LOST IN PARIS : Tuesday 28th August 2018.

I saw 'LOST IN PARIS' this week at my local independent movie theatre and was unexpectedly swept along by this whimsical, quirky French/Belgian Co-Produced comedy film that owes much to the comedic timing and sight gags of Charlie Chaplin and Jacques Tati. The film was screened at the Telluride Film Festival way back in September 2016, had its French and Belgian Premiers in March 2017 and only now does it get a limited release in Australia. The film has met with generally positive Reviews and was Co-Directed, Co-Produced, Co-Written and Co-Stars in the two lead roles Fiona Gordon and Dominique Abel. The film has picked up three award wins and two nominations from around the festival circuit, along the way.

The film opens up with a very plain looking Fiona (Fiona Gordon) working as a Librarian in some snow swept little mountain village we assume in the Canadian Rockies. A colleague blows in to the library hut with a raging blizzard going on outside the door, and she delivers a letter to Fiona sitting at the desk. The letter is from her sprightly, fiercely independent and generally with-it 88 year old Aunt Martha (Emmanuelle Riva) in Paris who is seeking Fiona's help (as her last surviving relative) as she is about to be forced into an old age home, which she is keen to avoid at all costs.

Arriving in Paris like a fish outta water, Fiona is a stranger in a strange land. But, it is summer time, the sun shines, the skies are blue and Paris is a beautiful place. Wandering around the city she comes across a Canadian Mountie (Frederic Meert) who happens to be in Paris on a training course. Their exchange is friendly, brief and at first regular purely by accident rather than by design. She stops on a bridge with the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower and asks a random passer by to take her photo. She takes a backward step, to pose for said photograph and promptly stumbles and falls into the Seine and sinks to the bottom losing her backpack and all her possessions in the River. She is rescued by onlookers from a passing sightseeing river boat.

Her backpack is washed ashore a short time later and is retrieved by Dom (Dominique Abel) a down and out living rough and sleeping in a small tent by the waters edge. Meanwhile, Fiona has made it to Martha's house, wet but drying out, but Martha is not at home it seems. Fiona has lost all her money, her phone and her passport as well as clothing and other travel essentials. She goes the next day to the Canadian Embassy in Paris to seek assistance, rather tearful at her predicament. They are sympathetic and give Fiona a food voucher so she can at least get a square meal that night.

Later that evening Dom, having rummaged through Fiona's backpack and helped himself to a yellow sweater, her passport and all her cash decides to lash out on an expensive meal at a local riverside floating restaurant. There he meets Fiona who has used up her food voucher and was finishing her meal. Dom, who is on a high after downing a bottle of Champagne, asks the female dining patrons for a dance, all of whom reject his advances. He comes across Fiona sat all alone, and promptly grabs her onto the dance floor. What follows is a dance routine that is a comedic delight and a sight to behold as the pair wildly exaggerate their dance moves whilst keeping perfect time to the beat of the music. After the pair have danced Dom is more than generous with his tipping, and purchases three bottles of Champagne so that the pair can have a night cap. However, at this point Fiona notices Dom using her purse to pull out wads of cash from, and confronts him. He does a bolt, and in her chase she falls into the Seine, for a second time.

By now Dom has come to the realisation that he loves Fiona. Feeling guilty, he returns her backpack to the Canadian Embassy where she retrieves it later that day. Now that she has got her possessions back she goes in search of her Aunt once more, but is told by a local cafe owner that she had passed away and given the directions to the funeral, across the city via several train journeys. Dom has followed his new found love and is able to guide Fiona to the cemetery from a distance. A small select gathering of friends is in attendance and Fiona is asked to say a few words but declines. Dom volunteers his services despite not knowing Martha from a bar of soap. He begins with kind words and praise but then descends into a diatribe of her being a secret racist who hated badly dressed people and the homeless and blacks, and if you happened to be all three then that really was too bad.

At the small reception immediately after Fiona realises that the funeral was for Matha's friend, Marthe. To be sure, the pair open up the coffin to double check on the identity of the corpse, at which point Dom gets his tie stuck in the coffin lid when he reseals it. In her panic, Fiona gets her nose jammed in the elevator doors, while Dom is stuck inside the lift with the coffin as it is lifted upwards for the cremation. When Fiona comes around from her nose trauma, she is handed a casket which she instantly assumes contains the ashes for both Marthe and Dom. Spreading the ashes on an empty plot in the cemetery, Dom strides up with a huge arrangement of funeral flowers hiding his face. When Fiona realises that Dom is in fact alive and kicking, she slaps him angrily and waltzes off.

In the meantime, Martha has been on the run and in hiding from the nurses whom she believes want to take her away to an aged care facility. She too has rocked up to the funeral of her good friend Marthe, albeit late, and in the cemetery outside she meets with a long lost friend Duncan (Pierre Richard). They recount a time 27 years ago when they were allegedly intimate and whilst seated on a park bench engage in some whimsical foot dancing, which is straight out of Chaplin's play book and another standout sight gag. Afterwards the pair kiss and part company as a nurse siddles up to Duncan clearly to take him back to his aged care place of residence. Martha crosses paths with Dom on a number of occasions but keeps missing Fiona believing anyhow that she never responded to her letter.

