READY PLAYER ONE : Tuesday 3rd April 2018.

'READY PLAYER ONE' which I saw earlier this week at my local multiplex is the eagerly awaited, keenly anticipated and much hyped latest offering from Producer and Director Steven Spielberg. Based on the bestselling and highly regarded 2011 Sci-Fi book of the same name by Ernest Cline, this film was released in the US last week too, cost a cool US$175M to make, has so far recovered US$239M and has garnered generally positive Press. Full of pop culture references to the '80's, '90's and early 2000's including several nods to earlier Spielberg works, as well as cutting edge CGI, this film will be a feast for the visual senses and overload for all the movie and video game geeks out there. Cline is reported to be working on a sequel to the novel, but it remains to be seen if this will translate to a follow up film, or if Spielberg would even Direct.

Set in 2045 with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse due to overpopulation, climate change, pollution and corruption, the main centres of population have become slum like cities with make shift homes being stacked upon each other forming huge towers reaching skywards. Known as 'Stacks' it is here we find Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) living in the burgeoning city of Columbus, Ohio, with his aunt and her not so pleasant boyfriend, having lost both his parents in his younger years.

To escape the desolation of their meagre existence, the people have found solace in the OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), an expansive globally interconnected virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance) where those users can engage in work, entertainment, relaxation and education from the comfort of their own homes, and the vast majority of the population do. When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune and ownership of OASIS to the first person to find a digital Easter Egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. Three challenges confront the game contestants before reaching the elusive Easter Egg, open to anyone playing in the OASIS, and those specifically entering the game challenge are known as 'Gunters' (egg hunters). Wade has modified on an old beat up panel van buried amidst a car wreckers yard that houses his game gear, where he escapes to play in the OASIS.

In the OASIS Wade assumes a different identity and a game name for his avatar, Parzival. He is good friends with fellow gamer, virtual mechanic and Gunter Aech (aka Helen Harris, played by Lena Waithe) who is male inside the game, but female out of it. Their first challenge is a road race (Parzival's car of choice is a DeLorean - a nod to 'Back to the Future') over an ever changing city scape which no one has ever completed with death defying obstacles which involves contending with a rampaging T-Rex and King Kong amongst other things. Here he meets for the first time fellow Gunter Art3mis (aka Samantha Cook, played by Olivia Cooke), and before reaching the finish line and getting eaten by a marauding King Kong is saved from being 'zeroed out' by Parzival, which would reset the avatar's character progression. From this point on the two form a close bond.

After numerous attempts to reach the finish line over repeated occasions and always with the same outcome, Parzival visits the OASIS virtual library in which is recorded in audio and visual every single aspect of Halliday's life, in the hope of finding a clue to winning the first challenge. Parzival learns that Halliday felt remorse and regret over parting company with his early business partner Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg) over a personal matter involving a girl, who would later become Morrow's wife. Halliday makes a statement about travelling backwards, really fast, which suggests an answer to Parzival about the start of the race. At the next race, the vehicles are all assembled on a starting line, and as the off is given all cars accelerate forward, leaving Parzival's car standing. He shifts into reverse and heads at break neck speed towards a solid wall, which then opens up to reveal a virtual road under the race cars speeding above, only free of all the challenging obstacles. He crosses the finish line and is greeted by Halliday's avatar Anorak, the first of three keys and a clue to the next challenge. His friends Aech, Art3mis, and their friends Daito (aka Toshiba Yoshiaki, played by Win Morisiaki) and Sho (aka Akihide Karatsu, played by Philip Zhao) all cross the finish line, and are the first five names to appear on the leader board, becoming known collectively as 'The High Five'.

