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

In Australia, this weekend marks the official last day of Summer, but I'm sure not the last day of sunshine, blue skies, warm days and plenty of good reasons to get outdoors! One very good reason to get out of course is to go see a new release movie, and this week we have three new films to tempt, tease and tantalise that movie dollar from out of your wallet! With the Oscar winners and grinners announced earlier this week too, there still remains plenty of great movies that featured in this years Academy Awards that are still on general or limited release giving you lots of reasons to see a new, or recently released, film. Whatever you decide, when you have seen your movie of choice share your thoughts with our other readers at Odeon Online and spread the word - good, bad or ugly!

This week then we have coming to a movie theatre near you a Big Apple period piece from the early 80's as crime in that town was hitting record highs, and one young entrepreneurial fellow sees an opportunity to make some big bucks, but, first he has to overcome some issues of his own as well as those crims circling overhead poised ready to go in for the kill! Then there is a second telling of a certain hotel in Jaipur, India for the elderly and beautiful that was a sleeper hit in 2012 and is now openings it's doors on a second property hoping to entice some new 'inmates', and, to wrap things up nice & sweetly, we have a sugar coated saccharine infused film about the dangers of the sweet sticky stuff on our health that we may not fully appreciate! Enjoy your film(s) in the week ahead!

A MOST VIOLENT YEAR (Rated MA15+) - Written, Produced and Directed by J. C. Chandor, who brought us the excellent 'All is Lost' last year, has this time turned his hand to 1981 New York - defined as one of the city's most violent and corrupt . . . ever! Made for a modest US$20M we are introduced to Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac) the owner and hard working salesman of Standard Oil - a heating oil company that is doing well, but could be doing much better. Aside from a bitterly cold winter (which of course is great for business), Standard Oil has been plagued by the hijacking of several of its trucks leaving one driver badly beaten and wounded. Abel's wife Anna (Jessica Chastain) believes in fighting fire with fire but Abel is reluctant to resort to such means. While this is going on Abel's business is under scrutiny by the DA's Office and Assistant DA Lawrence (David Oyelowo) for suspicion of price fixing, tax evasion and various other alleged dodgy dealings.

Abel knows he needs to expand, grow and become master of his destiny and so hatches a plan to purchase a fuel oil terminal at a $2M+ price tag. Securing a bank loan, remortgaging the house and borrowing money from family, friends and business associates he finalises the deal and pays a substantial deposit. At the same time he moves into a new model home with wife and family, as competitor intimidation begins to ramp up against him, threats are made against his drivers and the DA get more suspicious as events continue to unfold all around him. All the while too unsavoury characters crawl out of the woodwork who want a slice of his action, or want to see him fail and Abel is jockeying his personal and family life, business affairs, the DA's Office, a criminal undercurrent and the need to raise the necessary funds to finalise his terminal deal before it all falls in a heap . . . and it's bloody cold outside! Nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Supporting Role this film has so far picked up eight award wins and a further 32 nominations, and if gritty period Noo Yawk crime dramas are your thing then this is likely to please.

THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (Rated PG) - 2012's 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' was made for a mere US$10M and grossed US$138M so it was inevitable that a second outing would come our way one day . . . and that day has arrived, this week! Directed once again by John Madden, this film sees us eight months hence from where the first film finished and reunites Hotel owner and entrepreneur Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) with his former hotel guests and cast members Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie who all remain resident at the hotel, carving out new lives in Jaipur and seemingly relatively content with their lot. The hotel though is at capacity with new arrivals due imminently - Guy & Lavina (Richard Gere and Tamsin Grieg) and limited space available. With his wedding also approaching Sonny has his eye on a second property that puts further demands on his already hectic life. How will all this play out intertwined with the exploits of the guests, a new hotel in the offing, family intervention and the new hotel co-manager and resident guest Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) - who seems to be the keeper of secrets amongst fellow guests, and possibly the Miss Fixit to ensure the course of true love runs smoothly and an emerging business runs proficiently! Check-in, and see for yourself!

THAT SUGAR FILM (Rated PG) - there will be similarities thrown around here with Morgan Spurlock's film of 2004 - 'Super Size Me' that involved surviving on a McDonald's diet for a whole month for breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper and everything in between. Here Aussie Actor come Director Damon Gameau chooses to go for sixty days on a high sugar diet but it must be stressed that there is no consumption of soft drinks, junk foods, or chocolate bars and sweet treats here. Instead the focus is very much on those foods that are freely available and deemed to be 'healthy'! Consuming the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day (average for Australian's) everyday for two months Gameau here tells the story of how this physically and emotionally impacts his own body, but, this is also an exercise in education with expert contributions, informative advice, and insights into the challenges that the sugar industry has to deal with, and what to look out for on your supermarket shelves so that you really can choose healthy, and improve your diet. The film features cameo contributions from the likes of Stephen Fry, Brenton Thwaites, Isabel Lucas, Zoe Tuckwell Smith and Jessica Marais too. A film  for the whole family and something the kids should definitely see - it might make you think very differently about the sweet stuff!

That's it then for this week with three opposing films to choose from offering something sweet, something spicy and something sour to tickle your filmic taste buds. When you've had a taste - give us your thoughts on this weeks movie menu! Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-