What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th December 2023.

The Red Sea International Film Festival marks its third edition this year, running from Thursday 30th November through until Saturday 9th December. Over the course of ten days, the festival celebrates the best of local and international filmmaking talents in an exciting platform for everything film-related. With eleven film categories to choose from, the Red Sea Film Festival programme has something for everyone, satisfying every cinematic palate under the sun. Each section is expertly curated by a team of internationally renowned programmers, delivering the best in Arab and world cinema, television, and VR. You will also get to rediscover old favourites and restored classics, and enjoy an exciting collection of experimental and short films. It is an expansive roundup of the year’s international hits and audience and critics’ favourites, hot from the international cinematic circuit, as well as the best Saudi films, all competing in the heart of Jeddah. 

This years International Spectacular strand, the following feature films are being showcased :-

* 'Copa 71' - from the UK and Co-Written and Co-Directed by Rachel Ramsay and James Erskine, this documentary is about why the first Women's World Cup has been written out of history.

* 'Chicken Run : Dawn of the Nugget' - from the UK and Directed by Sam Fell, this animated adventure comedy film tells the story of how, having escaped from the farm, Ginger and Rocky welcome a new little adventurer into their lives. Back on the mainland, the whole of chicken-kind faces a terrible new threat. Starring the voice talents of Thandiwe Newton, Zachary Levi, Jane Horrocks, Imelda Staunton, Timothy Spall and Miranda Richardson.

* 'Dammi' - from France and the UK and Co-Written and Directed by Yann Mounir Demange and starring Riz Ahmed and Isabelle Adjani, this short drama film tells the story of a man who travels back to Paris while navigating his past experiences and weird glimpses of the present in an effort to reconnect with his estranged father. He is forced to face his fears and guilt while also reclaiming his lost Arab identity.

* 'The President's Wife' (aka 'Bernadette') - from France and Written and Directed by Lea Domenach, this biographical comedy drama film stars Catherine Deneuve following Bernadette Chirac during the two French presidential mandates of her husband, Jacques Chirac from 1995, until the election of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.

* 'The Boy and the Heron' - from Japan and Written and Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this animated adventure drama film sees Mahito, a young 12-year-old boy, who struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world.

* 'Origin' - from the USA, India and Germany and Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Ava DuVernay, this drama film charts the unspoken system that has shaped America and chronicles how lives today are defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. Starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vera Farmiga, Connie Neilsen, Jon Bernthal, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood and Finn Wittrock.

* 'Priscilla' - from the USA and Italy and Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Sofia Coppola this musical biographical drama film is based on the 1985 memoir 'Elvis and Me' by Priscilla Presley and follows the life of Presley (Cailee Spaeny) and her relationship with Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi).

* 'Silent Night' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by John Woo, this action film stars Joel Kinnaman, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Kid Cudi about a grieving father who enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve.

* 'Ferrari' - from the USA and Co-Produced and Directed by Michael Mann this biographical sports drama film stars Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Jack O'Connell and Patrick Dempsey. In the summer of 1957, Enzo Ferrari, reeling from the death of his son Dino, the deteriorating marriage with his wife Laura, and his company's impending bankruptcy, enters his racing team to the 1957 Mille Miglia. Chosen as the Closing Night Gala Film presentation. 

For the other film strands including the Arab Spectacular, the Red Sea : Competition, Red Sea : Treasures and Special Screenings plus a whole lot more, you can go to the official website at : https://redseafilmfest.com/en/

