What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 16th October 2014.

This week we have four new offering to tempt the more mature audiences amongst us with decidedly dramatic intentions and featuring some big names to pique your interest. Not much here for the younger viewer it must be said, but that's OK, because there is always plenty of left-over cinematic content still doing the rounds to appease those needing that fix! And so we have an ageing English Hollywood action star reprising (possibly) his character from another franchise out for revenge and retribution of a different kind this time; we have a tale of overnight memory loss that you might just think you saw 14 years ago with an aspiring Director and Actor just starting out on their careers on the way to the big time; a breakout Australian made prison/heist movie from a first time Director and Writer; and a Swedish offering exploring family values, relationships and trust with the backdrop of a skiing holiday gone horribly wrong!

So when you have ventured out over the coming week to see something new on the big screen, drop your pearls of wisdom and your own Review in the 'Comments' section immediately following this Post, or any other, and let me and my other interested Reader know what you think. Don't be shy - your feedback is warmly encouraged! Enjoy your movie!

BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP (Rated MA15+) - Directed by Rowan Joffe this film is based on the best selling book of the same name by Author S. J. Watson and stars at its leads Nicole Kidman, Mark Strong, Colin Firth and Anne-Marie Duff. It was shot in London. The story will get you thinking about Christopher Nolan's 'Momento' released in 2000 and follows along similar-ish lines, but don't think you are just seeing a rehash of that film. The story surrounds Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman) who every morning wakes up in bed with a strange man who has to explain that he is her husband, Ben Lucas (Colin Firth), who she is, where they are, and what is going on in her/their life. This is all the result of anterograde amnesia, which she has suffered from for over 20 years as a result of a car accident in her early 20's. For Christine this means that every night her brain erases the memories of the previous day while she sleeps, and she awakes in the morning with no recollection of those events.

What unfolds we learn is that Christine is under the daily medical care of Dr. Nash (Mark Strong) who tells her that her condition is the result of an attack that left her for dead at an airport hotel. Dr. Nash also gives Christine a camera to record her daily thoughts and experiences on film, but which he must remind her every morning to play it back, so that in some way she can piece together her life and gain some clarity around her situation. Conflicting stories arise as the plot twists and turns on this largely suburban ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances with no memories of what occurred 24 hours ago to guide her, comfort her or inform her as more uncertainty, betrayal and gaps appear in what Christine knows, or is led to believe. Arriving on the scene too is a blast from the past that Christine starts to gain some faint memories of, Claire (Anne-Marie Duff), and when they reunite, more confusion, mixed messages and possible danger ensues. Who can she really trust therefore, and possibly, not even herself! A taught psychological drama that will make you think just how lucky you are to have your memories intact, as Kidman puts in a strong performance of the memory challenged everywoman - just as another up & coming Australian Actor did 15 years ago - Guy Pearce!

A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES (Rated MA15+) - this too is a film based on a book of the same name by Lawrence Block, and Directed by Scott Frank. This film stars at its lead Liam Neeson, and you would be forgiven for thinking that with such a title this is just another 'Taken' or 'Unknown' or 'Non-Stop' that Neeson is turning out every 18 months or so in order to pay the bills. He has become adept and clearly the go-to grizzled ageing actor that can still play act at convincingly defending his corner with an arsenal of sharp wits, gadgets and household implements (a little like Robert McCall in the recent 'Equalizer' me thinks!) That said, here he is an ex-NYPD Officer (Matthew Scudder) who in 1992 shot dead a seven year old girl by mistake during a shoot out with low life crims. He discharged himself from the force, crawled inside a bottle and in 1999 we find him attending AA and moonlighting as a private investigator for hire. He is duly hired by a man who's wife was kidnapped and then chopped up into little pieces and sent back to him, even though he paid the $400K ransom demanded. And so Scudder goes on the man hunt, and discovers more than he bargained for. He is not one here though for physical violence - more good old fashioned policing preferring to pound the beat for clues, talk to suspects and witnesses in a low-key considered way, and use his diplomacy and tact to avoid confronting situations. He is also battling his own demons too and he must bring this, and those he is searching for under control before it's too late for everyone. Rated as a solid performance from Neeson, and a notch up from those previously mentioned Neeson outings this may be a pleasant surprise that might just spawn a sequel for Actor and Director based on other Scudder character books in the series.

SON OF A GUN (Rated MA15+) - written and Directed by Julius Avery this is the debut feature film for the Pemberton born award winning moviemaker. This story takes us to a violent Western Australian prison wherein resides a Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor) who is doing time as criminal mastermind and Australia's Public Enemy numero uno. Convicted of a petty crime 19 year old JR (Brenton Thwaites) finds himself doin' time on a six month stint with Lynch who quickly takes the young impressionable lad under his wing and tutelage. This of course comes at a price which will have to be repaid later on in the film. And so in the meantime a daring air-escape from the prison is planned which takes JR, Lynch and fellow cohorts Sterlo (Matt Nable) and Merv (Eddie Baroo) over the fence and to their freedom to pitch a daring heist on a gold mine masterminded by criminal kingpin Sam (Jacek Korman) which is set up to make them all millions! As JR gets pulled into the web of Lynch and his underworld gang members a father/son relationship starts to unfold, but in the aftermath of the heist as things start to unravel and go belly up so a cat & mouse game ensues which will take JR and Lynch on a collision course which will test their trust, loyalty and relationship with each other. Featuring some daring action set pieces, Western Australian locations, and an of the moment prison escape story with a solid central character this might just surprise and delight over and above those films seen before of the same genre.

