What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 17th August 2023.

The 76th annual Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF) takes place this year from Friday 18th August through until Wednesday 23rd August. Established in 1947, in is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF showcases both UK and international films (all titles are World, International, European, UK or Scottish Premieres), in all genres and lengths. It also presents themed retrospectives and other specialised programming sections. 

This years Opening Night Film is 'Silent Roar' from the UK and Directed by Johnny Barrington in his debut feature film. A teenage tale of surfing, sex and hellfire set in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, this film has its World Premiere screening. The Closing Night Film is 'Fremont' from the USA and Directed by Babak Jalali. A deadpan dramedy about an insomniac Afghan woman unable to dream the American dream.

Awards are given for the following categories : The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film, with a £20K cash prize; The Award for Best Performance in a British Feature Film; The Award for Best International Feature Film, with a £10K cash prize; The Award for Best Documentary Feature Film, with a £10K cash prize; The McLaren Award for Best New British Animation; The Award for Best Short Film; The Award for Creative Innovation in a Short Film; The Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to a Short Film and The Audience Award.

In the New Feature Films section, the following titles are playing :-

* 'AFIRE' - from Germany and Directed by Christian Petzold. A procrastinating writer must face his insecurities in this sharp portrayal of creative hurdles, against the backdrop of a raging forest fire.

* 'ART COLLEGE : 1994' - from China and Directed by Liu Jian. Gnarly animation and slacker humour reign in this Chinese punk comedy.

* 'CHOOSE IRVINE WELSH' - from the UK and Directed by Ian Jefferies. Irvine Welsh in his own words, with Iggy Pop, Martin Compston, Danny Boyle and others paying tribute. World Premiere.

* 'CHUCK CHUCK BABY' - from the UK and Directed by Janis Pugh in her feature film making debut. Amid the vibrant neon lights of a chicken packaging factory, two women fall in love. World Premiere screening.

* 'FEMME' - from the UK and Written and Directed by Sam H. Freeman and Ng Choon Ping in their feature Directorial debuts. Here this queer erotic revenge thriller is a tense neo-noir film about desire and self-loathing.

* 'THE FIRST SLAM DUNK' - from Japan and Directed by Takehiko Inoue. Exhilarating basketball action meets teenage guts in this anime adaptation of a world-popular manga series.

* 'IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE?' - from the UK and Directed by Ella Glendining in her film making debut. A filmmaker examines questions of disability on a journey to find herself in others.

* 'JORAM' - from India and Directed by Devashish Makhija. Tough questions of land development and indigenous rights fuel this tense thriller featuring a woman hellbent on revenge.

* 'KILL' - from the UK and Directed by Rodger Griffiths.  Twisted grief and paranoia run through the veins of this gritty Scottish thriller.

* 'THE LYNDA MYLES PROJECT : A MANIFESTO' - from the UK and Directed by Susan Kemp. An exclusive, responsive, preview screening of Susan Kemp’s remarkable documentary in progress,  structuring this intimate and insightful portrait of Lynda Myles, invokes a form known to define, criticise, and shift paradigms in culture – the manifesto, an active document set to inspire anyone who programmes, produces or simply loves cinema today.

* 'ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY' - from France and Directed by Paul B. Preciado. Here the Director creates an electrifying work of fiction/non-fiction, a polyphonic retelling of Virginia Woolf’s 'Orlando'.

* 'PASSAGES' - from France and Directed by Ira Sachs. A love triangle makes for the thorniest and horniest film of the year. 

* 'PAST LIVES' - from the USA and Directed by Celine Song. A moving examination of South Korean diaspora told through a delicate tale of star-crossed friends.

* 'PROPERTY' - from Brazil and Directed by Daniel Bandeira. An unsparing new take on the home-invasion horror genre that will surprise and disturb.

* 'RAGING GRACE' - from the UK and Directed by Paris Zarcilla in her debut feature film. This smart, chilling debut merging gothic horror about an undocumented Filipina cleaner moving from house to house in London with her impetuous daughter Grace in tow, is saving up her meagre cash payments to get a visa and a more stable home for them both.

* 'SHOWING UP' - from the USA and Directed by Kelly Reichardt. Michelle Williams and Hong Chau star in this intimate drama exploring art-making, creativity and resilience.

* 'THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE' - from the UK and Directed by Hope Dickson Leach. Jekyll and Hyde trade London for Edinburgh in this cinematic retelling of the gothic classic from Robert Louis Stevenson. World Premiere showcasing.