To tease you out to your local big screen Odeon in this first week of Summer, there are no less than eight movies coming your way, kicking off with a biographical offering from only a second time Director but a seasoned Actor nonetheless that charts the lifelong love between a famed music conductor and composer and his Costa Rican wife. Following on, we have a crime thriller about a meticulous horticulturist who is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate and pandering to his employer, the wealthy dowager. Next up is an actioner from an acclaimed Director of the genre about a grieving father who enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve. Then we turn to an Aussie Sci-Fi thriller that sees two drug-dependent best friends in Melbourne heist a bag of time-travelling crystal in order to pay off their debt to a volatile dealer; which is followed by a romcom drama offering about a woman who is unexpectedly forced to choose between the husband she has long thought dead and the fiance who has finally brought her back to life. This is followed by a Japanese animated film that follows a young boy who discovers an abandoned tower in his new town and enters a fantastical world with a talking grey heron; and then a documentary combining interviews with secretly shot footage, that focuses on the difficulties facing North Korean defectors, revealing a way of life unknown to most of the world. And closing out the week we have a musical comedy about two self-obsessed businessmen who discover they're long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric, divorced parents.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the eight 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 week ahead.

'MAESTRO' (Rated M) - this American biographical film is Co-Written, Co-Produced, Directed and stars Bradley Cooper in his second feature film making outing after the critically acclaimed and multi award winning 'A Star is Born' in 2018. Also taking Producing credits are Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. This film saw its World Premiere screening at the Venice International Film Festival in early September this year where is was in competition for the Golden Lion, saw a limited cinema release in the US from 22nd November and here in Australia from this week before streaming on Netflix from 20th December. 

This complex love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of famed conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and Costa Rican Actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan) from the time they met at a party in 1946 and continuing through two engagements, a 25 year marriage, and three children - Jamie Bernstein (Maya Hawke), Alexander Bernstein (Sam Nivola) and Nina Bernstein Simmons (Alexa Swinton). Also starring Sarah Silverman as Bernstein's sister Shirley. 

'MASTER GARDENER' (Rated M) - is an American crime thriller film Written and Directed by Paul Schrader whose previous film making credits take in the likes of his debut offering with 'Blue Collar' in 1978 and then 'American Gigolo' in 1980, 'Cat People' in 1982, 'The Comfort of Strangers' in 1990, 'Dying of the Light' in 2014, 'First Reformed' in 2017 and 'The Card Counter' in 2021. Here, a meticulous horticulturist Narvel Roth (Joel Edgerton) is devoted to tending the grounds of a beautiful estate owned by a wealthy dowager Norma Heverhill (Sigourney Weaver). When he's told to take on her troubled great-niece Maya Core (Quintessa Swindell) as an apprentice, his life is thrown into chaos and dark secrets from his past emerge. The film saw its World Premiere out of competition at the Venice International Film Festival in early September 2022, and was released in the US in mid-May this year having so far grossed US$1.4M at the Box Office off the back of a US$4M production budget and garnering generally favourable reviews.

'SILENT NIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - this American action film is Co-Produced and Directed by John Woo whose prior feature film output includes 'A Better Tomorrow' and 'A Better Tomorrow II' in 1986 and '87, 'The Killer' in 1989, 'Bullet in the Head' in 1990, 'Hard Boiled' in 1992, and then his first Hollywood actioner 'Hard Target' in 1993 followed by 'Broken Arrow' in 1996, 'Face/Off' in 1997, 'Mission : Impossible 2' in 2000, 'Paycheck' in 2003 with 'Red Cliff : Part I' and 'Red Cliff : Part II' in 2008 and 2009 amongst a whole swathe of others. This film is John Woo's first American production since 'Paycheck' twenty years ago and sees a man, Brian Goodluck (Joel Kinnaman) witnesses the death of his young son when the boy gets caught in crossfire between warring gangs on Christmas Eve. Recovering from a wound that cost him his voice, he soon embarks on a bloody and gruelling quest to punish those responsible. The film was released last week in the US and has so far grossed US$3.5M.

