* 'A Journey in Spring' - from Taiwan and Directed by Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang.
* 'Critical Zone' - from Iran and Germany and Directed by Ali Ahmadzadeh.
* 'Dreaming & Dying' - from Singapore and Indonesia and Directed by Nelson Yeo.
* 'Hesitation Wound' - from Turkey, France, Romania and Spain and Directed by Selman Nacar.
* 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell' - from Vietnam, Singapore, France and Spain and Directed by Thien An Pham.
* 'Monisme' - from Indonesia and Qatar and Directed by Riar Rizaldi.
* 'Morrison' - from Thailand and France and Directed by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng.
* 'The Tenants' - from South Korea and Directed by Eun-Kyung Yoon. World Premiere screening.
* 'Tomorrow Is A Long Time' - from Singapore, Taiwan, France and Portugal and Directed by Zhi Wei Jow.
* 'Vali' - from India and Directed by Manoj Shinde. World Premiere screening.
What are the latest cinematic marvels that have resonated with festival audiences? Foreground presents six genre-driven works that have captivated the film festival circuit. This section highlights the following feature films :-
* '24 Hours with Gaspar' - from Indonesia and Directed by Yosep Anggi Noen.
* 'All of Us Strangers' - from the UK and Directed by Andrew Haigh.
* 'Art College 1994' - from China and Directed by Jian Liu.
* 'La Chimera' - from Italy, France and Switzerland and Directed by Alice Rohrwacher.
* 'Poor Things' - from the USA, UK and Ireland and Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.
For the other film strands being presented, and a whole bunch of other good stuff, you can head to the official website at : https://sgiff.com/
With seven new movie offerings hailing from all corners of the globe this week, there is sure to be something for everyone. Kicking off with a British drama that tells the story of the future for the last remaining pub in a village of Northeast England, where people are leaving the land as the mines are closed, where houses are cheap and available, thus making it an ideal location for Syrian refugees as the pub landlord befriends one of those refugees. Then we turn to a New Zealand comedy drama about a 17 year-old student who is forced to get off the fence he has actively sat on all his life to stand up for himself, his family and his future in this heartwarming story of identity. Next up is an Italian drama concerning two young boys who spend their childhoods together in a secluded alpine village roaming the surrounding peaks and valleys before their paths diverge. This is followed by an American comedy about two unpopular queer high school students who start a fight club to have sex before graduation. Up next is a Japanese creature feature set in Japan in the immediate aftermath of WWII when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster. Following on from this we have an American Christmas offering about the greatest story ever told - that of the birth of JC; before closing out the week with an American animated musical comedy that is the third instalment in the franchise that has Poppy learning that Branch was once part of the boy band 'BroZone', but when one of the brothers is kidnapped, Branch and Poppy embark on a journey to reunite his two other brothers and rescue the one kidnapped.
'THE OLD OAK' (Rated MA15+) - is a UK, French and Belgian Co-Produced drama film Directed by Ken Loach whose previous feature film credits take in his debut in 1967 with 'Poor Cow' and which he would follow up with the likes of 'Kes' in 1969, 'Riff-Raff' in 1991, 'Carla's Song' in 1996, 'My Name Is Joe' in 1998, 'The Wind That Shakes the Barley' in 2006, 'Looking for Eric' in 2009, 'I, Daniel Blake' in 2016 and 'Sorry We Missed You' in 2019. 'The Old Oak' is Ken Loach's last film having announced his retirement at the age of 87. This film Premiered in main competition at this years Cannes Film Festival in late May, was released in the UK at the end of September, has so far grossed US$1.2M off the back of a US$3.8M production budget and has generated largely positive reviews.
Pub landlord TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), living in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham in North East England, struggles to hold onto his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space where people can meet in the town. Much of the younger population have since left and what was once a thriving, proud community struggles to keep old values alive. But there is growing anger, resentment, and a lack of hope. Houses are cheap and available. This makes it an ideal location for the Syrian refugees that have been accepted by Britain in recent years. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Syrian refugees are placed there, but Ballantyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara (Ebla Mari).