* 'TRENQUE LAUQUEN: PARTS 1 AND 2' - from Argentina and Germany. Laura, a botanist, has disappeared. As the two men who felt they knew her best seek out clues to her whereabouts, they realise how little of Laura they ever really knew.
* 'UNGENTLE' - from the UK and Directed by Huw Lemmey and Onyeka Igwe. Histories of British espionage and male homosexuality intertwine in a mid-length film narrated by Ben Whishaw.

* 'YOUR FAT FRIEND' - from the UK and the USA and Directed by Jeanie Finlay. Here is a rousing portrait of author, activist and podcaster Aubrey Gordon, whose illuminating critique and lived experience as a queer fat woman powerfully interrogate the structures of anti-fat bias that damage and condescend to fat people on a daily basis.

For the full low down on the other film strands playing at the EIFF, you can go to the official website at : https://www.eif.co.uk/edinburgh-international-film-festival

Turning the attention then back to this weeks six new films coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick start with a biographical comedy drama that charts the story of the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. This is followed up with an American psychological thriller that follows a dominatrix and her wealthy client, and the disaster that ensues when he tries to end their relationship. Next is a crime drama thriller about a group of environmental activists who plot a daring plan to disrupt an oil pipeline. Then we turn to an Icelandic and Danish film set at the end of the 19th century, in which a young Danish priest is sent to a remote part of Iceland, but the deeper he travels into the Icelandic landscape, the more he loses a sense of his own reality, his mission and his sense of duty. Following on we have an American adult comedy movie about an abandoned dog who teams up with other stray dogs to get revenge on his former owner; before closing out the week with a South Korean offering about a man who is left in space due to an unfortunate accident while another man on Earth struggles to bring him back safely.

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.

'BLACKBERRY' (Rated M) - is a Canadian biographical comedy drama film Co-Written for the screen, Directed and also stars Matt Johnson. It is loosely adapted from Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff's book 'Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry'. Matt Johnson's two previous feature film offerings are 'The Dirties' in 2014 and 'Operation Avalanche' in 2016. This film saw its World Premiere screening at this years Berlin International Film Festival in mid-February before its Canadian release in mid-May, having so far grossed US$2.6M from a production budget of US$5M and garnering generally positive critical acclaim. 

The film is a fictional account of the creation of the BlackBerry line of mobile phones by co-founders, Douglas Fregin (Matt Johnson) and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel), and investor, Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) - the three men who charted the course of the spectacular rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone. Also starring Martin Donovan, Saul Rubinek, Michael Ironside and Cary Elwes. 

'SANCTUARY' (Rated MA15+) - this American psychological thriller film is Directed by Zachary Wigon in only his second feature film outing following 2014's 'The Heart Machine'. This film had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in mid-September last year and received a limited cinema release in the US from mid-May this year, having so far taken US$776K at the Box Office and receiving positive reviews from critics. Set over the course of one night in a single hotel room, the film tells the story of Rebecca Marin, a dominatrix (Margaret Qualley) and Hal Porterfield (Christopher Abbott), her wealthy client. About to inherit his late father's position as CEO and fortune as head of a hotel empire, Hal tries to end their relationship, but when his attempt to cut ties backfires, disaster ensues.

'HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE' (Rated M) - this American environmentalist action thriller film is Directed by Daniel Goldhaber, who also Co-Wrote the screenplay and Co-Produces here too. This is Goldhaber's second feature film following his debut in 2018 with the psychological horror film 'Cam'. This film relies on ideas advanced in Andreas Malm's 2021 book of the same name, where he examines the history of social justice movements and argues for property destruction as a valid tactic in the pursuit of environmental justice. Set for the most part in West Texas, the film follows a fictional group of eight young individuals who decide to blow up an oil pipeline at two key locations. It explores the moral validity of extreme actions in addressing the climate crisis, the question of terrorism, and the use of property damage and sabotage as activist tactics. Starring Ariela Barer, Sasha Lane, Jayme Lawson, Marcus Scribner, Jake Weary, Forrest Goodluck, Kristine Froseth and Lukas Gage. It saw its World Premiere screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, was released Stateside in early April this year, has generated largely positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$883K in Box Office sales. 

