What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th May 2015.

With a mega Marvel movie sequel and the seventh instalment in another big franchise heralding the first of 2015's big ticket Blockbuster offerings, it won't be too long before the Northern Hemisphere Summer Season kicks into overdrive with a slew of epic offerings to tease a cinema dollar out of our wallets. April saw two Hollywood epics hit our screens and May will see an Aussie epic (more next week!) do likewise, but in the meantime we have a small handful of filmic fare that give you choice, variety and diversity in the week ahead.

First up there is an already lauded film with a strong female cast that centres around an ageing actress coming to terms with her craft as she gets older, tragedy & loss, and life imitating art imitating life as it all seems to come full circle. Then, there is a sequel to a 2012 sleeper hit of music, comedy, drama meted out on the competition circuit as duelling college teams battle it out for vocal supremacy. Next up is a RomCom of a screenwriter with writers block that is familiar territory for this Director and Actor; and finally a found footage horror for the social media age . . . be careful what you Post!

Four films for the week ahead and once more four different offerings. With some great content doing the rounds from previous weeks, and these to add to your watch-list, ensure you make a point of catching a flick this week. When you have done so, share your thoughts with Odeon Online and Post a comment below this weeks Previews, or any other Review - we'd love to hear from you. Enjoy your film!

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA (Rated MA15+) - with three strong performances from its principle female cast this Oliver Assayas Written and Directed film is already being much lauded for its engaging dramatic story, intelligence, emotion and the backdrop of the Swiss Alps. Made for a shoestring US$6.6M this had a limited release going back a year ago to May 2014 in Cannes before a wider French release last August to the US in early April and finally Australia in early May. This is the story of Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) who is a successful actress off the back of a play and later the film titled 'Maloja Snake' in which she played the lead role 20 years ago revolving around a relationship between a young feisty girl who is the Assistant to an older woman who subsequently commits suicide. Travelling to Zurich with her Assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart) to accept an award on behalf of the plays writer, Wilhelm Melchior, Maria learns that Melchior has died suddenly in the nearby town of Sils Maria.

During the awards ceremony Maria is approached by a renowned theatre Director keen to have her reprise her role in a new production of 'Maloja Snake' in London but this time as the older woman. Reluctantly Maria agrees and is able to prepare for the role in the house of Wilhelm in Sils Maria. As Maria and Valentine pour over the script it  brings back memories and causes to them to question their own relationship. given the parallels here between art and life. Playing the part of the young girl in the new production is Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloe Grace Moretz) who is a young up & coming starlet who has already had her fair share of media controversy and tabloid scandal. As questions of age, time, cultures, beliefs, and the fine balance between the characters in the play and those on the screen bring things to a head ultimately in London, another offer manifests itself which causes Maria to reassess her place in life and those around her. Sounds  a lot like 'Birdman' for the ladies - you decide!

THE REWRITE (Rated M) - this film too has been kicking around for about a year and was released in the US last October and is out already on DVD there, with a limited theatrical release only now in Australia. Written and Directed by Marc Lawrence this stars Hugh Grant as Keith Michaels - a Hollywood based UK Screenwriter who scored an Academy Award back in 1998 but since then has failed to garner further success. Instead his marriage has gone south, he's got writers block big-time and his money has run out.  What's a guy to do? Run away of course - and head for the east-coast and go teach screenwriting in college, and promptly fall head-over-heels in lurve with another teacher - Marisa Tomei as Holly Carpenter, who will help him regain his mo-jo, his confidence, his inspiration and his motivation - easy! Marc Lawrence has worked with Hugh Grant before on 'Did You Hear About The Morgans', 'Music and Lyrics' and 'Two Weeks Notice' so if you enjoyed those you're likely to enjoy these - and the formula that goes with it! J.K. Simmons also stars.

PITCH PERFECT 2 (Rated M) - back in 2012 the forerunner to this film was made for US$17M by Jason Moore and it grossed US$113M. This time around it is Directed and Stars Elizabeth Banks who had a Producer credit last time and now has a US$45M budget to play with. Following on from the events of the last film the a cappella all girl singers were so disgraced and humiliated in front of the President of the USofA that they were promptly removed from the performance circuit never to darken its doors again. Of course 'The Barden Bellas' are out to redeem themselves and prove themselves to an unsuspecting world that they are mature, responsible, committed, upstanding fine voiced a cappella singers who can enter a competition that no American band has ever won before and maybe just even win it . . . no pressure there then??? Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Seinfeld, Adam DeVine and notable others - old and new- the girls will test their friendships, their patience, their resilience and their determination to win the day . . . and will they? Check it out and let us know!

UNFRIENDED (Rated  MA) - like two of the other movies released this week, this film too has been kicking around for about a year, having had its premier in July 2014 at the Montreal Fantasia International Film Festival. Directed by Georgian/Russian Actor/Director Levan 'Leo' Gabriadze for the highly cost effective sum of US$1M, and co-Produced by Russian Director Timur Bekmambetov this little found-footage cyber horror offering has so far grossed US$33M. A sequel, on the strength of this, is already in the works! That said, this film stars largely no-name Actors all sat in front of their computer screens at home on SKYPE with each other. Set in real time in Fresno, California, events unfold through a computer screen as high school student Blaire Lily (Shelley Hennig) gets online with four friends over SKYPE to discuss the suicide of a close friend one years ago - Laura Barns (Heather Sossamon). As they SKYPE and chat away a mysterious unseen account joins the call, with the name Billie227. At the same time Laura's Facebook account goes into overdrive sending out messages to unsuspecting friends, and then the other friends accounts start to do likewise with uncompromising images. As time progresses the mystery faceless account picks off the others on the SKYPE call causing them all to self harm and ultimately die in horrible ways, leaving only one standing at the end as the truth about Laura's suicide is revealed. At only 83 minutes long this is a short, sharp, shock story that is likely to drag you in as 'Paranormal Activity' did on its first outing, make you jump, but leave you wanting more. Beware the power of technology as a portal to the otherworldly!

Do yourself a favour, and get out there then on a cool Autumnal evening into a warm dark place and enjoy a film of choice with other like minded cinephiles, and then, share your views, opinions and critique with us all.

Movies - catch one soon!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-