queen of Scots', Emma Stone for 'The Favourite' and Rachel Weisz for 'The Favourite'.




* Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture : won by Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Sterling K. Brown, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Forest Whitaker, and Letitia Wright for their individual roles in 'Black Panther', beating out 'BlacKkKlansman', 'Bohemian Rhapsody', 'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'A Star Is Born'.

* Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture : won by 'BLACK PANTHER' beating out 'Ant-Man and the Wasp', 'Avengers: Infinity War', 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' and 'Mission: Impossible – Fallout'.

* The Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to ALAN ALDA.

This week then we have seven latest release movies to tempt you out to your local Odeon during the week ahead. We start with a the frozen environs of the Rockies and one mans quest for revenge against those that killed this teenage son; then we turn to a biographical drama charting the early life and groundbreaking female equality times of one of America's Supreme Court Justice's; and then we have another biographical drama offering charting the life and times of a teenager in 1980's Detroit as he becomes the youngest FBI informant and drug dealing kingpin. Next up we have a horror thriller about six hapless strangers thrown together to play a game of escape or die in a series of situations put together by an unknown antagonist; before turning to an Australian drama about a man out of prison, his dead brother, a new crime boss on the scene and white supremacists and the impact of all of this on a local community. These are followed up by a biographical documentary about a world renowned Greek Opera singer and her lasting impact that still resonates to this day; before wrapping up the week with an acclaimed Lebanese drama film about a young lad who takes his mother and father to court for giving him the life he did not choose.

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

'COLD PURSUIT' (Rated MA15+) - here we have an American action thriller Directed by Norwegian film maker Hans Petter Moland whose previous Directorial credits include 'Zero Kelvin', 'Aberdeen', 'The Beautiful Country' and 2014's 'In Order of Disappearance' - which marked his fourth film with Stellan Skarsgard. And so in 2019 for an English speaking audience, we have a sort of remake of 'In Order of Disappearance', his own film from five years ago and based on the script penned by Danish Writer, Illustrator and Screenwriter Kim Fupz Aakeson. The film is released in the US this week too, and in the UK on the 22nd of this month.

And so to the plot. Here Nelson 'Nels' Coxman's (Liam Neeson) quiet life as a snowplough driver in his Canadian Rocky Mountains remote hometown comes crashing down when his beloved son dies under mysterious circumstances. His search to uncover the truth quickly turns into a quest for revenge against a psychotic drug lord named Viking (Tom Bateman) and his gun totting henchmen. Transformed from model citizen within the community to coldblooded revenge hungry vigilante, Coxman unwittingly sets off a chain of events that utilises Coxman's particular set of skills taking in a kidnapping, a catalogue of deadly misunderstandings and a turf war between Viking and a rival boss. Also starring Laura Dern as Grace Coxman with Emmy Rossum, William Forsythe, Julia Jones and Raoul Trujillo. You can expect to see Liam Neeson doing absolutely what he does best, a la 'Taken', 'A Walk Among The Tombstones', 'The Commuter', 'The Grey' and 'Non Stop' et al.

'ON THE BASIS OF SEX' (Rated M) - this American biographical legal drama film is Directed by Mimi Leder who previous feature film credits include 'The Peacemaker', 'Deep Impact', 'Pay It Forward' and 'Thick as Thieves' in addition to her impressive portfolio of television credits going back to 1987 up to the present day. This film recounts the story of the early life and early court cases of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) and who was the subject of a documentary feature film released last year titled 'RBG'. Ginsburg turns 86 years of age in March this year. This film however, charts her first year at Harvard Law School up to the early '70's and her struggles for equal rights and her early court cases which helped her shape her historic career that ultimately led to her nomination and appointment as a US Supreme Court Associate Justice. The film saw its World Premier screening at the American Film Institute Fest in early November and its wider release in the US at Christmas. Off the back of a US$20M Production Budget the film has so far recouped US$24M, has generated generally favourable Reviews and also stars Armie Hammer as RBG's husband Martin D. Ginsburg, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Sam Waterston, Cailee Spaeny and Jack Reynor.

'WHITE BOY RICK' (Rated MA15+) - here we have an American biographical true crime drama film Directed by the Brit Yann Demange in only his second feature film outing after 2014's highly acclaimed ''71'. The film Premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in late August last year, went on release in the US in mid-September, cost US$29M to produce, has so far recovered approaching US$26M and has received generally positive Press so far. Set in 1980's Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the War on Drugs, this film is based on the true story of blue-collar father, Richard Wershe Snr. (Matthew McConaughey) and his fourteen year old son, Richard 'Rick' Wershe Jr. aka White Boy Rick (Richie Merritt), who became an undercover police informant and later a racketeer and drug dealer and kingpin before he was abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for possessing more than 8kgs of cocaine. He was paroled in 2017 after nearly thirty years behind bars as a non-violent drug dealer. This is that story of the FBI's youngest ever informant. Also starring Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Piper Laurie, Eddie Marsan and Brian Tyree Henry.