After getting a dressing down by Fiona, Dom goes back to his tent to lick his wounds and get drunk on the three bottles of Champagne he'd retrieved floating by that Fiona had dropped in the water when she fell overboard from the restaurant the other night. There he meets with Martha who is in hiding at the same place. They get drunk together. By now Fiona has gained access to Martha's apartment and falls asleep on her bed looking at an old photo album. Down by the river, Dom and Martha sleep in his tent on the banks of the Seine. Fiona and Dom each have an erotic dream about the other, calling out each others name repeatedly in their sleep. This results in Dom having sex with Martha, believing her to be Fiona. Martha goes outside and lights up a cigarette and finds Fiona's phone in the garbage bin. Randomly tapping at the screen she hits a redial button and calls her own apartment. Fiona is woken from her slumber and the pair connect briefly, saying that she has just made love to a handsome man and is in New York.

Putting the cryptic clue together, Fiona jumps in a taxi which drops her off at a replica of the Statue of Liberty on the banks of the river. There she meets Dom, and persuades him to help find her Aunt, who by now has vanished again. Dom uses a dog that has befriended him to track Martha's scent, which leads them to the Eiffel Tower. The pair scale the Eiffel Tower to the very top where the find Martha asleep in a satellite dish. The three sit out on a beam high above the city and watch the sunrise over Paris.

'Lost in Paris' is a very light hearted quirky joy ride of a film that never lets up on its humour, well placed sight gags, physical comedy and use of inventive slapstick and pratfalls, whilst weaving a reasonably grounded storyline. This film won't be for everyone, but it is uniquely different and well paced and sharply choreographed that it certainly stands out from the largely American cookie cutter comedy that we are all too often spoon fed today. Letting action speak louder than words, this film is sparse on dialogue, but don't let that distract you from this delightful little film that punches well above its weight. Catch it while you can.

'Lost in Paris' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th August 2018.

In this cinematic world peppered by more than its fair share of film festivals, here is a heads up on one of the more renowned, meaningful and arguably the world's largest such festivals coming to a Canadian city near you in a week or so's time. The 43rd annual 'Toronto International Film Festival' (aka 'TIFF') launches on September 6th and runs through until 16th September 2018. The official website, which can be found at : https://www.tiff.net states that 'TIFF is a charitable cultural organisation with a mission to transform the way people see the world through film. TIFF is dedicated to presenting the best of international and Canadian cinema and creating transformational experiences for film lovers and creators of all ages and backgrounds.' Among its slew of films being screened this year there are sixteen gala Presentations, 34 Special Presentations and thirteen films Directed by women.

The opening night film is 'Outlaw King' as Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by David Mackenzie and stars Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Cosmo, Stephen Dillane and Florence Pugh. Telling the story of the legendary King of the Scots, Robert the Bruce, and his battle to regain control of Scotland after he is declared an outlaw by the King of England for helping himself to the Scottish crown, and creating civil war, the film sees its World Premier at TIFF and goes on general release in November.

The closing night film is 'Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy' Directed and Co-Written by Justin Kelly and stars Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger, Courtney Love and Jim Sturgess. Based on the memoir 'Girl Boy Girl : How I Became JT LeRoy' by Savannah Knoop, the film tells the story recounting how Savannah Knoop spent six years under the guise as writer Laura Albert's literary alias JT LeRoy. This film also sees its World Premier screening at TIFF.

For more happenings, goings-on, and news from TIFF, keep watching and reading Odeon Online in future weeks.

This week there are six latest release movies coming to your local Odeon. We kick off the week with a now frequent collaboration between this Director and his action star leading man in this tale of a team of covert Special Op's agents racing against the clock and against the odds to get their asset to a rendezvous point for his safe extraction. Next up is a Sci-Fi actioner of a young fella who stumbles across a pack of seemingly unconscious aliens, hurriedly picks up one of their weapons and then goes on the run with his brother chased down by said aliens and a no good criminal type. Then we turn to a comedy offering featuring a super rich Singaporean family, their most eligible bachelor son and his girlfriend who must prove herself worthy. This is followed by a foreign language offering about a clash of cultures that started out petty enough but turns quickly into a media frenzy and a court room drama watched on by a volatile nation. Coming next is an Aussie RomCom about a restaurant owner and an Actor who had a whirlwind romance in the past, broke it off and then come together again five years later . . . to rekindle that flame, perhaps! And we conclude this weeks new releases with an animated feature about a twelve year old lad who stumbles across three aliens who have crash landed close to his home and who join forces to help each other out of a challenge or two.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'MILE 22' (Rated MA15+) - this American action thriller is Directed and Co-Produced by Peter Berg who has been Acting in, Directing, Producing and Writing television series episodes and feature films since 1988 and has picked up various award wins and nominations along the way too. This film marks his fourth big screen collaboration with Mark Wahlberg since the real life dramas of 'Lone Survivor' in 2013, 'Deepwater Horizon' in 2016 and 'Patriot's Day' also in 2016. Now in 2018 the pairing of Berg and Wahlberg leave behind the realms of true events and head for a fictionalised story of a crack team of CIA paramilitary agents operating covertly above the law. The film was released in the US two weeks ago, has so far recovered US$32M from its US$45M Budget outlay and has received generally unfavourable Reviews.