'TIME ADDICTS' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian Sci-Fi thriller Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Sam Odlum in his feature film making debut. In debt to their volatile drug dealer, best friends, Denise (Freya Tingley) and Johnny (Charles Grounds), agree to a sketchy job to pay off their last hit. After breaking into a run down stash house in Melbourne, Victoria to steal a bag of mysterious drugs, escape proves more troublesome, as the pair find themselves trapped inside with a madman. With no way out and not one to miss an opportunity, Johnny smokes the new drug and promptly travels into the past, triggering alarming new events in the future. Separated through time, Denise is left alone to confront her past, their dealer's real identity, and her very own existence.

'ONE TRUE LOVES' (Rated PG) - this American romantic comedy drama film is Co-Produced and Directed by Andy Fickman whose previous film making efforts include 'She The Man' in 2006, 'The Game Plan' in 2007, 'Race to Witch Mountain' in 2009, 'Parental Guidance' in 2012, and 'Playing with Fire' in 2019. This film is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid. After her husband Jesse (Luke Bracey) disappears in a helicopter crash, Emma (Phillipa Soo) moves back to Massachusetts in an effort to mend her life back together. Four years later, Emma runs into her old best friend, Sam (Simu Liu), and they become inseparable. Newly engaged, Emma receives an unexpected phone call revealing Jesse is alive. Completely torn, Emma must now choose between a husband and a fiance. The film was released in the US in early April this year and has generated largely unfavourable reviews.

'THE BOY AND THE HERON' (Rated PG) - is an Japanese animated fantasy film Written and Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and is Produced by Studio Ghibli. Hayao Miyazaki's previous film credits take in the likes of 'Castle in the Sky' in 1986, 'Princess Mononoke' in 1997, 'Spirited Away' in 2001, 'Howl's Moving Castle' in 2004, 'Ponyo' in 2008 and 'The Wind Rises' in 2013 amongst others. All up Miyazaki has won seventy-nine awards and been nominated a further forty-eight times for his work in Japanese animation. Here, Mahito (voiced by Luca Padovan in the English over-dubbed version), a young twelve-year-old boy, struggles to settle in a new town after his mother's death. However, when a talking heron informs Mahito that his mother is still alive, he enters an abandoned tower in search of her, which takes him to another world. The English version includes the voice talents of Robert Pattinson, Gemma Chan, Christian Bale, Mark Hamill, Florence Pugh, Willem Dafoe and Dave Bautista. The film has garnered universal critical acclaim and has so far grossed US$84M at the Box Office since its release in its native Japan in mid-July with a US and Australian release set for this week. 

'BEYOND UTOPIA' (Rated M) - this American documentary film is Directed and Edited by Madeleine Gavin in her third feature doco film since her debut in 2003 with 'What I Want My Words to Do to You : Voices from Inside a Women's Maximum Security Prison' and 2016's 'City of Joy'. The documentary centres around Sengeun Kim, a pastor who defected from North to South Korea and who facilitates North Korean defections of families as they attempt to escape oppression in North Korea, revealing a world most of us have never seen. The film saw its World Premiere showcasing at this years Sundance Film Festival in late January, went on limited release in the US in late October, has so far grossed just US$28K yet had generated universal critical acclaim and has collected six award wins and another thirteen nominations from around the awards and festival circuit.

'DICKS : THE MUSICAL' (Rated MA15+) - is an American musical comedy film Co-Produced and Directed by Larry Charles whose prior film making credits take in 'Masked and Anonymous' in 2003, 'Borat' in 2006, 'Bruno' in 2009, 'The Dictator' in 2012 and 'Army of One' in 2016. This film is based on the off-Broadway musical 'Fucking Identical Twins' by Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson. Here then, two business adversaries Craig and Trevor (Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson respectively) realise they're identical twin brothers, and decide to switch places to reunite their divorced parents so they all can become an actual family again. Also starring Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Sonya Eddy, Danielle Perez and Nick Offerman, the film saw its World Premiere screening at this years Toronto International Film Festival in early September before going on release in the US in early October, having so far grossed US$1.4M and generating mixed or average critical reviews.

With eight 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-