FORCE MAJEURE (Rated M) - a Swedish film about a Swedish family who travel to holiday in the French Alps for a spot of skiing and family bonding. The sun shines, the snow lays fresh and thick on the ground and the scenery is spectacular. Lunching in a nearby hostelry the family sit in idyllic surroundings gazing in wonder at the mountain ranges before them, when an avalanche strikes sending snow cascading down the mountain side . . . in their general direction. When the realisation dawns that  tonnes of snow is about to impact their peaceful lunch and engulf their very existence all patrons flee for their lives. When mother Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) tries to protect her children Vera and Harry (Clara and Vincent Wettergren respectively) and calls out for husband Tomas (Johannes Kuhnke) he is no where in sight having been seen hot tailing it outta there in the opposite direction with not a care in the world except for his own skin! When the reality of the situation clears and the avalanche did not strike the peaceful lunchtime venue and all souls are saved, the hilarity of the matter soon turns to anger, resentment and a questioning of family values and priorities with all eyes on Dad! With the family's lives now turned asunder, a marriage in question, and the place of the man as the patriarch of the family in doubt, Tomas is left to struggle to regain his place in the family pecking order; win back confidence, respect and love; and prove himself worthy to continue being part of this family unit. Comedic, dramatic, questioning and bold this film won the Jury Prize at this years Cannes Film Festival, it appeared in the Special Presentations at the Toronto International Film Festival this year, and is the Swedish entry for Best Foreign Film at the 2015 Academy Awards.

That's it then - four movie marvels making for tough decisions dependant on where your film tastes and preferences lie. Plenty to enjoy nonetheless, and be sure to share your cinematic experience when you're done. Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 12th - 18th October 2014.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week? 

Hugh Jackman does, on 12th October  - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer or Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 12th October

• Hugh Jackman : Born 1968, turns 46 - Actor | Producer | Singer

Monday 13th October

• Sacha Baron Cohen - Born 1971, turns 43 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Singer
• Kelly Preston - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actress
• Chris Carter - Born 1956, turns 58 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Paul Simon - Born 1941, turns 73 - Singer | Songwriter | Composer | Actor

Tuesday 14th October

• Mia Wasikowska - Born 1989, turns 25 - Actress
• Ben Wishaw - Born 1980, turns 34 - Actor
• Steve Coogan - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Roger Moore - Born 1927, turns 87 - Actor
• Lori Petty - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actress | Producer | Director
• Cliff Richard - Born 1940, turns 74 - Singer | Songwriter | Actor

Wednesday 15th October

• Michael Caton-Jones - Born 1957, turns 57 - Director | Producer | Actor

Thursday 16th October

• Tim Robbins - Born 1958, turns 56 - Actor | Director | Producer | Writer
• Angela Lansbury - Born 1925, turns 89 - Actress | Singer
• David Zucker - Born 1947, turns 67 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor | Songwriter
• Gary Kemp - Born 1959, turns 55 - Actor | Singer | Songwriter

Friday 17th October

• Margot Kidder - Born 1948, turns 66 - Actress
• Lawrence Bender - Born 1957, turns 57 - Producer | Actor
• Eminem - Born 1972, turns 42 - Singer | Songwriter | Producer | Actor

Saturday 18th October

• Zac Efron - Born 1987, turns 27 - Actor | Producer | Singer
• Jean-Claude Van Damme - Born 1960, turns 54 - Actor | Producer | Writer | Director
• Bob Weinstein - Born 1954, turns 60 - Producer

Hugh Michael Jackman was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia to Grace McNeil and Christopher John Jackman. Both English, he is the youngest of five children. His parents moved to Australia just before his birth in 1968, as part of the 'Ten Pound Pom' programme. When he was eight years of age his parents divorced and his mother returned to England to live with his two sisters, leaving him, his two brothers and his Accountant Father in Australia.

Jackman attended Pymble Public School and then Knox Grammar School where he starred in the 1985 production of 'My Fair Lady', and in 1986 he became the School Captain. After graduating from school he spent a gap year working at Uppingham School in England, and following his return he attended the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) and graduated from there in 1991 with a BA Degree in Communications. In his last year at UTS he took drama classes to earn extra credits, and after finishing there he spent a year at the Actors Centre in Sydney completing 'The Journey'. This lead to an offer to star in the popular TV Series 'Neighbours' which he turned down to attend the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts at Edith Cowan University in Perth - from which he graduated in 1994.