'UPROAR' (Rated M) - this New Zealand comedy drama film is Co-Written and Directed by Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennet. Set in New Zealand in 1981, when the arrival of the South African rugby team sets off nationwide protests against apartheid and racism. Josh Waaka (Julian Dennison), a quick witted 17-year-old of mixed race who has been a passive bystander all his life and who has struggled to to fit in to his all-boys private school, is inspired by the protests in his home town of Dunedin. Josh however, discovers a newfound passion for performing to find his own voice, and so with the aid of a kindly teacher Madigan (Rhys Darby), a close friend and his loving family (Minnie Driver and James Rolleston), a more confident Josh embraces his Maori heritage before taking a stand for himself, his family, and his future.
'THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS' (Rated M) - is an Italian drama film Written for the screen and Directed by Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch and is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paolo Cognetti. The film charts the friendship between two men, Pietro (played by Luca Marinelli as an adult) and Bruno (by Alessandro Borghi as an adult) who spend their childhood together in a remote Italian Alpine village and reconnect later as adults. The films title is a reference to the concept in Buddhism and ancient Indian cosmology that the world is composed of nine mountains and eight seas, specifically eight concentric circular mountain ranges separated from one another by eight seas, with the ninth and tallest mountain, Mount Meru, at the centre. The film saw its World Premier screening at at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022 where it won the Jury Prize, was released in its native Italy last December and only now does it get a release in Australia having so far grossed US$11M at the Box Office and generated positive reviews.
'BOTTOMS' (Rated MA15+) - this American satirical teen sex comedy film is Directed by Emma Seligman, from a screenplay she co-wrote with Rachel Sennott. Emma Seligman's made her feature film making debut with 'Shiva Baby' in 2020, and here she focuses on two girls, PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edbiri), who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. Their bizarre plan works. The fight club gains traction and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defence. But PJ and Josie find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed. It Premiered at South by Southwest in mid-March this year and was released Stateside in late August, has so far grossed US$12.3M off the back of a production budget of US$11.3M and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews.
'GODZILLA MINUS ONE' (Rated M) - is a Japanese kaiju film Written, Directed, and with visual effects by Takashi Yamazaki. It is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise and the 33rd film produced by Japan's Toho Studios. Here, in post war 1946 Japan and the country is at its lowest point when a new crisis emerges in the form of a giant monster, mutated by the horrific power of the Bikini Atoll nuclear tests. Starring Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, and Kuranosuke Sasaki, the film was produced for US$15M, was the closing night film at this years Tokyo International Film Festival on 1st November, was released in Japan on the 3rd of this month, is released in the US and Canada this week too, and in the UK and Ireland from mid-December. The film has been critically acclaimed in its home country of Japan.
'JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM' (Rated PG) - is an American Christmas family musical adventure film Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Adam Anders in his feature film making debut. You know the story here - a young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility; a young man torn between love and honour; and a jealous king Herod (Antonio Banderas) who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas classic weaves melodies into new pop songs in a music-infused retelling of the timeless story of Mary (Fiona Palomo) and Joseph (Milo Manheim) and the birth of Jesus.
'TROLLS BAND TOGETHER' (Rated G) - this American animated musical comedy film is Directed by Walt Dohrn who Co-Directed 'Trolls' in 2016 and Directed 'Trolls World Tour' in 2020. The first two films in the franchise cost a combined US$250M to produce and grossed worldwide a total US$396M and are based on the Good Luck Trolls created by the Danish woodworker Thomas Dam. A month after the events of the second film, Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick) and Branch (voiced by Justin Timberlake) have officially started a relationship. As the two grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch was once a part of the boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four older brothers. When one of his brothers, Floyd (Troye Sivan), is kidnapped by wannabe pop-star siblings, Velvet (voiced by Amy Schumer) and Veneer (Andrew Rannells), Branch and the rest of the siblings must reunite to rescue him. Also starring the voice talents of Camila Cabello, Eric Andre, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, RuPaul, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Anderson Paak. The film has so far grossed US$146M from a production budget of US$95M since its release in the US earlier this month.
Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the seven latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the coming week.
With seven new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.
-Steve, at Odeon Online-
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