And so CIA operative James Silva (Mark Wahlberg) leads a small but deadly paramilitary team consisting of Alice Kerr (Lauren Cohen), Sam Snow (Ronda Rousey) and William Douglas (Carlo Alban) on an urgent and dangerous assignment. They have to transport a foreign intelligence asset, Li Noor (Iko Uwais) who holds life threatening information, from an American Embassy in Southeast Asia to an airfield for extraction, a distance totalling twenty-two miles. Silva and his Team soon find themselves in a race against time as the city's military, Police and street gangs close in to reclaim the asset. Cue big action spectacle, car chases, explosions and lots of gun play. The film also stars John Malkovich and Peter Berg.

'KIN' (Rated M) - here we have an American Sci-Fi action drama offering Directed by Jonathan and Josh Baker and based on their earlier 2014 short film 'Bag Man'. Eli Solinski (Myles Truitt) is a  twelve year old adopted lad who ventures out to collect scrap metal from his local junkyard, but instead of finding recyclable scrap uncovers a buried frozen chamber nearby filled with armoured bodies that could only be of alien origin. As one of the life forms begins to move, Eli quickly grabs what looks to be its weapon and runs home to his Dad Hal (Dennis Quaid), where he finds his older brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor) who has just been released from a six year jail term. Now armed with a mysterious weapon, Jimmy and Eli go on the run from a vengeful criminal Taylor Bolek (James Franco) whom Jimmy owes protection money to, and a gang of otherworldly soldiers. These two young fugitives find that this incredibly powerful weapon that Eli maintains a tight grip on might be their only protection in their increasingly desperate attempt to stay alive. Also starring Zoe Kravitz and Carrie Coon, the film is released Stateside this week too.

'CRAZY RICH ASIANS' (Rated PG) - based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, this romantic comedy drama is Directed by Jon M. Chu whose previous Directing credits include 'Step Up 2 : The Streets', 'Step Up 3D', 'G.I.Joe : Retaliation' and 'Now You See Me 2'. The story here sees Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) who is happy to join her longtime boyfriend, Nick (Henry Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Upon arrival she is somewhat surprised to learn that Nick's family is very wealthy and that he would be considered one of the country's most eligible bachelors. Suddenly and unwittingly thrown into the spotlight and under the microscope, Rachel must now contend with jealous wannabe socialites, quirky relatives and something much more unimaginable in the form of Nick's disapproving mother. Also starring Awkwafina, Ken Jeong and Michelle Yeoh, the film has so far taken US$87M at the Box Office from its Budget outlay of $30M and has garnered generally positive press. If this film performs well, watch out for possible follow on films, as Kwan has written two sequel novels - 'China Rich Girlfriend' and 'Rich People Problems'.

'THE INSULT' (Rated M) - this acclaimed Lebanese drama film was screened in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year and was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category at this years Academy Awards. Directed and Co-Written by Ziad Doueiri the film is set in present day Beirut when an insult blown out of all proportion finds Tony Hanna (Adel Karan), a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser Salameh (Kamal El Basha), a Palestinian refugee, in a tense courtroom drama over an altercation and a heated exchange of words stemming from repairs to the guttering of Tony's apartment. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media frenzy surrounding the case puts Lebanon through social turmoil, forcing Tony and Yasser to reconsider their prejudices, and their lives ultimately. Also starring Rita Hayek, Camille Salameh, Diamand Bou Abboud and Christine Choueiri.

'THE FLIP SIDE' (Rated M) - this Australian RomCom is Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Marion Pilowski in her feature film Directorial debut. Here Ronnie (Emily Taheny) is a struggling Adelaide restaurant owner/operator looking after her elderly mother and living with good-hearted and warm natured boyfriend Jeff (Luke McKenzie). Five years ago, while catering on a film set in Australia, she had an intense affair with British movie star, Henry (Eddie Izzard). Despite wild declarations of love at the time, as the film shoot wrapped so did their relationship, breaking Ronnie’s heart. When Henry’s French girlfriend Sophie (Vanessa Guide) calls to say they will be in Adelaide on a promotional tour for Henry's next film, Jeff excitedly agrees to meet up and unwittingly creates the perfect opportunity for Henry to seduce Ronnie once more with repercussions he may well live to regret.