With the leaderboard now occupied for the first time in more than five years, the CEO of IOI (Innovative Online Industries) Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) who over the years has amassed a army of debt laden players known as Sixers (because of their six digit ID numbers) suddenly becomes more acutely interested in the game, wanting to reach the Easter Egg for his own ill gotten gains and to win full control over OASIS before them pesky kids do. Eager to learn their real life identities so that they can be eliminated in the real world, Sorrento engages virtual Bounty Hunter, magical artefacts and arms dealer i-R0K (T.J.Miller) to hunt down Parzival.

i-R0K overhears Parzival revealing his real name to Art3mis in a virtual nightclub, which in turn leads Sorrento to him with an invitation for untold riches if he surrenders his quest and leads him to the Easter Egg. Needless to say Parzival refuses Sorrento's invitation. In return Sorrento sends his Head of Operations F'Nale Zandor (Hannah John-Kamen) to track down Wade and kill him in The Stacks. But Wade isn't there, and instead wipes out the stacked tower where his Aunt and her boyfriend live killing them, and others in the process.

Wade is rescued by associates of Art3mis in the real world and taken to a hideout in Columbus, not far from The Stacks. Here he learns of Art3mis real world identity, Samantha Cook. Together they ponder over the second clue and revisit the OASIS virtual library, there learning that Halliday had once dated Karen 'Kira' Underwood (Perdita Weeks) who later went onto become Morrow's wife and the reason for their business split. Parzival wins a bet with The Curator of the virtual library - a 25c coin, about any lasting memories of Kira, which Parzival is then given access to, revealing the entrance to the second quest. That quest takes The High Five team to a old movie theatre and a screening of 'The Shining' and inside the Overlook Hotel (beautifully and faithfully recreated) where Art3mis wins the second key and the clue to the third challenge. The other four bring up the rear and each secure a key, so solidifying their places on the leaderboard. The third challenge it is revealed leads them to Anorak's Castle, located on Planet Doom.

Zandor and the IOI henchmen discover the Gunter's hideaway and kidnap Samantha with Wade making a narrow escape, being rescued by Helen, Toshiro and Akihide. Back in the OASIS, Parzival learns that Sorrento and i-R0k have encircled Castle Anorak in an impenetrable force field dome that prevents access to complete the quest. This is maintained by IOI and a large team of Sixers including an imprisoned Samantha who is forced to comply against her will. Parzival transmits a message to all OASIS gamers that their help is needed on Planet Doom to bring down the force field, thwart Sorrento and claim the ultimate prize. The gamers rise up and lend their support to Parzival arriving en masse on Planet Doom. Headed up by Aech, Daito and Sho on Doom together with The Iron Giant engineered by Aech, back in the real world Samantha is able to make her escape, create a distraction and rejoin the other four in the OASIS where she is able to bring down the force field by reciting the magic spell that initiated it.

Inside Castle Anorak, Parzival finds himself in The Atari Room staring down at a long line of Sixers all playing different Atari 2600 games trying to determine which was Halliday's favourite and therefore where the last key is hidden. But Sixer after Sixer fails, all being zeroed out. Back in IOI an operative determines that 'Adventure' must be the game that was Halliday's favourite, so up steps another hopeful Sixer to the game console. He successfully negotiates the maze going the distance but ultimately is zeroed out too.

Parzival steps up to the game console but is intercepted by Sorrento's avatar. The pair fight, with Parzival gaining the upper hand as Sorrento activates 'The Cataclyst' device which zeroes out each and every single player on Planet Doom including himself and i-R0k. However, Parzival lives, granted an 'extra life' on the reverse of the 25c coin given to him by The Curator at the virtual library. He continues with the Adventure game and successfully completes it by locating its own Easter Egg hidden within the game. At this point Halliday's avatar Anorak appears and hands down the third and final key to Parzival, which he uses to unlock a gate, with the other two keys, into a huge room adorned with riches and a giant Easter Egg sat atop a throne like structure.

Therein Anorak presents Parzival with a contract to sign, but in seeing the contract he recognises that it is the same as presented to Ogden Morrow upon his termination, and so refuses to sign. The avatar of Anorak turns into a projection of the adult Halliday with his young childhood self too in the bedroom where he spent his childhood years, playing the latest computer games and learning his craft. Halliday reveals that this was the final test, centering around his greatest regret in life. He also gives Parzival the chance to wipe out the OASIS completely and erase everything it stands for, by simply pressing a Big Red Button, but Parzival declines that invitation. Instead, Halliday hands over a golden glowing Easter Egg and assigns his personal fortune of half a trillion dollars over to Wade. At that the adult Halliday and his younger self turn and leave the room by the door.