'GODLAND' (Rated M) - is an Icelandic and Danish Co-Production Written and Directed by Hlynur Palmason in his third feature film making outing after 'Winter Brothers' in 2017, and 'A White, White Day' in 2019. Set in the late 19th Century, here, Lucas (Elliott Crosset Hove), a Lutheran priest from Denmark is sent to Iceland to oversee the establishment of a new parish church, only to have his faith tested and challenged by the harsh conditions of rural life, including his inability as a monolingual Danish-language speaker to communicate with his assigned Icelandic guide, Ragnar (Ingvar Eggert Sigurosson). The film saw its World Premiere showcasing in the Un Certain Regard category of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, and had its North American Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has generated just US$1.1M in Box Office receipts. 

'STRAYS' (Rated MA15+) - this American adult comedy film is Co-Produced and Directed by Josh Greenbaum whose debut as a feature film maker was 'The Short Game' in 2013, which he would follow up with 'Becoming Bond' in 2017, 'Too Funny to Fail : The Life & Death of The Dana Carvey Show' in 2017 and 'Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar' in 2021. When a gullible Border Terrier named Reggie (Will Ferrell) is abandoned on the streets by his selfish and ruthless owner Doug (Will Forte), an animal-hating drug addict who never wanted him, he teams up with other stray dogs including a street-wise Boston Terrier named Bug (Jamie Foxx), an Australian Shepherd named Maggie (Isla Fisher), and a therapy Great Dane named Hunter (Randall Park) to get revenge on Doug. Also starring Josh Gad, Rob Riggle, Sofia Vergara and Dennis Quaid. The film is released in the US this week also.

'THE MOON' (Rated M) - is a South Korean space survival film Written and Directed by Kim Yong-hwa, whose previous feature film output includes 'Oh! Brothers' in 2003, 2006's '200 Pounds Beauty', 'Take Off' in 2009 and 'Mr. Go' in 2013. Set in the not to distant future, Korea's first manned mission to the Moon ends in a tragic disaster when an explosion occurs on board. Five years later, a second human spaceflight is launched successfully but a strong solar wind causes it to malfunction. One astronaut, Sun-woo (Do Kyung-soo) is left stranded in space. Facing another fatal catastrophe, the Naro Space Centre turns to its former Managing Director Kim Jae-guk (Sol Kyung-gu) to help bring Sun-woo back home safely. With a production budget of about US$25M, 'The Moon' was pre-sold in 155 countries before its release date commencing with South Korea on 2nd August. 

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-

TALK TO ME : Tuesday 8th August 2023.

I saw the MA15+ rated 'TALK TO ME' this week, and this Australian supernatural horror film is Directed by Danny and Michael Philippou and Co-Written by Danny Philippou in their feature film making debut. The film saw its Preview Screening at last years Adelaide Film Festival as the Closing Night Film and had its World Premiere showcasing at the Sundance Film Festival in January this year, before its release in the US, the UK and here in Australia from the end of July. It has so far grossed US$26M off the back of a production budget of US$4.5M and has garnered generally favourable reviews. Earlier this month Danny and Michael Philippou revealed that they had already completed principal photography on a prequel film and that they intend to release this project in the future. Additionally, the Philippou's confirmed plans to develop a sequel, stating that they've already written sequences for the project.

Our film opens up with a man, Cole (Ari McCarthy) stumbling through a crowded house party as he attempts to track down his brother Duckett (Sunny Johnson), who has locked himself in a bedroom. Cole shoulder barges the door to gain entry and retrieves an injured Duckett who has deep cuts to his back, before taking him into the kitchen and then outdoors where all the partygoers are recording the unfolding antics on their mobile phones. Duckett stabs his brother in the chest with a large kitchen knife and then himself in the face, killing himself in front of the house guests.

In the meantime 17-year-old Mia (Sophie Wilde) is struggling with the anniversary of her mother Rhea’s suicide and her strained relationship with her father, Max (Marcus Johnson). Mia, has been staying at her best friend Jade's (Alexandra Jensen) house with the blessing of Jade's mother Sue (Miranda Otto). One night Mia, Jade and Jade's younger brother Riley (Joe Bird) sneak out to a house party hosted by Hayley (Zoe Terakes) and Joss (Chris Alosio) where the main attraction is the severed, embalmed and inscribed hand of a satanist or powerful medium, which they use to conjure spirits by lighting a candle and speaking the words 'talk to me', before saying 'I let you in' for full possession. The candle must then be blown out before ninety seconds has lapsed otherwise the spirits crossover into our world. Mia volunteers to go first, and is possessed by a spirit that threatens Riley before Joss and Hayley rip the hand away and blow out the candle, bringing Mia back to her usual self.