'LUIS AND THE ALIENS' (Rated PG) - aka 'Luis and His Friends from Outer Space' is a German animated feature film Directed and Co-Written by Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein with Sean McCormack taking a Co-Director credit too. The film tells the story of a twelve year old lad named Luis Sonntag (Callum Maloney) who makes friends with three loveable little aliens Wabo, Mog and Nag (Dermot Magennis, Ian Coppinger and Paul Tylak respectively), who crash land their space ship into his house somewhere in small-town America and have become stranded on our little blue planet. In exchange for Luis' help in finding the home-shopping channel products they came for, they save Luis from boarding school (a fate worse than death, surely?) amidst a whole pile of fun and (mis)adventure along the way.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BLACKKKLANSMAN : Tuesday 21st August 2018.

I saw 'BLACKKKLANSMAN' this week and this American biographical crime drama is Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written for the screen by Spike Lee and is based on the true life story and exploits of one Ron Stallworth as recounted in his 2014 book of the same name 'Black Klansman'. Released in the US earlier this month, the film had its Premier screening in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year, where it won the Grand Prix. Costing in the region of US$15M the film has garnered generally positive Reviews, and has so far grossed US$28M.

Beginning in 1972, Ron Stallworth (John David Washington, and son of Denzel) was the first African-American Police Officer and Detective to join the Colorado Springs Police Department. He is initially assigned to the records room, which needless to say he finds mundane and beneath him. After a short time, he requests a transfer to go undercover, and after refusing his request Chief Bridges (Robert John Burke) has a change of heart and assigns him to attend a local rally presented by the Colorado College at which national civil rights leader Kwame Ture (Corey Hawkins) will be guest speaker. At the rally Stallworth meets Patrice Dumas (Laura Harrier) the President of the black Student Union at the College and a strong supporter of civil rights for Americas black population.

Afterwards Patrice agrees to meet Stallworth at a local bar for a night-cap. Before though she had agreed to drive Kwame Ture back to his hotel. En route however, their car is pulled over by patrolman Andy Landers (Frederick Weller) a racist corrupt Police Officer working in the same precinct as Stallworth, and who has already given the rookie cop a hard time. Landers threatens Ture and sexually assaults Patrice who recounts this to Stallworth when they meet up later that evening. At this point Stallworth has been very guarded about the nature of his work.

Following the rally and having gained enough of an insight to convince Chief Bridges to continue with the investigation, Stallworth is reassigned to the intelligence division. While reading the paper at his desk one morning, he comes across an advertisement recruiting new members into the local Ku Klux Klan. Stallworth calls the number listed and pretends to be a white man. He speaks with Walter Breachway (Ryan Eggold), the President of the Colorado Springs chapter posing as a racist white man that 'hates blacks, Jews, Mexicans and Asians', and anyone basically who is not a pure blood white Anglo Saxon American.

Stallworth and his Jewish coworker, Phillip 'Flip' Zimmerman (Adam Driver) are forced into an unlikely partnership. Zimmerman is chosen to act as Stallworth in order to meet the Ku Klux Klan members in person. He attends a meeting and meets with Breachway one evening in a bar, along with the more radicalised member Felix Kendrickson (Jasper Paakkonen) whose obese wife Connie (Ashlie Akinson) is equally as radicalised, and another member named Ivanhoe (Paul Walter Hauser) who indicates, somewhat mockingly, of an upcoming attack. 

Stallworth and Zimmerman continue to massage their relationship with the local Ku Klux Klan chapter - the former always and only over the phone and the latter always and only in person. Under the guise of wanting to hurry up his membership to the 'organisation' (aka the Ku Klux Klan) so that he can attend cross burning ceremonies as a bone fide paid up member, Stallworth calls David Duke (Topher Grace), the Grand Wizard, in Louisiana, with whom he quickly strikes up regular conversations over the phone. Duke expedites Stallworth's membership, and before you know it, he's official! Meanwhile, getting deeper into the throes of the organisation and uncovering more clandestine goings on, Stallworth has begun dating Patrice but has still not let on that he is a Police Officer.

David Duke announced over the phone to Stallworth that he intends to visit Colorado Springs to meet with him in person and preside over his initiation into the organisation. Chief Bridges assigns the real Stallworth to security detail for Duke, which despite his protestations Stallworth must comply with. Zimmerman once again masquerades as Stallworth for the purposes of his Klan initiation ceremony together with a bunch of other new recruits. At a Reception immediately afterwards, Zimmerman is recognised by another Klan member, Walker (Nicholas Turturro) as the Police Officer who sent him down to serve jail time. Walker in turn alerts Felix who sensed something wasn't quite right about Stallworth from the get go, and with the real Stallworth and the fake Stallworth both in the room at the same time sets up a comedy of errors.