His first major role came in a ten part drama series for the ABC in 1995, 'Correlli' - which ended after its first season. From there though he gained more TV work starring in 'Blue Heelers', 'The Man from Snowy River' and 'Halifax f.p.' but it was 1999 that gave him his breakout film roles in 'Erskineville Kings' and 'Paperback Hero'. In the meantime Jackman had been treading the boards and gaining a following for his lead role in the West End stage production of 'Oklahoma'. As the century drew to a close, he was cast in a film in 1999 that would cement his big screen career forever - Bryan Singer's 'X-Men' released in 2000 as brooding, angry, tormented and clawed Wolverine. He would go on to reprise this role another six times to date in 'X2', 'X-Men : The Last Stand', 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine', 'X-Men : First Class', 'The Wolverine' and most recently 'X-Men : Days of Future Past'.

2001 gave him three roles - in 'Kate & Leopold' with Meg Ryan, 'Someone Like You' with Ashley Judd and 'Swordfish' with John Travolta. Following 'X2' in 2003 he appeared as monster slayer Gabriel Van Helsing in 'Van Helsing' to mixed reviews, but his rapidly rising star status brought 'The Prestige' in 2006 with Christian Bale, Michael Caine, David Bowie and Scarlett Johansson. That same year also saw 'The Fountain' with Rachel Weisz, the Woody Allen offering of that year 'Scoop' with Scarlett Johansson again and 'X-Men : The Last Stand'. In closing out 2006 he also lent his voice talents to animated feature films 'Happy Feet' and 'Flushed Away'.

2008 brought in 'Deception' and then Baz Luhrmann's epic historical period drama 'Australia' with Nicole Kidman. Leading on from this 'X-Men Origins : Wolverine' came out in 2009 and 'X-Men : First Class' in 2011 with 'Les Miserables', 'The Wolverine', 'Prisoners' and 'X-Men : Days of Future Past' bringing us up to date. For future release there is 'Chappie' and 'Pan' both currently in post-production for a 2015 release, 'Broadway 4D' currently filming, 'X-Men : Apocalypse' in pre-production for a 2016 release and recently announced 'The Greatest Showman on Earth' and another as yet untitled Wolverine sequel for 2017.

He has 48 acting credits to his name, and has garnered so far 18 award wins and 55 nominations for his stage and screen performances. These include an Academy Award nomination for 'Les Miserables'; a Golden Globe win for 'Les Miserables' and a nomination for 'Kate & Leopold'; a BAFTA nomination for 'Les Miserables'; a Primetime Emmy win for his hosting of the '58th Annual Tony Awards' and two other nominations; and two Tony Awards for 'The Boy from Oz' and a special award granted in 2012.

Whilst making films he has also enjoyed a reasonably successful stage career too with 2002's 'Carousel', 'The Boy from Oz' in 2003, 2004 and 2006, 'A Steady Rain' in 2009, 'Hugh Jackman, Back on Broadway' in 2011 and 'The River' in 2014. He hosted the Tony Awards four times, Saturday Night Live and the Academy Awards. In 2005 he formed his own Production Company - Seed Productions with good friend John Palermo and wife Deborah-Lee Furness - based in Sydney their intention is to make modest budget films harnessing local Australian talent.

Off stage and screen Jackman is a long time advocate of 'microcredit'; a Global Advisor of the 'Global Poverty Project'; a 'World Vision' ambassador; a patron of the 'Bone Marrow Institute of Australia' and in 2009 he used his Twitter account to donate AU$100K to 'Charity : Water' and 'Operation of Hope'. Also that year he and 'A Steady Rain' co-star Daniel Craig raised US$1.55M from curtain call donations in support of 'Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS'.

Jackman is a long time supporter of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles NRL Team, he plays the piano, can swing a golf club, has been known to windsurf and practises yoga and transcendental meditation. He married Deborah-Lee Furness in 1996 and they have two adopted children - Oscar Maximillian and Ava Eliot.

Hugh Jackman - multi-talened showman of stage and screen, song & dance man, true-blue ocker Aussie at heart, handsome, charming and superhero-esque, Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

GONE GIRL - Tuesday 7th October 2014.

'GONE GIRL' which I saw at my local multiplex earlier this week must rank as one of the most hotly anticipated films of the year underscored by a great story adapted for the big screen by the author of the book of the same name (Gillian Flynn), Directed by an accomplished and astute film-maker (David Fincher) and starring in its lead roles Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike who turn in equally strong performances. Fincher has been around the traps now for long enough and has a strong pedigree - he knows how to put a good story on screen; set up his shots with clean, crisp, seamless clarity; and extract nuanced performances from his Actors.

This is a film about 21st century marriage, the fragility of relationships, what we think we know about our partner, and the lengths that some will go to in order to move on. And so to the story. The film opens with Nick Dunne (Affleck) sauntering into 'The Bar' at about 10:30am and ordering a Bourbon from the bar tender whom we soon learn is his sister, Margo Dunne (Carrie Coon [and co-owner of this watering hole with him]). In these first few minutes we learn how close this brother/sister relationship is, how they stand by each other no matter what, and how he can confide in her with his real feelings about his wife Amy (Pike). It is the morning too of their fifth wedding anniversary, and Nick is plucking up the courage to return home and ask Amy for a divorce. The conversation over the bar is interrupted by a phone call from a goodly neighbour, and Nick returns home to retrieve the escaped family cat.