'ESCAPE ROOM' (Rated MA15+) - this American thriller is Directed by Adam Robitel who is no stranger to the horror genre, and here he offers us a twist on the physical adventure game in which players solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints, and strategies to complete the objectives at hand. Players are given a set time limit to unveil the secret plot which is hidden within the rooms. This turn of events sees six adventurous strangers, Zoey (Taylor Davis), Ben (Logan Miller), Amanda (Deborah Ann Woll), Mike (Tyler Labine), Jason (Jay Ellis), and Danny (Nik Dodani) travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room - a game where players compete to solve a series of puzzles to win $10,000. What starts out as seemingly innocent fun soon turns into a living nightmare as the four men and two women discover each room is an elaborate trap that's part of a sadistic game of life or death. The film cost US$9M, went on general release in the US early last month and has so far taken US$98M at the Box Office and received mixed or average Reviews.

'THE COMBINATION : REDEMPTION' (Rated MA15+) - this film is the sequel to 2009's Australian drama 'The Combination' and is Directed and stars David Field, and was Written and stars George Basha, both in two pivotal roles, with Basha reprising his role as Lebanese Australian former prison inmate John Morkos. Set some six years after the events of the first film, John Morkos remains haunted by the events that led to the death of his brother. As John begins to rebuild his life, he finds time spent in the boxing ring at his local gym to be just the therapy he needs. Meanwhile, a ruthless new crime boss Nas (Johnny Nasser) seeks to expand his empire, and the formation of a radical group of white supremacists threatens to shatter the social fabric of the local community. As the gym becomes a focal point of these gathering forces, and the threat to the community begins to escalate, John must come to terms with his past, make the right decisions, and take a stand against seemingly overwhelming odds.

'MARIA BY CALLAS' (Rated PG) - Directed by Tom Volf, this French Documentary film is about the life and career of the American born Greek opera singer who lived from December 1923 until September 1977. Described as one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, her influence has endured over the years so much so that in 2006 it was written of her that 'Nearly thirty years after her death, she's still the definition of the diva as artist—and still one of classical music's best-selling vocalists'. Utilising previously unseen interviews, letters, and performances to tell her story through home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar. The film Premiered at the Rome Film Festival way back in November 2017, was released in France in December 2017, in the US in November 2018, and only now does it get a limited showing in Australia. The film has garnered much critical praise and has so far taken US$1.25M at the Box Office.

'CAPERNAUM' (Rated M) - this Lebanese drama film is Written and Directed by Nadine Labaki and had its world Premier screening at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival where it was in competition for the Palme d'Or where it took out the Jury Prize, following a fifteen minute standing ovation. The film is also up for the Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming Academy Awards amongst its total haul of 21 award wins so far and a further 22 nominations. The story largely plays out in a courtroom where twelve year old Syrian refugee lad Zain (Zain Al Rafeea), is brought before the presiding Judge. When asked the question 'why are you attacking your parents in court?', Zain answers 'For giving me life!' The film retraces the incredible journey of this child in search of his identity and who rebels against the life that was imposed on him. Nadine Labaki described the concept for the film thus 'At the end of the day, those children are really paying a very high price for our conflicts, and our wars, and our systems, and our stupid decisions, and governments. I felt the need to talk about the problem, and I was thinking, if those children could talk, or could express themselves, what would they say? What would they tell us, this society that ignores them?' Zain's performance has been highly praised although he was not an Actor at the time rather a twelve year old illiterate refugee, and all other performances in the film, aside from a small bit part by the Writer/Director, were non-professionals.

With seven 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-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 26th March 2015

You can tell it's fast approaching Easter, because there is another raft of new cinema content creeping into our multiplexes to get Mum's & Dad's, Son's & Daughter's, Husbands and Wives and kids of all ages out to the movie theatre's over the coming two week school holiday/long weekend period.

This week we have some serious gritty drama from war torn streets of a country divided for many years over its politics, religion and beliefs; an award winning foreign language film likely to cause a stir in its country of origin; a much loved animated classic given a fairytale live action makeover; a woolly stop motion animated feature from that English studio who have done this stuff before and have little left to prove; an animated feature of an alien invasion on our humble planet that goes awry and sees an unlikely partnership evolve that means so much more than either could have imagined; then a comedy about a hapless multi-millionaire who in convicted to do jail time but must learn to man-up on the outside or take the consequences on the inside (as it were!); a unlikely pairing of two male leads together for much of their lives and then torn asunder and rebuilding what they can of their fractured lives; and finally a film about a touchy subject and its ramifications on family and loved ones that doesn't take its subject matter too seriously nor too lightly.