Connie, who can hardly contain herself out of excitement at the prospect of killin' some blacks, leaves the ceremony under instruction from husband Felix to place a bomb at a civil rights rally to be attended by Patrice. Stallworth realises her intentions, and alerts the local Police Department. Connie calls Felix from the site of the planned attack interrupting his luncheon welcoming the new members, saying that the place is buzzing with Police cars, and what should she do? Felix directs Connie to use their 'Plan B' by placing the bomb at Patrice's house. Connie drives to Patrice's home, but before she can place the bomb, Patrice arrives, leaving Connie panicked. Unable to fit the bomb in the mailbox as intended, she runs around out of sight and locates the C4 bomb under Patrice's car instead.

Stallworth arrives and tackles Connie, but is pretty quickly detained by Police Officers who have arrived at the scene, and despite his protests and claims to be an undercover Police Officer is beaten to the ground into submission. Felix, Ivanhoe, and bomb maker Walker, arrive minutes later and park next to Patrice's car, and, thinking the bomb is located in the mailbox on the porch, detonate it, unintentionally killing themselves in the process, having parked right alongside the car bomb planted by Connie. Zimmerman arrives and frees Stallworth from the over zealous Police Officers, while Connie is distraught and promptly arrested. 

Afterwards while celebrating their success in a bar, Stallworth and Patrice are approached by a drunken Landers who openly brags about his last encounter with Patrice and his feelings of contempt for black people. Chief Bridges then waltzes in and promptly arrests Landers having heard his 'confession' via wiretap worn by Stallworth. The next day, Chief Bridges meets with Stallworth and Zimmerman in his office and congratulates them on  job well done, but orders them to cease their investigation immediately and to destroy all records pertaining to the case. 

A dejected Stallworth leaves the office as his phone starts to ring. Doubling back to answer it, it is Duke on the line. After some friendly banter, with Zimmerman and various Police colleagues listening in, Stallworth reveals to Duke that he is a black man before hanging up abruptly with an 'FU muthafugga' leaving a speechless Duke dazed and confused on the other end.

This film is as relevant today as it was back in the day, and it speaks volumes to the political sentiment that peppers the Trump administration of the present day. The end of the film shows footage of just one year ago at the Charlottesville Unite the Right Rally in which white supremacists, counter-protesters and a vehicle ram raid into the gathered crowd took the life of young Heather Heyer, together with Trump's controversial statements that followed. This is a thought provoking film that clearly demonstrates Lee's deft touch at hard hitting social commentary that neatly wraps up a clear message taken from history that remains highly pertinent almost fifty years later. The more things change, the more things stay the same is the key message here, and in 'Blackkklansman' there is hatred, racism, bigotry, violence and injustice intertwined with moments of humour, strong performances and a storyline as real and shocking as it is, that is engaging, grounded and well told. You should watch this film as it is one of Lee's best in recent years.

'Blackkklansman' is worthy of four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, out of a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 23rd August 2018.

Now in its 67th year, the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) ran this year from 2nd through until 19th August. The official website, which can be found at : miff.com.au tells us that '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 program 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'.

This year, the festival opened up on 2nd August with the Australian Premier screening of Paul Dano's Directorial debut offering 'Wildlife' starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Carey Mulligan and Ed Oxenbould and tells the story set in 1960 of a boy who watches his parents' marriage fall apart after the three of them move to Montana, and his mother falls in love with another man. The film is based on the 1990 novel of the same name by Richard Ford, and is due for a wide release from October this year.

The closing night presentation on 18th August featured the World Premier screening of 'The Coming Back Out Ball Movie' Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Sue Thomson and described as 'an observational feature documentary that follows a group of older LGBTI+ people, who have been invited to attend a Ball celebrating their gender and sexual identity. Faced with the complexities of ageing and isolation, these extraordinary people seize each day with determination and humour. In a world that is rapidly changing for the LGBTI+ community, we witness some of our characters experiencing acceptance and love for the very first time in their lives'.

With over four hundred films screened at this years festival, there was sure to be something there for every taste and every age and ranging from feature length offerings, to short films, documentaries, Virtual Reality presentations and special showcases. If you missed it, there is always next year to look forward to, and in the meantime the Adelaide Film Festival kicks off on 10th October and runs until 21st October 2018.

This week there are six new cinematic releases coming to your local Odeon, of which three are of the Australian variety. Launching with the documentary life of an Aussie rock music icon from his challenged childhood to the figure he grew up to be, and now at 62 he tells his warts and all story of how and who he came to be. Sticking with these second of our Australian offerings this week we have a comedy drama set in country New South Wales as a mad keen rugby player juggles his challenges both on the field and off it too. And our final film in the Aussie trifecta this week tells the story of a desperately down on his luck Dad juggling the demands of his young son, his employer and his loan shark over the course of one day. As for the others, we have a tale of a Club of long established bookworm girlfriends who gain a new lease of life after reading an erotic novel; then a black comedy murder mystery involving human and puppet Detectives on the hunt for a serial killer; before wrapping up with a horror offering of an urban legend featuring a tall thin faceless man who terrorises four hapless girlfriends.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the six latest release new movies as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release and as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.