Sorrento and Zandor are arrested having given chase to The High Five all the way to The Stacks in a last ditch attempt to thwart Parzival's success in the OASIS. Wade announces that he will co-control the future of OASIS with his other four friends, and offers a now much older Morrow a consultancy to help them run the company which he gladly accepts on a salary of 25c - revealing that his avatar was The Curator within the virtual library.

This is a good fun film which I enjoyed . . . a lot! It is chock full of '80's and '90's cultural references that are touchstones for anyone from that era. Drawing movie and gaming fandom inspiration from the past to shape the future malaise which it does with style and technical wizardry, but with little regard for the future dystopian world of 2045 and the cultural problems facing the here and now. Visually this is a stunning film with graphics and effects that are mind blowing, artfully rendered and with a painstaking attention to detail (the Overlook Hotel sequence especially), and so too of the avatars of The High Five also. Look out for nods to John Carpenter's 'Christine', 'The A-Team', 'The Iron Giant', 'The Shining', the Batmobile from the '60's 'Batman' television series, 'King Kong', 'Jurassic Park', 'Back to the Future', Freddy Kruger, Betelgeuse, Chucky to name but a few, and a thumping soundtrack straight from that time too. The effects are at times overwhelming however, as you concentrate to keep apace of the action, the cultural references, and the characters from the past, and whilst this is a movie about a globally interconnected virtual reality environment, a little more time and effort concentrating on the human element of The High Five characters in the real world rather that their avatars may not have gone amiss. Nonetheless, Spielberg has added another rollercoaster action adventure spectacle to his filmography that only serves to demonstrate his mastery over the craft which he was instrumental in defining. Catch it on the big screen . . . you'll be pleased you did.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

DUNKIRK : Monday 24th July 2017.

I saw 'DUNKIRK' in its 70mm format in one of only 159 cinemas worldwide showcasing this film in this way, and I'd have to say, that this is the only way to see this film! Back in the early '90's Christopher Nolan and his future wife, movie Producer and film collaborator Emma Thomas, were sailing across the English Channel to Dunkirk, when the young Writer and Director hit upon an idea for a film, about the evacuation of British armed forces from the war torn beaches of Dunkirk in mid-1940. He committed his idea to a 76 page Screenplay, and then put the whole idea on hold until such time as he had gained sufficient experience in making big epic blockbusting action film fare - the like of which he has more than proven he can do over the subsequent years. However, rather than making a film about the war time politics involving Churchill and his Generals; or showing the Germans on the beach head taking out allied forces with their strategically located gun placements; or paint this as a victory; or bring in Uncle Sam to save the day, he chose to make a film with an all English cast and from three perspectives - the air (involving Spitfire and Luftwaffe dog fights), the land (on the beaches of Dunkirk), and the sea (the evacuation of 400,000 troops by the Navy and any able bodied sea man who could steer a dinghy across the Channel to aid the rescue attempt).

And so armed with an ensemble cast of fine and lesser known English acting talent, Nolan has created a WWII action drama film where the dialogue is thin on the ground and there is no character backstory, instead allowing the suspense to come through the details and the authentic fact based story contained within the scenes. Nolan also made extensive use of practical effects - employing some six thousand extras, amassing a flotilla of boats that had participated in the real Dunkirk evacuation, and using genuine era-appropriate planes for aerial sequences. The film centres around the evacuation of British, French, Belgian and Canadian troops who are pinned down by German forces on the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, and their evacuation between 26th May and 4th June 1940 in what was known as 'Operation Dynamo'. The film Premiered in London on 13th July and was released worldwide last week, having cost US$100M to make it has so far grossed US$122M and has met largely with widespread acclaim.