Mia, has a sense of euphoria over the sensations the hand brought her, along with Hayley, Joss and Jade’s boyfriend Daniel all gather at Jade’s house the next night while Sue is out working. Riley repeatedly asks to be allowed to play the game but Jade refuses, and she leaves the room. Riley asks again and Mia agrees to allow him to play but only for a maximum of fifty seconds. 

And so Riley volunteers, only to be possessed by Rhea’s spirit (Alexandria Steffensen), who attempts to reconcile with Mia. The time limit is exceeded and Riley’s body is overtaken by the spirits, who cause the young lad to try to gouge out his own eye and then repeatedly smash his face against the edge of the table and cupboard causing him to be hospitalised. Jade returns to the room to witness Riley's intense acts of self-harm. Mia, is now haunted by visions of of her mother, and is rebuked by Jade and her mother, who blame her for Riley’s severe facial injuries.

Mia seeks comfort from her former boyfriend Daniel (Otis Dhanji) who is now with Jade, and invites him to sleepover as she doesn't want to be alone. Daniel is at first reluctant saying that it would be weird, but then accepts the invitation feeling sorry for Mia. She then assaults him while he sleeps by sucking on his foot after she’s possessed by a spirit, causing Daniel to wake horrified and leave in disgust. Mia realises that the spirits have followed them. Having secretly taken the embalmed hand from Jade’s house, Mia uses it to contact her mother, who tells her that her death was purely accidental and that she needs to help Riley, who is seemingly still possessed. While Jade is gently bathing Riley at the hospital he attacks her and falls to the tiled floor, then proceeds to violently and repeatedly bash his head against the tiled wall behind and then licks up his blood in front of her. 

Mia, Jade, Daniel, Hayley and Joss track down Cole (who survived the stabbing incident), who tells them that Joss was the one to give Duckett the hand which led to his death, and that Riley’s body will eventually reject the spirits and kick them out. Mia deduces that they need to complete the ritual by blowing out the candle, which they failed to do the first time, to save Riley. In the hospital by Riley's bedside Mia pulls out the hand and holds Riley's hand to it, and says 'Talk to Him', but nothing happens. Mia then holds the hand and she connects with the spirit of a little girl who shows her a vision of Riley being tortured in the netherworld. 

Afterwards Mia returns home, where Max reveals that Rhea’s death was no accident, and reads her a suicide note that he had hidden from her to prevent her from blaming herself. Mia retreats to her bedroom where Rhea’s spirit tells her that Max is lying before she is attacked by an evil spirit in the form of her father. Hearing the commotion, Max investigates and arrives just as the spirit disappears, and Mia inadvertently stabs her father in the neck with a pair of scissors.

The spirit of Rhea tells Mia that Riley needs to die in order to be set free, and so Mia tricks Jade and Sue into leaving the hospital. Mia goes to the hospital and enters Riley’s room, where he takes on the appearance of a rotting aged spirit, but she is unable to kill him. Jade meanwhile arrives at Mia’s house where she finds Max bleeding out before returning to the hospital just as Mia is seen pushing Riley in a wheelchair toward the highway. The spirits attempt to convince Mia to push Riley into oncoming traffic, but coming to her senses and realising this would hand him over to the spirit realm completely, Mia instead jumps in front of a car herself, saving Riley who is rescued by Jade.

An injured and bloodied Mia gets up off the highway and is suddenly transported to the hospital in which she sees a fully healed Riley, accompanied by Jade and Sue, and Max leaving. As she attempts to reach her father, she is transported into a black landscape with a circle of white light at the end, which she walks toward. Emerging, she finds herself on the side of the embalmed hand while other partygoers play the game, showing that she died saving Riley and is now herself, a spirit.

I have to say that I didn't find 'Talk to Me' to be that scary or horrific, especially given that it had been touted as the horror film of the year, but that said, the Philippou brothers for their feature debut have here crafted a solid and entertaining supernatural thrill ride that marks their firm entry into the genre. The young cast are all standouts, particularly Sophie Wilde and Joe Bird, who all carry off their characters convincingly, aided by a strong script, top notch practical effects and a sound design that helps levitate the tension beyond the ordinary. The Director's here have sacrificed the all too often over utilised jump scares for a story that creates a strong sense of atmosphere, fear, dread, grief and excitement by tapping into this otherworld of nefarious spirits for their teenage characters kicks, and in this respect the film delivers, and then some. In addition, at a run time of a lean 95 minutes this film does not outstay its welcome.