With such a plethora of new films about to hit our Odeon's this week there really is something for everyone, and no excuse not to get out amongst it and sit in front of a big screen for a few hours and enjoy the film of you choice. When you have done so, share your thoughts, observations and opinions with the global audience at Odeon Online and make a Comment below this, or any Post. Enjoy your filmic experience!

'71 (Rated MA15+) - Written by Gregory Burke and Directed by French first timer Yann Demange, this film was released last week in Australia but to a limited showing only. Nonetheless is has received critical acclaim for its portrayal of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland, which began in 1969 and went through until 1997, from the perspective of a new recruit foot soldier effectively caught behind enemy lines and needing to get outta there before paying the ultimate price. With Belfast the centre of all the attention, the action and the troubles, we have here a city that is divided by Politics (the Loyalists on one side and the Republicans on the other) and Religion (the Protestants on one hand, and the Catholics on the other) and for almost thirty years opposing factions fought it out with guns, bombs, knives, death and destruction to make a point and gain the upper hand.

When teenager Gary Hook (Jack O'Connell) joins up and is promptly dispatched to Belfast he and his new recruit grunts serving in the British Army are sent to an area of Belfast where these opposing factions live side by side. Supporting the Royal Ulster Constabulary in routine house inspections, the new squaddies are alerted to an ever increasing mob of angry protesters who are congregating outside a house under inspection. When things get out go hand it all goes pear shaped and Hook and his fellow troops come under attack with rocks, human faeces, knives and anything that will maim and impair. Hook is wounded and separated from the remaining troops who scatter and are collected up to return to base. Not Hook though - he is on foot, scared, injured and alone in an extremely hostile and volatile environment with little means to protect himself. How this plays out you'll have to see for yourself, but suffice to say Demange has (re)created a tight tense and taught drama which O'Connell delivers through his performance to make this real, believable and in the moment.

LEVIATHAN (Rated M) - from the streets of war torn Belfast, to the corrupt streets of a small Russian coastal town, this Golden Globe winning, and Academy Award and BAFTA nominated film, charts the story of Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov), his wife Lilya (Elena Lyadova) and their teenage son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev). When corrupt Mayor Vadim (Roman Madyanov) arrives in town he eyes Kolya's property and small business and wants it for himself and so sets in place a trumped up and highly suspect repossession order at a fraction of its worth. As relationships are tested, emotions strained and the fabric of the family ripped apart, so Kolya enlists the services of good friend and former Army colleague Dmitri (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) who now has a legal practise in Moscow, and the two mount their own campaign to stop the Mayor and dig up as much dirt on him as they can. As the fighting factions go head to head who will gain the upper hand, and what will Kolya have left at the end?

LOVE IS STRANGE (Rated M) - this film was released Stateside mid-last year sometime and has taken a while to reach our shores Down Under. That said, here we have two strong male leads playing a same-sex couple Ben and George - John Lithgow and Alfred Molina respectively. Having been together for 39 years the couple decide to get married and having done so, George, who is a Catholic School music teacher, advises his employer and when the Archdiocese gets wind of this news, he is promptly fired! No longer able to afford their New York apartment, the couple are forced to split and bunk up with various friends and family. Living apart but still together the couple must find time for themselves in their new surroundings and accommodate, and be accommodated by, the new people in their lives whilst finding a new, cheaper, place to live. A learning experience for everyone. Also starring Marisa Thomei and Written/Directed by Ira Sachs.

INFINITELY POLAR BEAR (Rated M) - Mark Ruffalo must be one of the busiest Actors in Hollywood right now, because here he is again this week in another offering - this time in the Maya Forbes Directed tale of Cameron Stuart a bipolar manic-depressive father who almost single handedly is raising his two daughters - Amelia and Faith (Imogene Wolodarsky and Ashley Aufderheide respectively, and apparently both excellent!), whilst trying to win back the heart, confidence and respect of his wife (Zoe Saldana) by showing some control, responsibility and maturity. With strong performances from the principle players and very well crafted by Writer/Director Forbes this is tough subject matter told in a beautiful, nuanced, passionate thought provoking way that won't be for everyone, but is sure to find an audience as did 'Still Alice' and 'The Theory of Everything' more recently.