The film is a triptych, with each separate clearly defined story overlapping through their engagement with the enemy while recounting the heroics, the ever present danger, the chaos and the gritty determination of everyday airmen, sea men, soldiers on the ground and the British general public in their concerted rescue attempts as they come under a constant barrage of attack by land, sea and air from the German forces. Told in a non-linear narrative style covering three different time periods - one on land covering a week and staged at one of two Moles protecting the outer harbour at Dunkirk from which ships were able to dock to evacuate the troops; one from the sea covering one day as the Royal Navy commandeer private boats to aid the rescue attempt across the English Channel; and one from the air covering one hour as a small squadron of three Spitfires fly across the Channel to provide air support to the men on the ground in Dunkirk. As the film opens up, an introductory text tells us that in 1940, after the invasion of France by Nazi Germany, thousands of Allied soldiers retreated to the French seaside town of Dunkirk. As the surrounding British perimeter shrinks, the soldiers await evacuation, a seemingly hopeless situation.

And so to the Mole, on land, where we meet young British Private Tommy (Fionn Whitehaed) who after a close encounter with German snipers survives and makes it behind Allied lines to the relative safety of Dunkirk beach and the amassed hordes of British and allied troops eagerly anticipating their imminent evacuation. There he meets Gibson (Aneurin Bernard) and the two stretcher an injured soldier across the beach to a waiting ship evacuating the wounded. The two lads are denied entry to the outgoing ship, but the injured man is carried aboard. Tommy and Gibson stow themselves away under the infrastructure of the Mole hoping to sneak abroad the next ship. German attack planes descend on the Mole, sinking the outgoing ship as it is about to leave the dock. In the chaos, the boys are thrown into the sea and save young Alex (Harry Styles) from being crushed as the ship sinks. They get on another boat later that night, but that is torpedoed by a German U-Boat and this time Gibson saves Tommy and Alex. The next day the three lads join a small group of Scottish soldiers who have spied a grounded fishing trawler further up the beach outside of the Allied perimeter. Hiding inside the vessel waiting for the tide to rise to refloat the boat, they are set upon by German soldiers who use the trawler for target practice shooting many holes in the boats hull, to the extent that when the boat does finally rise it lets in so much water that the men have to abandon it soon afterwards. As the vessel sinks, Gibson becomes entangled in some rigging and drowns. Alex and Tommy swim for a nearby minesweeper, but it is bombed and sinks. They are eventually picked up by Mr. Dawson's (Mark Rylance) boat in the vicinity of the sunken minesweeper that has been leaking oil heavily into the sea. They narrowly escape being engulfed in flames as a German plane is shot down and crashes into the sea in a ball of flame so igniting the oil slick. Mr. Dawson picks up a boat load of oil caked survivors and heads back for the white cliffs of England, and home.

Meanwhile on the Mole, Commander Bolton (Kenneth Branagh) has taken charge of the proceedings as the pier-master to coordinate the rescue and evacuation efforts. Together with Colonel Winnant (James D'Arcy) they discuss Churchill's rejection of Germany's offer for Britain to surrender and his commitment to see to it that 30,000 servicemen are evacuated, and that smaller civilian vessels had been ordered to aid the evacuation attempt to save the larger fleet for the defence of Britain. As the last vestiges of the British soldiers had been evacuated by a flotilla of smaller English boats of every size and description, so Winnant departs expecting Bolton to go with him. But stoically, Bolton stays behind stating that 300,000 British troops had been evacuated, and he would see to it that the French were next to be rescued.

To the sea, and Mr. Dawson does his duty to King and country without hesitation and sets of his motor cruiser (the 'Moonstone') with his son Peter (Tom Glynn-Carney) and teenage deck hand George (Barry Keoghan). Soon after departing into the English Channel they spot three Spitfire planes over head. The vessel shortly afterwards comes across a semi-sunken ship with a lone survivor sitting on the hull of the upturned vessel. They rescue him and welcome the bitterly cold soldier aboard (Cillian Murphy) who is clearly shell shocked. The soldier becomes very agitated when he learns that Dawson is heading to Dunkirk and not to England and demands that the boat be turned around immediately, saying that he cannot go back there for fear of certain death. A scuffle ensues, George is knocked below deck injuring himself badly and the soldier is ordered to sleep it off below deck. Dawson continues heading toward France. En route they witness a Spitfire ditch in the sea, and going to its rescue they haul out RAF Pilot Collins (Jack Lowden) who was about to drown in the cockpit of his rapidly sinking Spitfire. They then come across a stricken minesweeper under attack by a German bomber, and manoeuvre the vessel to take on soldiers fleeing the listing ship and spilling oil heavily into the sea - among them Tommy and Alex.