'JIMMY BARNES : WORKING CLASS BOY' (Rated M) - Directed, Co-Written and Co-Produced by Mark Joffe this feature documentary film is based on the #1 Best Selling memoir 'Working Class Boy' by acclaimed Australian music talent, Jimmy Barnes. His self written book spent sixteen weeks at the #1 spot, was awarded the Australian Biography of the Year, and sold over 250,000 copies making it one of the biggest selling biographies in Australian history.

Born James Dixon Swan in Glasgow, Scotland, the now 62 year old Jimmy Barnes retraces his early childhood steps through the streets of that once rugged city, before transplanting him to South Australia where he revisits his childhood memories coloured by domestic violence, poverty and alcoholism that would so heavily influence and motivate his future life. The film sets his raw, and at times darkly funny story against a background of archival footage and interviews with close friends, family members and musical collaborators. Barnesey's honesty and sense of humour create an emotional and compelling film of a damaged childhood, a broken family, a search for love and, finally, genuine redemption turning him into the man he has become, and very comfortable in his own skin.

'BOOK CLUB' (Rated M) - here we have an American Rom Com Directed, Co-Produced and Co-Written by Bill Holderman in his film making debut. The film needless to say is about a book club, and the four female friends who have attended their monthly book club get togethers for the past thirty years or so. The four friends in question here are Diane (Diane Keaton) who is recently widowed after forty years of marriage, Vivian (Jane Fonda) who enjoys her men with no strings attached, Sharon (Candice Bergen) who continues to work through her divorce even though this settled more than fifteen years ago, and Carol (Mary Steenburgen) whose marriage has hit a speed bump after 35 years. The lives of these four lifelong friends are turned upside down after reading the infamous '50 Shades of Grey' motivating them to add some spice to their lives and catapulting them into a series of outrageous life choices. Also starring Don Johnson, Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Ed Begley Jnr., Richard Dreyfus and Alicia Silverstone, the film has so far taken US$80M off the back of a US$10M production Budget and has received generally mixed or average Reviews.

'THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS' (Rated MA15+) - this mix of live and puppet action black comedy is Directed and Co-Produced by Brian Henson (the son of the late great Jim Henson). In the seedy underworld of Los Angeles, where humans and puppets co-exist, two clashing detectives - one puppet private investigator, Phil Philips (Bill Barretta) who reunites with his ex-partner Detective Connie Edwards (Melissa McCarthy) to solve the brutal murders of former cast members of a popular 1980's puppet TV show - 'The Happytime Gang'. But as ill feeling and long buried resentments rise to the surface the clues start pointing to the only plausible suspect, Phil himself. Now he's on the run with only his wits and hard headed determination to clear his name, as he tries to solve 'The Happytime Murders'. Also starring Elizabeth Banks, Maya Rudolph and Joel McHale, the film is released Stateside this week too.

'SLENDERMAN' (Rated M) - this supernatural horror film is Directed by Sylvain White who has worked on numerous single episodes of popular television series and has also Directed 'I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer', 'Stomp The Yard', 'The Losers' and the French murder mystery 'The Mark Of The Angels'. Here terror comes lurking when four teenage girls from small town Massachusetts perform a ritual to debunk the lore of a tall, thin, faceless horrifying figure known as the Slender Man. They soon fear that the legend is true when one of them suddenly goes missing. Attempting to investigate the mystery surrounding the Slender Man they become haunted by the Slender Man himself in all manner of spooky horrifying ways. Starring Joey King, Jai Sinclair, Annalise Basso, Julia Goldani Telles and Javier Botet as the Slender Man. The film was released in the US on 10th August and has so far grossed US$23M.

'CHASING COMETS' (Rated PG) - our second of three Australian films released this week with this comedy drama offering from Director and Co-Producer Jason Perini which tells the story of Chase (Dan Ewing) and his on-field and off-field exploits in the southern New South Wales city of Wagga Wagga. His dreams of playing in his beloved National Rugby League (NRL) are beginning to fall apart at the seams, just as his love life with Brooke (Isabel Lucas) is too. At his lowest ebb, Chase decides to take a leap of faith to sort out his life once and for all, but the result is that he is dropped by his team, and dumped by his girlfriend. It seems that executing his life changing choices might be harder than he had imagined, and his leap of faith might just prove to be one of the worst decisions he has yet made. The film also stars John Batchelor.

'WEST OF SUNSHINE' (Rated M) - here this third Australian feature released this week is Directed, Written and Produced by Jason Raftopoulos. Estranged from his family and caught in a seemingly never ending cycle of gambling and debt, courier Jim (Damian Hill) has until close of business today to repay his violent loan shark the $15K he owes. His day is turned all asunder when he must look after his young son Alex (Ty Perham) being the school holiday break, and also stick to his normal work shift routine otherwise incur the ire of his boss. Struggling to juggle all three priorities, Jim's relationship with his son is put to the test as his plans to pay back the loan fail to materialise, and when his last ditch attempt to repay the debt puts his son's life at risk, he must make a decision between his past, or a second chance at a better life. The film Premiered at the 2017 Venice Film Festival and has received generally positive Press so far.