On entering the house Nick observes signs of a seemingly violent struggle - there is an upturned smashed coffee table, furniture is overturned and there is a blood splatter mark above the kitchen range hood. He calls out for Amy but there is no response, the house is empty, he calls the Police. Fairly soon afterwards the Police arrive in the form of Detective Rhonda Boney (Kim Dickens) and Officer Jim Gilpin (Patrick Fugit). They survey the scene, take notes, make their own observations and so the hunt is on. But - without a body is this a kidnapping, is it a murder, what is it?

The first half of the film is largely told from Nick's perspective - how he met Amy and fell in love almost instantly and then over time, the deterioration of their relationship. In between time Nick looses his job, and then Amy hers as a famous children's book series author and they are forced to relocate from New York to Nick's childhood home of North Carthage, Missouri to attend to his sick mother who is dying of breast cancer - and within two years she is dead!

As the Police start probing further and further into the disappearance of Amy and her suspected murder, so the media go into overdrive given her renown and how seemingly up to now she has led a charmed life. Nick is distant as the investigation seems to close in on him - he is calm, relaxed, smiles for the cameras and is grateful for everyone's volunteer help as the town joins the search for missing Amy. But is all this a front as he tries to remain balanced in his adversity - did he really do it, is he trying to cover something up, or is this just his way of dealing with the emotional trauma confronting him? He is admonished on television, on talk back shows, in the news, in the press and in social media for not demonstrating the behaviours that someone in his position should be! As the film progresses we learn more of Nick, and it's not all sunshine and rainbows either!

Moving forward we learn more of Amy too but this is delivered in flash back through her writings in her diary, and this reveals in time the cracks in their relationship, the breakdown in their interaction with each other and her innermost fears for her personal safety at his hands. But, is all this as it it would seem? As the Police close in so more questions are revealed than are answered, until the diary is found and the 'evidence' confronting husband Nick is almost overwhelming . . . or is it?

The plot here twists and turns as Amy's ex-lovers enter the fray with their own tales of broken relationships and the aftermath of it - including Desi Collings (Neil Patrick Harris) who throws a life-line only to have it snatched from under him later on. There are various others on the sidelines too that come and go and play small but not insignificant parts in the proceedings as we approach the final chapter. Tanner Bolt (Tyler Perry) is a famous expert defence lawyer who is recruited on a US$100K retainer  to defend Nick when the inevitability of the situation, and the Missouri death penalty for murder, all finally dawns on him. This too is handled well without any courtroom operatics, over dramatisation - just keeping it grounded and real.

All of this is delivered with a deft touch, everything is not necessarily as it seems, and tables are turned back & forth before the final verdict is reached. The film will keep you guessing as lives come apart and are patched-up, the carefully interwoven plot steadily reveals itself, and the hold that Nick and Amy have over each other comes full circle. Ben Affleck puts in another great turn as the seemingly wronged everyman (he really does improve steadily with age and with every performance as he matures as an Actor and Director) and Rosamund Pike is the star of this show showing us her full range of acting ability in ways that you won't expect, but also keeping her Amy grounded, real and believable. And as for David Fincher - he's done it before, and in 'Gone Girl' he has done it again with a great film in every respect that more than nods at the murder mystery thrillers also delivered so well by one Mr. Alfred Hitchcock!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ROCK OF AGES - archive from 19th June 2012.

Had to see 'ROCK OF AGES' last night - what a blast and very enjoyable it was too! Tom Cruise like you never seen him before (except for Les Grossman maybe!) and living it up in a 1987 LA as ageing Rock God Stacee Jaxx channelling in equal measure Iggy Pop, Axl Rose, Keith Richards, Jim Morrison with a little Bon Jovi and Def Leppard thrown in - he laps up the role, is clearly enjoying the self mockery, looks great (check out the cod-piece) and is quite brilliant. He prepared for the role by taking singing lessons for five hours a day, convinced early on that he wouldn't be able to pull it off. All actors sang their own songs in the film production!

The plot is paper thin but that doesn't really matter with star turns from a heap of supporters that are clearly relishing the nostalgia - Catherine Zeta-Jones, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Bryan Cranston and Mary J. Bligh amongst others. The story surrounds young kids migrating from country hicksville to the big smoke with dreams of hitting it big in the music industry; the local live music club with tax payment issues in fear of being closed down; the straight laced local politicians campaigning against such devil music and the venues that play it; and the infighting between Stacee Jaxx and his band, Arsenal, and the repercussions of this. Somewhere in there too there is some love interest, betrayal, reconciliation . . . and, sex and drugs and surprise surprise Rock 'n' Roll, and guess what too . . . everyone lives happily ever after!