'Talk to Me' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps. 

-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-

BARBIE : Tuesday 1st August 2023

I saw the much hyped PG Rated fantasy comedy 'BARBIE' this week that is Co-Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach and Directed by Greta Gerwig, and is based on the Barbie fashion dolls by the world's second largest toy maker, Mattel. The film is the first live-action Barbie film after many computer-animated direct-to-video and streaming TV films. Greta Gerwig's previous feature film making credits are her debut with Joe Swanberg on 'Nights and Weekends' in 2008, before her breakout 'Lady Bird' in 2017, and then 'Little Women' in 2019. This film saw its World Premier screening in Los Angeles in early July before its wide release in most territories from 21st July, cost in the region of US$135M to produce, has so far raked in US$824M at the global Box Office and has garnered mostly positive critical reviews.

The film opens up with a riff on Stanley Kubricks's '2001 : A Space Odyssey' in which a bunch of young girls are seen playing with their baby dolls in the desert. The narrator (Helen Mirren) tells us that for a very long time girls have always played at being mother to their baby dolls . . . until one day when Barbie (Margot Robbie, who also Co-Produces here) stands tall amongst them and everything changed. At that the young girls start smashing their baby dolls into the ground, kicking them and destroying them wantonly, together with their tea sets, little prams and all the paraphernalia that goes with the innocent childrens playtime. 

We next encounter Barbie, named Stereotypical Barbie, and a whole host of other Barbie's all living in the perfect world of Barbieland - a matriarchal society where women are confident, successful and hold the power base. Their Ken counterparts spend their days at the beach while the Barbie's hold down all the important jobs - there is a President Barbie (Issa Rae), a Physicist Barbie (Emma Mackey), a Lawyer Barbie (Sharon Rooney), a Judge Barbie (Ana Cruze Kayne) and a Writer Barbie (Alexandra Shipp) amongst others. Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) is happiest when he is close to Stereotypical Barbie and seeks more from their relationship, but doesn't altogether know why, and is rebuffed anyhow by Barbie who wishes to maintain her independence and her close friendships with all the other Barbie's. 

That night at a dance party at her house, when all the Barbie's are dancing and the Ken's are all stood on the sidelines watching on, Barbie suddenly blurts out if anyone has ever thought about dying. At that the music comes to a grinding halt, all the Barbie's stop dancing and are motionless, and no one utters a word, except they all have horrified expressions on their faces. Embarrassed, Barbie says that she's just dying to dance, in an effort to cover up her question, at which point normality is resumed. The next morning, she wakes up and senses that something is not quite right in her world. She can no longer complete her usual routines, discovers that she now has flat feet and she has cellulite on her thighs. 

Revealing all of this to the other Barbie's, she pays a visit to Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) - a wise but disfigured Barbie who has been outcast by the others, who advises her that she must travel to the Real World in order to cure her hardship and locate the child playing with her. Initially very hesitant to leave Barbieland behind she is told that she has no choice, and so sets off alone in her car, only to find Ken stowed away on the back seat. Reluctantly Barbie allows Ken to stay and join her . . . as long as he's brought his rollerblades along!

The pair eventually arrive at Venice Beach having travelled by bicycle, rocket ship and boat and stand out wearing their very '80's roller skating gear in neon pinks, blues and yellows attracting the undue attention of the locals who for the most part mock them. Deciding they need a change of attire, they head into a clothing store and emerge with Barbie wearing a bright pink all in one suit and Ken dressed as a cowboy, only to be chased down the street for not paying. They end up getting arrested, finger prints and mug shots taken and released. 

Their antics are eventually brought to the attention of the Mattel CEO (Will Ferrell) who immediately orders for them to be captured. Meanwhile, Barbie is able to track down her owner, a young somewhat rebellious teenager named Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) who upon their meeting at school criticises Barbie for promoting unrealistic beauty standards and calls her a fascist. Upset by this outburst, Barbie discovers that Gloria (America Ferrera), a Mattel employee and Sasha's mother, is the reason behind her inner conflicts and crisis of confidence over her personal identity. Gloria had started to play with Sasha's old Barbie toys which were to be discarded while experiencing her own identity crisis, unwittingly transferring her own issues on to Barbie. 