With six new release films this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SUPERFLY : Tuesday 14th August 2018

I saw 'SUPERFLY' this week, and here we have a remake of the 1972 Blaxploitation action crime drama film of the same name, this time Directed by Director X (aka Julien Christian Lutz). This Canadian film and music video Director has been shooting music videos since 1998, but this is only his third outing helming a feature film since 'Across the Line' in 2015 and 'Centre Stage : On Pointe' in 2016. Released in the US in mid-June and in the UK not until Mid-September, the film cost US$16M to make, has so far grossed US$21M and has garnered generally mixed Reviews. The 1972 film incidentally, cost under US$500K to make and grossed in excess of US$30M, and is perhaps best remembered for its memorable Curtis Mayfield soundtrack. A sequel was released in 1973 'Super Fly T.N.T.' which tanked commercially and critically, and in 1990 a second sequel was released 'The Return of Super Fly' which performed no better. Now in 2018 its time to dust off those street hustlers and underworld crims of yesteryear and package them up into this polished fast talking hard hitting 21st Century offering.

The film opens up with Youngblood Priest (Trevor Jackson) pulling up to some local nightclub and marching in as though he owns the joint . . . and perhaps he does! He swaggers up to the apparent owner - all bleached blond dreadlocks, heavy gold neck chains and surrounded by his brother and sistahood with gangsta rap blaring out from the stereo of his newest 'acquisition' - a latest model Lamborghini. Priest asks him where his money is, and the dreadlocked dude surrounded by his two armed homies spins a confident yarn stating that he has no intention of coughing up. Priest retorts with a spin on the dudes mother and his beliefs in God, which ultimately sees the guy hand over the keys to his prized Lamborghini as collateral against the debt owed.

From here, en route to his next port of call, we learn that Priest has been hustling the streets of Atlanta since he was aged eleven, running cocaine ultimately, creating jobs and making a very comfortable living for himself along the way thank-you very much. He has never killed another, never been arrested, and runs a clean, tidy, well organised business, albeit an underworld business that is off the Police radar. And to thank for his success at his comparatively young age are his mentor Scatter (Michael Kenneth Williams), his inspiration Georgia (Lex Scott Davis) and his partner in crime and bestie Eddie (Jason Mitchell).

He pulls up to another nightclub and again waltzes in. This high end strip joint is owned and run by 'The Snow Patrol' who all sit above the crowd dressed in white, sucking on expensive Champagne and stogies, and flicking $20 bills into the crowd below like they're going out of fashion. Q (Big Bank Black) is the leader of Snow Patrol who walks around in what resembles a polar bear skin coat and a full set of gold teeth. Q and Priest share a mutual respect for each other despite their rivalry, but Q's young protege Juju (Kaalan 'KR' Walker) has a disliking and a mistrust for Priest and would rather see him dead - a fact that he constantly niggles his his gang leader about.

When the evening is done, Priest and his girlfriend Georgia exit the club and while waiting for his car to be brought around, is heckled by a decidedly drunk and possibly stoned Juju. A fist fight breaks out between the two which quickly sees Priest dispense with Juju and a couple of other Snow Patrol goons. After the fracas has subsided, and with his back turned Juju rises, pulls his gun and fires. In that split second, Priest has turned around and dodges the bullet, literally, as it hurtles past him and into the stomach of a young girl standing nearby with two friends. Juju is quickly bundled into a car and whisked away. Priest hands the girls a wad of rolled up bank notes and says get to the hospital, and quickly exits stage left. And so the scene is set.

Next Priest meets with his best mate and right hand man Eddie. Priest overnight has made up his mind to exit the game after that violent attack that so easily could have taken his life. He discusses the fact with Eddie who is less inclined to give up the good life and the wealth they have accumulated, and are still yet to make. Priest convinces Eddie to take on one last job, but a big one, that will see them be able to 'retire' somewhere else but here, and never have to worry about money again.

Priest visits his mentor Scatter who took him in when he was but a young lad, but showed a lot of promise, and they have been firm friends ever since. Scatter now runs a 'legitimate' mixed martial arts and kickboxing gym, whilst running coke on the side. Priest attempts to convince Scatter to give him a greater slice of the pie and to divulge his source in attempt to build his empire and establish connections much further afield. Scatter is however, nonchalant about Priest's motives and declines. Priest and Eddie follow Scatter as he drives the long journey from Atlanta down to El Paso, where the pair spy Scatter having a roadside conversation with a shady looking Mexican type watched over by several heavily armed goons. The meeting is brief and they part company. Priest and Eddie follow the Mexicans car as it crosses the border into Mexico and parks up behind a busy street market.