Some great tunes belted out by the cast with the best for the Cruisemeister himself which he turns in very well. Catherine Zeta-Jones is not left out and nor are Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand who do a great romantic ballad together that you have to see! There are cameo's too from a number of Rock personalities from that era still belting out a tune today that add weight to the story, and there is a monkey too which is amusing in its own way!

All that said, it's worth the price of the ticket alone to see Tom Cruise strutting his stuff replete with six pack abs, waving locks and tattoo's aplenty, and doing it so well - he IS Stacee Jaxx! At a cost of US$75M to make, this film tanked at the global Box Office limping home with a haul of just US$60M. The film picked up one award win and nine other nominations in the final analysis including the win for Favourite Movie Actor for Diego Boneta at the ALMA Awards, as well as Worst Film from the Village Voice Film Poll! Rent it on DVD or BluRay now and decide for yourself!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 9th October 2014.

The boys and girls of Australia returned to academia earlier this week for Term 4 of school studies, end of year tests and HSC exams. Our clocks moved forward an hour for daylight saving and with the beautiful warm sunny days we have experienced over the recent long weekend this can only mean that Summer is well & truly on the way! And so, what better way is there to celebrate longer days and warmer evenings than with a movie of your choice at your local picture house?

This week we have just three offerings to tease you out to your multiplex or local independent theatre and these hail from the US, from Australia and from India. We have some big names, some no names and some four legged friends as we go from courtroom, to bushland to outback foreign climes with justice, redemption and doing the right thing connecting all three very different offerings.

When you have seen any one of this weeks latest releases, or the multitude of others currently doing the rounds out there in moviedom and as Previewed in prior weeks, drop me a note in the 'Comments' section of this, or any 'Post', and let me and my other ardent Reader know what you thought. Enjoy your film . . . or two!

THE JUDGE (Rated M) - I do like a good riveting court room drama and when it is mashed up with family tension, a guy out of his comfort zone, plot twists and turns, some big name performances and high expectations then you just have to pay your $20 and go see this! 'The Judge' is Written, Produced and Directed by David Dobkin and pits together young son and hot shot big city lawyer Henry 'Hank' Palmer (Robert Downer Jnr.) and his country living estranged father Judge Joseph 'Joe' Palmer (Robert Duvall) with a solid cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Vincent D'Onofrio and the always dependable Billy Bob Thornton, all underpinned by a great story.

The story centres around Hank returning to his childhood home (Carlinville, Indiana) for the funeral of his mother, and in doing so discovers that his father Joe - the town Judge, is suspected of murder. What unfolds is Hank defending his father against ruthless local prosecuting lawyer Dwight Dickham (Thornton) who seems hell bent on a conviction, whilst at the same time struggling to reconnect with his estranged Dad, accept his family roots, come to terms with the father/son relationship and identify with his childhood past. The performances from the two Roberts in the lead roles is said to be excellent and award worthy stuff - don't expect Downey Jnr. in iconic world saving superhero mode here, but more restrained nuanced actor relishing in the delivery of his craft in a slow burn film that will surprise and delight followers of this genre, together with a bunch of actors at the top of their game. All rise for 'The Judge'!

THE MAN FROM COXS RIVER (Rated PG) - since the 1820's the Carlon family have ridden their horses along the Coxs River outside Sydney in the Blue Mountains. Back in the day many visitors, bush walkers, wilderness lovers including the rich and famous would venture out in to the wild on Sydney's doorstep to ride the horses and connect with the pristine unspoilt valley guided by the Carlon family on organised tours. That all changed about 20 years ago when the River was designated a wilderness area under Heritage laws and the guided horse trekking tours had to close and the father of the family passed away thereafter. Following a history of tension between the Carlon family and the National Parks and Wildlife Department, Ranger Chris Banffy needed to solve an issue in the valley for which son of the horse riding patriarch Luke Carlon might be able to asset with. A mob of 80 or so Brumbies (wild horses) have roamed the Burragorang Valley for many years, have grown in numbers and needed to be removed or eradicated. Banffy, knowing Carlon's family history and ties to the horses, is under pressure to have the horses removed in a way so as not to create public outcry, and in a humane safe way. If Carlon agrees to the task he needs to round up the wild horses in the most remote of places that has been cut off from public access for fifty years or so; break them in; and guide those 80 horses 5kms along potentially dangerous valley tracks to an area where they can be transported out of the valley safely, and relocated. This is the first film to receive a National Trust Heritage Award and has been a sleeper hit in cinemas so far for its documentary telling of an real adventure story that marries a rich historical past with the modern challenges facing our native wilderness areas.

SIDDHARTH (Rated M) - Canadian Director Richie Metha was inspired to make this film after witnessing something similar on the streets of Delhi at the hands of a chain-wallah (a zip repair specialist working the streets). Mehendra (Rajesh Tailang) is the father of 12 year old Siddharth (Ifran Khan) who has been sent away to another village to work, hence alleviating the financial burden at home whilst generating an additional income too. When Siddharth does not return home, Mehendra begins to think that he has been kidnapped by child traffickers, and so goes in search of his son against all the odds. Remembering that Mehendra works the streets of Delhi and if he doesn't work there is no money, and if there is no money there is no food, and if there is no food his family go hungry. In a country where poverty and under-education is rife this is a bleak story of the harshness and impossibilities of life for many in India, and what they are confronted with everyday. Without ramming the story down our throats the story has heart, fluidity, and optimism that Siddharth will be returned safe and well despite the stacked odds, and that Mehendra's trek across India in search of his son will prove fruitful.