Barbie, winds up at the Mattel Corporate Offices in Los Angeles where the CEO and his all male corporate executives attempt to put Barbie back in the box for remanufacturing. Barbie initially keen to step back inside the box has a change of heart and makes a dash for it, resulting in the CEO and his executive team all giving chase. Barbie escapes with the help of Gloria and Sasha and together the three head to Barbieland. In the meantime Ken has been walking the streets of LA and has had his eyes opened wide to the male dominated society present at almost every turn. Realising that the patriarchal system is the way to go, he feels empowered, respected and accepted for the first time in his hitherto female lead life. 

Ken returns to Barbieland where he persuades the other Kens (Simu Liu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Scott Evans, John Cena and Rob Brydon amongst others) to take control, as the Barbies are indoctrinated into subordinate roles, including maids, housewives, and attentive girlfriends. Barbie arrives and tries to convince Ken and the Barbies to return to the way things were, only for her arguments to fall on deaf ears. Barbie's house is quickly converted into Ken's 'mojo dojo casa' and she falls into a state of depression and anxiety, winding up laying prone on the floor face down in Weird Barbie's house. However, Barbie has her confidence restored when Gloria gives an inspiring speech about society's conflicting expectations towards women. 

With the help of Sasha, Weird Barbie, Allan (Michael Cera), and other discontinued dolls, Gloria uses her inspirational messages on all the Barbies to bring them out of their subservient roles. The restored Barbies then coerce the Kens into arguing and fighting amongst themselves and as such are distracted from altering the constitution to enshrine male superiority, while the Barbies retake their former positions of power. In the process, they also come to the realisation of the failings of their previous ways of life, and decide to make a number of changes in Barbieland, including the better treatment for the Kens and all outcast dolls. 

Barbie and Ken apologise to each other and acknowledge their shortcomings. Ken complains that he has no identity or purpose without Barbie, to which she encourages him to find his own identity. Barbie, who remains unsure of her own purpose and identity, meets with the spirit of Mattel Co-Founder Ruth Handler (Rhea Perlman) who states that Barbie's story has no defined ending and her ever-evolving history transcends that of her more humble beginnings. Barbie decides to become human and return to the Real World, and after the Barbies, Kens, and Mattel executives all bid her goodbye and good luck, some time later, Gloria, her husband (Ryan Piers Williams), and Sasha take Barbie, now going by the name of Barbara Handler, to her first appointment to meet with her gynecologist.

'Barbie' is like a big serving of pink sugar coated fairy floss that after a while you've simply had enough of that stuff and are compelled to ditch half of it in the bin. Greta Gerwig has here crafted a film that has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek while at the same time relaying a strong message about Barbieland matriarchy, Real World patriarchy, gender equality, female empowerment and social commentary. And in Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling we have a pair of expertly cast Actors who go all in to embody the spirit of Barbie and Ken, and who look like they had a real blast bringing those characters to life on the big screen. The production values on show at Barbieland are top notch; the musical song and dance routines which are kept mercifully infrequent are well placed and well choreographed; and the performances by the principle cast are whacky and engaging. All of that said, for a film that is ostensibly a comedy much of the humour failed to land for me, with the opening sequence only raising the slightest chuckle, and this movie's Box Office success is clearly down to the power of marketing over the sum of the films parts.

'Barbie' 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 3rd August 2023.

The 71st Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) this year launches on Thursday 3rd August and runs through until Sunday 20th August. MIFF is a not-for-profit organisation that has been continuously running since 1952, making it the leading film festival in Australia and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, alongside Cannes and Berlin. Presenting a curated global programme of innovative screen experiences and the world’s largest showcase of exceptional Australian filmmaking, MIFF is an accessible, iconic cultural event that provides transformative experiences for audiences and filmmakers alike. The festival takes place annually in various cinemas in the Melbourne CBD, presenting an acclaimed screening programme including films from local and international filmmakers, alongside industry events.

This years Opening Night Gala film is 'Shayda' from Australia and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noora Niasari and tells the story of Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, who finds refuge in an Australian women’s shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz rituals and new beginnings, but when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda’s path to freedom is jeopardised. The Closing Night Gala film presentation is 'Theater Camp' Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman and follows a ragtag cast and crew of theatre nerds who bring extra drama to save their beloved summer camp.

MIFF’s film competition, Bright Horizons, recognises the new, the next, the breakthrough and the best, with an extraordinary international line-up of first and second time filmmakers competing for one of the richest film prizes in the world - AU$140K. Eleven feature films are in competition, as given below :-

* 'Ama Gloria' - from France and Written and Directed by Marie Amachoukeli in her feature film debut. The drama film tells the story of six-year-old French girl Cleo's bond with her Cape Verdean nanny, Gloria. 