Priest orders Eddie to keep the motor running, to wait and he'll be back soon. As Priest goes on foot stealthily searching out his quarry, he rounds a truck to come face to face with a loaded weapon, and the Mexican head honcho Adalberto Gonzalez (Esai Morales), whose henchmen bind and blindfold him, and bundle their captive into a private jet. Flying high above Mexico, Gonzalez questions Priest and threatens the worst when satisfactory answers are not forthcoming. Priest maintains his cool, and starts up a conversation about the Mexican Soccer Team about which they are both knowledgeable and passionate. Priest then starts on about the matriarch of the family, Gonzalez mother, and how his brother is languishing in some Mexican jail courtesy of Gonzalez who put his elder sibling away for the good of the family. As a result of Priest's fast talking he is spared from being thrown out of the plane at 20,000 feet, and instead strikes up a deal with his new supplier to move three times the quantity of coke that Scatter was moving. Priest though has to come up with the front money to pay for his first consignment, which he is able to do.

Gonzalez releases Priest, and he meets up with Eddie some hours later, and explains what went down. The pair are now in the big league and back home in Atlanta the first consignment of packaged cocaine in five kilo bags makes its way across the border and into Priest's hands. Expanding his distribution network through close business associates, Priest and Eddie are quickly counting more money than they know what to do with. They celebrate with a party at their house to thank their colleagues.

On the way home one of Priest's cohorts, Racks (Rick Ross) is getting up to some front seat shenanigans with a certain lady. They are spied by a passing Police patrol car, who pulls them over. Looking in the trunk of the car, the Police Officer Turk Franklin (Brian Durkin) uncovers a five kilo bag of cocaine. But rather than haul their asses in, he drives them to rendezvous with Detective Mason (Jennifer Morrison) who questions the pair about their supplier and who is behind the organisation. Racks remains silent but when a gun is pointed at his head, his lady friend blurts out Priest. Neither Franklin nor Mason had heard of Priest before, but now, he is firmly on their radar. Racks and his girl are returned to their car and told to go about their business. They drive off, and seconds later are pulled over once again by Franklin. This time he plugs both with several rounds of bullets killing them both, all under the fictionalised auspices that they were armed and had intended to shoot first. The shooting is beamed across the news channels and Franklin is hailed a hero for acting in self defence and bringing down a drug king-pin.

The next day Priest and Eddie are paid a visit by Mason and Franklin who want in on their action 50/50, plus a good will down payment of one million dollars to be collected by the end of the week. Reluctantly Priest agrees. Eddie is mortified. The pair fight out of frustration with the situation and Eddie's lack of faith now in his long term partner. They go their separate ways. Immediately following Racks funeral, Mason and Franklin pull up in their car, and Priest hands over a stash of cash amounting to a million bucks. Meanwhile, Eddie ordered a hit on Snow Patrol without Priest's knowledge. Several of Snow Patrol's goons are killed in the barber shop where they all congregated. Juju narrowly escaped and swore vengeance on Priest. Q now is also convinced that Priest was behind the hit.

Later, Scatter realises that Priest has betrayed him and has muscled in on his supply chain and is none too pleased. He takes him to meet up with Gonzalez, hoping for a reconciliation, but the Mexican drug lord has other plans. He shoots Scatter dead saying that he was small time compared to Priest and that he was skimming a little off the top every month for many years hoping that Gonzalez wouldn't notice. But he did, and Scatter paid the price for his betrayal. Gonzalez also says that he had heard that Priest was looking to get out, a fact that Priest denies to remain in favour for the time being. Priest remains calm, but lets rip with his emotions when he is alone again in his car.

And so, Priest has formed an unfriendly alliance with two crooked cops; his Mexican supply chain has killed his long term mentor and has said that he can never leave the business; a rival gang is hot on his tail trying to rub him out; and he has fought with his best buddy and business partner. It looks like Priest's world is about to come crashing down on him. But Priest is Superfly, street smart, fast talking, quick thinking, well connected, level headed and always has a plan, and of course, needless to say it all comes out sunshine and rainbows for the Superfly guy in the end. He and Georgia relax on the back of a yacht sailing into the sunset somewhere off Montenegro, while Eddie is back in Atlanta having made up his differences with Priest, doing what he does best.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Priest is a likeable rogue, a career criminal who really doesn't know any different but knows his limits and how to play the game. He is a Superfly superhero - after all he can dodge a bullet, has remained off the radar of the authorities his entire life, is successful, wealthy, drives a fast car, has the bling, is fast talking, quick witted, street smart, sharp dressed, can handle himself amiably, cares about his posse, has two live in girlfriends on the go at once who just happen to be best mates too and has the most perfectly coiffed inky black straightened hair style that you have ever seen. His life is practically perfect in every respect, and this is where any sense of realism flies out the door, in favour of a more glitzy extended pop music video look and feel that Director X is more renowned for. The plot is full of twists and turns and stylised action that we have seen a thousand times before, backed up by gangsta dialogue at which you need to strain to decipher and a gloss that paints over the underbelly of the metropolis that captivates the interest but leaves you feeling ho-hum at the end.

'Superfly' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-