Once more a mixed bag of offerings from which to choose your evening's big screen entertainment. Get out there and see something soon, and remember to tell your friends at Odeon Online what you think!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

Birthdays to share this week : 5th - 11th October.

Do you celebrate your Birthday this week?

Matt Damon does, on 8th October  - check out the tribute to this Birthday Boy at the end of this feature.

Do you also share your birthday with a well known, highly regarded & famous Actor or Actress; share your special day with a Director, Producer, Writer, Cinematographer or Singer/Songwriter or Composer of repute; or share an interest in whoever might notch up another year in the coming seven days? Then, look no further! Whilst there will be too many to mention in this small but not insignificant and beautifully written and presented Blog, here are the more notable and noteworthy icons of the big screen, and the small screen, that you will recognise, and that you might just share your birthday with in the week ahead. If so, Happy Birthday to you from Odeon Online!

Sunday 5th October

• Kate Winslet - Born 1975, turns 39 - Actress
• Karen Allen - Born 1951, turns 63 - Actress
• Guy Pearce - Born 1967, turns 47 - Actor
• Jesse Eisenberg - Born 1983, turns 31 - Actor

Monday 6th October

• Ioan Gruffudd - Born 1973, turns 41 - Actor
• Elisabeth Shue - Born 1963, turns 51 - Actress
• Britt Ekland - Born 1942, turns 72 - Actress

Tuesday 7th October

• Shawn Ashmore - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actor | Producer
• Aaron Ashmore - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actor | Producer

Wednesday 8th October

• Matt Damon - Born 1970, turns 44 - Actor | Producer | Director
• Sigourney Weaver - Born 1949, turns 65 - Actress
• Chevy Chase - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor | Writer
• Paul Hogan - Born 1939, turns 75 - Actor | Writer | Producer
• Edward Zwick - Born 1952, turns 62 - Director | Producer | Writer

Thursday 9th October

• Guillermo del Toro - Born 1964, turns 50 - Director | Producer | Writer
• Chris O'Dowd - Born 1979, turns 35 - Actor | Producer | Writer
• Steve McQueen - Born 1969, turns 45 - Director | Producer | Writer | Actor
• Scott Bakula - Born 1954, turns 60 - Actor | Producer
• Tony Shaloub - Born 1953, turns 61 - Actor | Producer
• Brian Blessed - Born 1936, turns 78 - Actor
• Pete Docter - Born 1968, turns 46 - Director | Producer | Actor

Friday 10th October

• Charles Dance - Born 1946, turns 68 - Actor | Writer | Producer | Director
• Martin Kemp - Born 1961, turns 53 - Actor | Producer | Director

Saturday 11th October

• Sean Patrick Flanery - Born 1965, turns 49 - Actor
• Joan Cusack - Born 1962, turns 52 - Actress
• David Morse - Born 1953, turns 61 - Actor | Producer
• John Nettles - Born 1943, turns 71 - Actor
• Dawn French - Born 1957, turns 57 - Actress | Writer | Producer

Matthew Paige Damon was born in Boston, Massachusetts to father Kent Damon and mother Nancy Carisson-Paige. He has an older brother, Kyle, an accomplished sculptor and artist. His parents divorced when he was two years of age and in his early years lived with his mother in a six family communal house in Cambridge. He attended Cambridge Alternative School and then Cambridge Rindge and Latin School where he starred in several school theatre productions, but was usually outshone by good friend and fellow schoolmate, Ben Affleck.

From 1988 to 1992 he attended Harvard University where he also starred in several theatre productions. He chose to leave however, just 12 credits shy of attaining his Bachelor of Arts Degree in English to star in 1992's 'Geronimo : An American Legend' expecting to hit the big time! His feature film debut though came in 1988 with a single line of dialogue in 'Mystic Pizza', and whilst still studying at Harvard he starred also in 'School Ties'. 1996 bought him a role alongside Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan in 'Courage Under Fire' for which he lost 40lbs (18kgs) in just 100 days for the character of a drug addled soldier - his body took 18 months to recover from the physical stress he inflicted upon himself in such a short space of time!

After some critical acclaim with 'Courage Under Fire' came 'Good Will Hunting' - a screenplay he had written with good friend Ben Affleck, and which was originally penned for an English class whilst at Harvard. The film, starring Robin Williams, garnered nine Academy Award nominations and netted the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Damon and Affleck - putting the two on the map well & truly.

As the 90's drew to a close he starred in notable films with top Actors and Directors including Steven Spielberg on 'Saving Private Ryan' with Tom Hanks; 'Rounders' with Edward Norton and John Malkovich; 'Dogma' with Ben Affleck; and 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' with Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow.