In the air, RAF Pilot Farrier (Tom Hardy) and two others - Collins and their Squadron Leader fly low over the English Channel to provide air support to the troops on the ground in Dunkirk. Along the way they encounter a Luftwaffe plane which shoots down the Squadron Leader. Farrier and Collins continue towards France monitoring their dwindling fuel supply regularly. In another mid-air skirmish the pair take out another German plane, but Collins has sustained damage to his Spitfire and is forced to ditch at sea. Farrier continues on regardless unaware of what the outcome was for his flying mate. Getting closer to France Farrier must switch to reserve fuel now. He then witnesses the bombing of the minesweeper and the sinking of the trawler on which Tommy and Alex managed to swim free. Reaching Dunkirk he takes out the German bomber aircraft that was hampering the evacuation attempts, so saving ships and lives in the process. He runs out of fuel and glides along the beach to the rapturous applause of the soldiers below, seeking a landing spot on the sand. He brings his aircraft down gently on the sand but outside of the Allied perimeter. He torches his plane and as it erupts in a ball of flame with him looking on, so he is taken prisoner by German soldiers.

'Dunkirk' adds another dimension to the history of war films in cinema just as 'Saving Private Ryan' did in 1998. Without getting bogged down in the political agenda of the WWII era, or the labouring back story of the principle cast, or the rights and wrongs as seen by either side, here Christopher Nolan has crafted a war film that is very much of a moment in time from the perspective not of heroes, but of everyday men responding to extraordinary circumstances in differing situations. We have young foot soldiers doing what they can to survive - run, hide, duck and weave; we have an ageing father doing his bit for his country to help bring his boys back home in their hour of need; we have a fighter pilot with a do or die attitude; and we have a naval commander who simply gets the job done with the minimal amount of fuss and then hangs back to do it all over again. Knowing the truth behind the Dunkirk evacuation makes this all the more a grounded story, backed up by strong performances, a stirring score by Hans Zimmer, and masterful Direction and Cinematography courtesy of Hoyte van Hoytema (who also worked with Nolan on 'Interstellar'). If I had any criticism it would be that the characters are emotionally bereft. They are all stoic, stiff upper lip, never say die middle class Englishmen with their focus squarely on the job at hand, and a such it's a little tough investing in them, and, in addition what of the role of women here - women in this film are banished to handing out cups of tea and jam sandwiches to evacuating troops below decks, but history tells us that they had more important roles to play! All that said, the film is rousing, stirring, uniquely realised, and totally immersive, and a must see on the biggest screen you can possibly find, and ideally in 70mm.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th July 2017.