* 'Animalia' - from France, Morocco and Qatar and Written and Directed by Sofia Alaoui in her feature film debut. This drama Sci-Fi uses an alien invasion to peer across the stakes of faith and family in contemporary Morocco.

* 'Banel & Adama' - from France and Senegal and Written and Directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy. This drama film is a haunting tale of two star-crossed lovers set in a rural Senegalese village.

* 'Disco Boy' - from Belgium, France, Italy and Poland and Written, Directed and Co-Edited by Giacomo Abbruzzese. This dramatic thriller sees a rogue Belarusian harbouring dreams of slipping unnoticed across the French border, but the aspiration soon sours stumbling from terrible loss into the arms of the French Foreign Legion.

* 'Earth Mama' - from the USA and Written and Directed by Savanah Leaf. This drama film is about a young heavily pregnant black woman caught up in a spiral of institutional disadvantage.

* 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell' - from France, Singapore, Spain and Vietnam and Written, Directed and Edited by Pham Thien An. This drama film sees a detached and morose Saigon thirtysomething man who has little idea that his life is about to be pushed towards a vast spiritual reckoning, as he embarks on a mystical journey across a beguiling rural Vietnam.

* 'How to Have Sex' - from Greece and the UK and Written and Directed by Molly Manning Walker. High school is over and, before the reality of exam results hits, a trio of British teenagers are determined to have the 'Best! Holiday! Ever!' Tara, Em and Skye arrive in Malia, a party town in Crete, primed for a blowout of clubbing, binge-drinking and attempts at seduction.

* 'The Rooster' - from Australia and Written and Directed by Mark Leonard Winter in his film making debut. Here, a hermit and a suspended cop form an unlikely connection amid crisis while camping out in a remote forest, but, surrounded by trees, far away from any trace of civilisation, is everything really as it seems? World Premiere screening.

* 'Shayda' - from Australia and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Noora Niasari in her feature film Directorial debut. The film tells the story of a mother seeking a new life for herself and her daughter.

* 'The Sweet East' - from the USA and photographed and Directed by Sean Price Williams in his feature film making debut. This comedy drama film is about a school girl separated from her classmates on a school trip to Washington, DC who finds herself on a feverish journey through the eastern seaboard, falling into the orbit (or trap) of various freaks and interlopers who call the great nation of the US home.

* 'Totem' - from Denmark, France and Mexico and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Lila Aviles. This family drama presents a seven year old child’s-eye view of love, loss and life in all their messy, glorious, heartbreaking colour.

For all the other programme sections, the Australian films, the headlining films, MIFF Shorts, plus a whole lot more good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://miff.com.au/

Turning attention then back to this weeks six new movies coming to a big screen Odeon near you, we kick off with an American comedy offering that sees this adult son telling his old-school Italian immigrant father that he is going to propose to his all-American girlfriend, and Dad insists on crashing a weekend with her wealthy parents. This is followed by a biographical drama film about the illegitimate son of an African enslaved and a French plantation owner, who rises to heights in French society as a composer before an ill-fated love affair. Next up is a sequel to a 2018 movie about giant megalodon sharks surfacing from the deepest depths of the ocean causing mayhem above the water and below it too. Then we turn to a British comedy about a dream the women of Ballygar have to taste freedom - to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes. Following on from this is an Australian doco that sees this northern NSW farm besieged by drought, bushfires and ecological despair, and so begins a journey of discovery to regenerate the soil beneath the feet of this famed Aussie Actress and the land on her farm; before closing out the week with a French drama film about a man setting out to walk across France after an accident that could have left him unable to walk at all.

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.

'ABOUT MY FATHER' (Rated PG) - this American comedy film is Directed by Laura Terruso whose prior feature film making efforts take in her 2017 debut with 'Fits and Starts', then 'Good Girls Get High' in 2018, and 'Work It' in 2020. This film is Co-Written and stars the American stand-up comedian and Actor Sebastian Maniscalco and is loosely based on his life and his relationship with his father. This film was released in the US towards the end of May, has so far grossed US$16M off the back of a production budget of US$29M and has garnered generally unfavourable reviews. 

Sebastian (Sebastian Maniscalco) informs his traditional Italian immigrant father Salvo (Robert De Niro) about his plan to propose to his American girlfriend Ellie (Lesley Bibb), and Salvo insists on joining them for a weekend with her wealthy and extremely eccentric parents (Kim Cattrall and David Rasche). Despite the clash between their two cultures and initial perception of having nothing in common, they eventually become a single, unified family by the end of the summer holiday weekend.