As 2000 clicked over Damon made some very astute career choices with starring roles in two major film franchises - Steven Soderbergh's 2001 'Oceans Eleven' which spawned two successful sequels with co-stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy Garcia et al, and then 2002's 'Bourne Identity' and its two hugely successful sequels 'The Bourne Supremacy' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.

He went on to work with Soderbergh again on 'The Informant' and 'Behind the Candleabra' starring Michael Douglas as Liberace. He starred too in Martin Scorsese's 'The Departed' with Jack Nicholson; with Clint Eastwood Directing him in 'Invictus' with Morgan Freeman and again in 'Hereafter'; with the Coen brothers in the remake of the John Wayne classic 'True Grit'; and with Gus Van Sant who Directed him in 'Good Will Hunting' on 'Promised Land'.

Outside of acting in front of the camera, he has his own Production Company - 'Pearl Street Films' set up in 2010 with Ben Affleck, and he established 'Project Greenlight' to find and fund film projects from novice moviemakers. 'Project Greenlight' was nominated in 2002, 2004 and 2005 for Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Programme.






Damon is a devout Humantarian with a long list of charitable, humanitarian and worthwhile causes linked to his name. These include the 'H2O Africa Foundation' which he founded to bring fresh drinkable water to remote and dry Africa; his is a co-founder of 'Not On Our Watch Project' focusing attention to halt mass atrocities such as Darfur. He supports the 'ONE Campaign' fighting AIDS and third world poverty; is an Ambassador for the 'OneXOne Foundation' in support of improving the lives of disadvantaged children; is a spokesperson for 'Feeding America' and sits on the Board of 'Tonic Mailstopper' - a campaign to halt the junk mail delivered to American homes every day and the resultant costs of our trees and environment.

He has 68 film credits to his name including those not already mentioned 'Chasing Amy', 'The Rainmaker', 'The Legend of Bagger Vance', 'Finding Forrester', 'Stuck On You', 'The Brothers Grimm', 'Syriana', 'The Good Shepherd', 'The Adjustment Bureau', 'We Bought a Zoo', 'Elysium' and earlier this year 'The Zero Theorem' and 'The Monuments Men'. Next up he has an uncredited role in Chris Nolan's highly anticipated 'Interstellar', 'The Martian' due for release in 2015, and Bourne 5 (muted as 'The Bourne Betrayal') with Jeremy Renner sharing screen time in mid-2016 recently announced. He was paid US$600K for his screenplay for 'Good Will Hunting' which took US$226M at the global Box Office; he earned US$600K for 1998's 'Rounders' and US$20M for 2007's 'The Bourne Ultimatum'.

He has 34 award wins and 82 other nominations including the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay with Ben Affleck for 'Good Will Hunting', and was nominated for Best Lead Actor for that same film. He was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for 'Invictus'. He won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay for 'Good Will Hunting' and collected five other nominations; and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 'Behind the Candelabra'. He has starred in four films nominated for Best Motion Picture at the Academy Awards - 'Good Will Hunting', 'Saving Private Ryan', 'The Departed' and 'True Grit'.

He dated Minnie Driver and Winona Ryder in the past and married Luciana Barroso in 2005 with whom he has three daughters - Isabella Zavala, Gia Zavala and Stella Zavala born in 2006, 2008 and 2010 respectively.

Matt Damon - diverse and far ranging acting talent; in demand for the critical and box office returns generated; humanitarian and supporter of good causes; influential, and mates with the Hollywood 'A'-list, and placed in the Top 40 movies actors of all time - Happy Birthday to you, from Odeon Online.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE EQUALIZER - Tuesday 30th September 2014.

Earlier this week I saw the much touted latest Denzel Washington actioner based on a popular late 80's TV Series of the same name 'THE EQUALIZER'. The difference between the 80's version on the small screen and this current and first big screen adaptation is that back then our hero of the piece, Robert McCall, (Edward Woodward back in the day) had a back story that we could relate to and knew where his particular set of skills hailed from having been a covert operations officer in the past (presumably from the days of the Cold War). This time we know little about Washington's character except that he had to fake his own death and leads a quiet life seemingly 'undercover'. Back then we were based in the seedier mean streets of New York City and now we are in Boston; and the Robert McCall of old relied on his wits, a very limited arsenal of weapons and the fact that the story evolved over 88 episodes. Now in the Robert McCall of the early 21st Century we have an expert in all things technological; close quarter combat; the latest weaponry and improvised devices to inflict, maim and kill with; and the fact that he seems impervious to pain and is practically bullet proof, has iron fists and a jaw of granite!

Directed by Antoine Fuqua (who also Directed Denzel Washington in 'Training Day' in 2001) with a US$55M budget, this telling of 'The Equalizer' is more of an origin story than it is any sort of continuation from where the series may or may not have left off back in 1989. When we are introduced to Washington's McCall he lives alone in an apartment that is spotlessly clean, tidy and organised, he is meticulous in his cleanliness, the order with which he lives, his routines and his fastidiousness, and the apparent ordinariness of his very existence. He is a creature of habit - even down to his inability to sleep at night causing him to venture down to the 24 hour 'Bridge Cafe' every night at just past 2:00am for a cup of tea, sat in his favourite window table, reading his book and occasionally engaging with the locals.