GET HARD (Rated MA15+) - Oh dear - what has Will Ferrell got himself into this time? I am sure that 14 years olds will flock to see this film of multi-millionaire hedge-funder James King (Will Ferrell) who has been convicted to serve ten years of hard labour in San Quentin jail for tax evasion.  Looking down the barrel of hard jail time King enlists the help, support, advice and guidance of local car wash operative Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) to prepare him for the trials and tribulations of life behind bars. Thinking that Lewis is a hardened criminal who has served time in the past, which of course he hasn't, King gets strung along because there is the promise of a pay cheque if Lewis can help protect him on the outside when he is on the inside. Lewis of course has never served time and is largely clueless to a life of internship, but plays along with the ruse acting up as the crim with a wrap sheet for his own material gain when really this is a case of the blind leading the blind, the dumb and dumber, and the stupid is as stupid does! One for the 14 years olds for sure! Enjoy seeing Ferrell mixing it up in Da Hood wit all da young dudes!

A LITTLE CHAOS (Rated M) - Here Alan Rickman stars in, and Directs his second feature film taking us back to the 1680's and the court of King Louis XIV, and most notably the completion of the grand gardens at the Palais de Versailles. Commissioning visionary landscape artist Sabine De Barra (Kate Winslet) who dismisses convention and prefers to act on her own modern instincts in the design of the gardens she comes to blows with the more classical designer Le Notre who has hired her to help complete the task in hand. In time she is drawn to Le Notre and must juggle her feelings for him, her own vision for the gardens and the etiquette of the Court of the King. She is however, made of sterner stuff which comes into its own when her fractured past is revealed, her feelings for Le Notre emerge and her need to garner support from the King and his followers becomes important to her own future success and well being. Starring Rickman as Louis XIV, Matthias Schoenaerts as André Le Nôtre, and Stanley Tucci as Duke Philippe d'Orleans, this is a fictionalised historical story that might just diminish an otherwise solid period piece.

CINDERELLA (Rated G) - Kenneth Branagh gave up a second outing as Director of the 'Thor' franchise to Direct this live action retelling of the classic fairytale that was told way back when by Disney in the form of the ever popular animated feature film 65 years ago, in 1950 would you believe? Here we have an all star cast that possibly reboots that timeless tale for a whole new audience, that includes Lily James as Cinders herself, Cate Blanchett as the evil stepmother, Helena Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother, Richard Madden as Prince Charming, Stellan Skarsgard as the Grand Duke, Derek Jacobi as the King and a list of others ably supporting. You know the story all too well of that I am sure, so no spoilers here and no need to retread old ground, except to say that in Ken Branagh the story and Disney's investment should be in safe, secure hands given the man's track record of Directing, his firm grasp of historical period stories, his ability to frame a set piece, and his know-how on big spectacle. The film was made for US$95M and at the time of writing had already grossed worldwide US$256M.

SHAUN THE SHEEP : THE MOVIE (Rated G) - Shaun the Sheep first hit our screens and our subconscious in 'A Close Shave' - that Wallace & Gromit film of 1995. Since then Shaun has helmed his own spin off TV series which has seen his wool price soar, and now he arrives on our big screens  courtesy of this talented stop-motion animators at Aardman. Here we seen Shaun taking a day off from grazing the farmland and in doing so bites off a little more than he can chew as he gets mixed up with the farmer, a caravan, a steep hill  and the big city. Before you know it, it's Shaun to the rescue and with the help of his flock he needs to bring everyone home to the farm to live happily ever after. With the voice talents of Justin Fletcher as Shaun and Directed by Mark Burton and Richard Starzack this is a feel good, laugh out loud warm and fuzzy movie for young and young at heart that is likely to capture your attention from whoa to go and is unlikely to disappoint - especially if you have seen Aardman's previous Wallace & Gromit instalments that are now classics of the genre and the art.

HOME (Rated PG) - Directed by Tim Johnson for Dreamworks Animation this has many familiar elements but delivers on emotion, heart, substance and a moral lesson for perhaps the younger viewers, who should be dragged along by their parents to see this lesson in life whilst watching a cracking yarn that could be ranked as one of Dreamworks finest animated features yet. When Planet Earth is 'invaded' by the alien race 'Boov' led by Captain Smek (Steve Martin) who are on the run from their mortal enemy, they begin relocating the earthlings to a desert planet to make way for themselves. One bright young girl however, manages to evade capture - 'Tip' (voiced by Rhianna) who is now on the run and searching for Mum Lucy (voiced by Jennifer Lopez) when she is befriended by alien 'Oh' (voiced by Jim Parsons) who has been banished by the Boov for revealing the location of the alien race to their sworn enemy. As the two form an unlikely friendship many adventures ensue and they both come to realise that what makes them so different draws them together and from this they can both learn to adapt and accept and appreciate the true meaning of 'home'. Again, one for young and not so young and a lesson in life here that could well be worth the price of your ticket . . . and then some!

It's a big week then for movies that offers something for all ages going into the Easter Holidays. When you have seen your movie(s) of choice. don't be shy - share your thoughts, views, observations and opinions with us all and be interactive in Cyberspace and at Odeon Online.

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-