'CHEVALIER' (Rated M) - is an American biographical drama film Directed by Stephen Williams whose previous big screen Directorial efforts are 'Soul Survivor' in 1995, 'Shadow Zone : My Teacher Ate My Homework' in 1997 and 'Milgaard' in 1999. Since then, Williams has worked extensively in TV. This film is based on the life of the titular French-Caribbean musician Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (Kelvin Harrison Jnr.), who lived from 1745 until 1799, the illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, who rose to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist, conductor, composer, a champion fencer and a fine dancer complete with a love affair and falling out with Marie Antoinette (Lucy Boynton). Also starring Samara Weaving, Marton Csokas and Minnie Driver. It saw its World Premiere screening at TIFF in mid-September last year, was released in the US in late April, has so far grossed US$4M and has generated mostly favourable critical reviews. 

'THE MEG 2 : THE TRENCH' (Rated M) - this Sci-Fi action horror film is Directed by Ben Wheatley whose previous feature film making outings take in his 2009 debut with 'Down Terrace' which he would follow up with the likes of 'A Field in England' in 2013, 'High Rise' in 2015, 'Free Fire' in 2016, 'Happy New Year, Colin Burstead' in 2018, 'Rebecca' in 2020, and 'In the Earth' in 2021. This film is the sequel to 2018's 'The Meg' (which grossed US$530M at the global Box Office) and is based on the 1999 novel 'The Trench' by Steve Alten. Here then, Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham, who reprises his role from the first film) leads a research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitched against colossal, prehistoric sharks and relentless environmental plunderers, they must outrun, outsmart and outswim their merciless predators. Also starring Cliff Curtis and Page Kennedy (also both reprising their roles from the first film) and Wu Jing, it is due for release in the US this week too. 

'THE MIRACLE CLUB' (Rated PG) - is a British drama film Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan whose previous feature film making offerings take in his debut in 1978 with 'On a Paving Stone Mounted', 'December Bride' in 1990, 'Nothing Personal' in 1995, 'Ordinary Decent Criminal' in 2000, 'The Heart of Me' in 2002, 'Stella Days' in 2011 and 'Citizen Lane' in 2018. Here then, set in 1960, the women of Ballyfermot, Ireland, dream of winning a pilgrimage to Lourdes in France. Four close friends 'win' a life-changing ticket at their local raffle night, thanks to their interfering priest. Starring Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith, Agnes O'Casey and Stephen Rea the film saw its World Premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival in early June, was released in the US mid last month, and is released in the UK at the end of September. It has received mixed or average reviews and has so far grossed US$1.6M at the Box Office.

'RACHEL'S FARM' (Rated PG) - this Australian documentary film is Directed by the British born Australian Actress, Director and Writer Rachel Ward whose previous feature film making credits include 'Martha's New Coat' in 2003, 'Beautiful Kate' in 2009 and 'Palm Beach' in 2019. For many years, Rachel's Nambucca Valley beef farm in northern New South Wales, Australia was a family retreat, conventionally farmed by Rachel’s neighbour Mick. The 2019 Black Summer fires spared the farm, but the near-miss sets Rachel thinking hard about the future. Mick encourages Rachel to challenge established farming practices, and take on a new approach which starts from the soil up. Its hands-on hard graft, but she’s determined, and her joy at finding solutions is palpable. 'Rachel’s Farm' is about the environmental threats we face, but it’s also the story of one woman’s resolve to tackle them head on, intent on making a difference. Rachel has been married to Australian Actor Bryan Brown since 1983.

'ON THE WANDERING PATHS' (Rated M) - is a French drama film Co-Written and Directed by Denis Imbert whose two prior feature film making credits are 'Vicky' in 2015 and 'Vicky and Her Mystery' in 2021. This film is based on the book of the same name by Sylvain Tesson. Here Jean Dujardin plays Pierre Girard a famous explorer and writer, who travels regularly throughout the world. One day, climbing a hotel frontage while drunk, he falls from high and winds up in a deep coma. When he awakes, he has difficulty walking but, against everyone's advice, he decides to walk through France from Provence to Mont Saint-Michel, following forgotten pathways. The film was released in its native France towards the end of March and is released this week here in Australia having so far grossed US$8M. 

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-