One such local is young prostitute Teri (Chloe Grace Moretz) whom he gets to chat with over successive evenings before she gets the call to see her next Client. But Teri is managed by the local underworld - an underworld she is keen to escape from and pursue a singer/songwriter career but is trapped in the spiral from which her 'managers' will never let her go. One evening she emerges beaten up, battered and bruised, and so McCall agrees to escort her home safely. In doing so they are intercepted by her 'managers' who take possession of their 'property' and apologise to McCall thinking that he is a pick-up and so offer a business card for a discount next time.

This in turn presents McCall with a conundrum - to let it go, or to interfere and exact revenge for Teri who is desperate to start a new life but is powerless to do it for herself. Needless to say, of course, it is the latter (otherwise we wouldn't have a story would we?) And so we learn that Teri's 'managers' are in fact Russian gangsters and mobsters who reside over a very plush Russian Restaurant and Bar in downtown Boston where anyone can avail themselves of all manner of 'pleasures' on the menu! Walking on in like he owns the place he intends to buy Teri's freedom for US$9,800 in cash but is scoffed at by head honcho Slavi (David Meunier) and his four henchmen. What ensues in 28 seconds flat is the death of all five Ruskies at the bare hands of McCall using all manner of improvised weapons and gadgets to hand - shot glasses, corkscrews, vodka bottles, and those weapons carried by his adversaries. It's nasty, bloody, over quickly but now we have the measure of the man and we know what and who we are dealing with. . . to a degree!

It turns out though that those left dead are really just the bottom feeders of the Russian operation that is about controlling all the docks and the incoming/outgoing contraband that is worth a gazillion dollars to the Russian mob back home. And so the next guy up the food chain is sent over  via private jet to investigate and ensure that their financial interests are protected, and that a stamp of authority is put upon anyone who might be a threat. Enter Teddy (Marton Csokas), who plays evil uber-violent heavily tattooed mean nasty S-O-A-B and dispenses with problems ruthlessly and at the drop of a hat. As the middle man in the organisation he needs to discover who is upsetting their otherwise peaceful money making machine and stop it in his tracks . . . and that just happens to be McCall.

This then is the cue for a cat and mouse game across Boston with the clock counting down on the big showdown. Along the way McCall helps out a few other hapless citizens, blows the lid on some crooked Boston cops, exposes corrupt local officials who have been on the take, and still manages to go to work 9-5 as the Manager of a large home hardware store, 'Home Mart' (like a 'Bunning's' for my Aussie reader, or a 'Sainsbury's Homebase' for my English one!)

None of McCall's backstory is revealed in any depth expect that he seeks out a retired high ranking governmental official and close friend from his past who has some links back to the CIA which might help him piece together the jigsaw puzzle, and so he effectively seeks 'permission' to complete the job with the Ruskies once and for all . . . which is covertly granted. What we learn as the Ruskies close in on McCall is that he is very adept at weaponry improvisation, he's good with his fists, he's fast, accurate and nimble on his feet and he times everything with his stopwatch - down to how long it will take to kill someone, or how quickly they will die of CO suffocation, or a bullet through the neck, or to get from Point A to Point B. We know he too is  master of technology, gadgetry and sundry equipment, and he can rig a death-trap in no time out of razor wire and sandbags!

Is all this a sounding a bit far fetched? McCall dispenses with the Russian villains with relative ease, and you have seen this a thousand times before in similar revenge films. It is formulaic and fairly predictable stuff and the closing set piece takes place in the Home Mart Store where McCall works during the day time in his proper job! Cue the Ruskies coming to all sorts of creative imaginative deaths as a result of cordless power drills, cherry pickers, razor wire, nail guns, gardening forks, blow torches, mirror displays, improvised explosive devices and, a bathroom sink. It's a bloodbath and of course the last man standing is one Robert McCall, with only a bullet in his shoulder which he cauterises with a heated door knob (obvious really!) en route to killing another. This made me think that this film could easily be 'Die Hard 6 : Die Hardest in Bunnings'!

In the final analysis, McCall gets to the King Pin, the Big Fish, the Main Man and dispenses his own brand of justice without mercy, so that the Bostonians, the Americans and Teri can walk free, be safe, and sleep easy at night. Washington plays it well enough, but he has done so many times before, being type cast as he is here once again. The story is also engaging but don't expect too much really from this formula driven beat 'em up, shoot 'em down, slice & dice 'em revenge and retribution retelling delivered largely swiftly and creatively with just about any household implement you can lay your hands on!

As a foot note, it is interesting to observe that in these current times of uncertainty in Russia and the Ukraine that the King Pin back in the Russian Motherland as played by Vladimir Kulich is named 'Vladimir Pushkin' - not a million miles from one Vladimir Putin!! Are the American Producers here trying to covertly tell the Russian audience something??

-Steve, at Odeon Online-