Over the last three weeks I have brought you my pick of the movies to watch out for during the latter half of 2017. In wrapping up this feature, how could we walk past the animated family friendly feature films also slated for release between now and December? Here they are - check on firm release dates and classifications as advertised, nearer the time.
* 20th August : 'Batman and Harley Quinn' - Directed by Sam Liu and Produced through Warner Bros. Animation, this will be seen in selected cinemas for one night only before its digital release the next day and home-video and DVD shortly thereafter. Starring Kevin Conroy as Batman, Loren Lester as Nightwing and Melissa Rauch as Harley Quinn.
* 14th September : 'Captain Underpants : The First Epic Movie' - Directed by David Soren and Produced by DreamWorks Animation, this was released in the US in early June, and is based on the popular Dav Pikey series of kids books. Starring Ed Helms as Captain Underpants, with Kevin Hart, Thomas Middleditch, Nick Kroll and Jordan Peele.
* 14th September : 'The Emoji Movie' - Directed by Tony Leondis, and Produced by Sony Pictures Animation and starring T. J. Miller, James Cordon, Anna Faris, Sofia Vergara, Patrick Stewart and Christina Aguilera.
* 21st September : 'The Lego Ninjago Movie' - Directed by Charlie Bean and Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and stars Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Michael Pena, Jackie Chan and Olivia Munn in this second spin off from 2014's 'The Lego Movie' and the first film based on an original Lego product.
* 19th October : 'The Son of Bigfoot' - Directed by Jeremy Degruson and Ben Stassen this French/Belgian Co-Production stars Cal Brunker, Joey Camen, Joe Thomas, Bob Barlen, and David Epstein.
* 2nd November : 'My Little Pony : The Movie' - Directed by Jayson Thiessen this Canadian/American Co-Production by Allspark Pictures and DHX Media, stars Emily Blunt, Sia, Taye Diggs, Zoe Saldana, Liev Schreiber and Michael Pena.
* 14th December : 'Ferdinand' - Directed by Carlos Saldanha and is Produced by Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation and stars John Cena, Bobby Cannavale, David Tennant, Kate McKinnon and Gina Rodriguez.
* 21st December : 'Paddington 2' - Directed and Co-Written by Paul King, this follow up to 2014's 'Paddington' is Produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal and is a combination of live action and CGI and stars Ben Whishaw voicing the Bear, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Brendan Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, Peter Capaldi, Julie Walters, Sally Hawkins and Imelda Staunton.
* 26th December : 'Coco' - Directed by Lee Unkrish and based on a story by him too, Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and starring Anthony Gonzales, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Edward James Olmos and Cheech Marin.
* 26th December : 'Rock Dog' - Directed and Co-Wriiten for the screen by Ash Brannon, this Chinese/American Co-Production comes from Mandoo Pictures and Huayi Brothers and stars Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard, Matt Dillon, Sam Elliott and J. K. Simmons. It Premiered in China in July 2016, was released in the US in February and only now comes to Australia, having grossed US$21M from its US$60M budget.

And so to this current week, there are four new movie offerings to tempt you out on a cool mid-Winter's afternoon or evening. We launch with a wartime drama about an epic rescue effort of allied troops, told with epic story telling style and featuring an epic cast; then a comedy about a road trip that turns all gourmet and flirtatious on the back roads of France; followed by a horror music box that makes its owner's wishes come true, but be careful what you wish for; before wrapping up with this doco charting the life and times of an influential Aussie rock band of the '70's that burst onto the scene with the advent of the punk rock movement.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the four new releases 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 here warmly invited 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 cinematic experience in the coming week.

'DUNKIRK' (Rated M) - back in the early '90's Christopher Nolan and his future wife, movie Producer and film collaborator Emma Thomas, were sailing across the English Channel to Dunkirk, when the young Writer and Director hit upon an idea for a film, about the evacuation of British armed forces from the war torn beaches of Dunkirk in mid-1940. He committed his idea to a 76 page Screenplay, and then put the whole idea on hold until such time as he had gained sufficient experience in making big epic blockbusting action film fare - the like of which he has more than proven he can do over the subsequent years. However, rather than making a film about the war time politics involving Churchill and his Generals; or showing the Germans on the beach head taking out allied forces with their strategically located gun placements; or paint this as a victory; or bring in Uncle Sam to save the day, he chose to make a film with an all English cast and from three perspectives - the air (involving Spitfire dog fights), the land (on the beaches of Dunkirk), and the sea (the evacuation of 400,000 troops by the Navy and any able bodied sea man who could steer a dinghy across the Channel to aid the rescue attempt).

And so armed with an ensemble cast of fine and lesser known English acting talent, Nolan has created a WWII action drama film where the dialogue is thin on the ground instead allowing the suspense to come through the details and the authenticity contained with the scenes. Nolan also made extensive use of practical effects - employing some six thousand extras, amassing a flotilla of boats that had participated in the real Dunkirk evacuation, and using genuine era-appropriate planes for aerial sequences. The film centres around the evacuation of British, French, Belgian and Canadian troops who are pinned down by German forces on the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, and their evacuation between 26th May and 4th June 1940 in what was known as 'Operation Dynamo'. Starring  Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Cillian Murphy, Mark Rylance, Harry Styles, James D'Arcy and Fionn Whitehead. The film Premiered in London on 13th July and gets its worldwide release this week. Expectations are high - both commercially and critically, and the film is also released in 70mm format at selected cinemas.

'PARIS CAN WAIT' (Rated PG) - 81 year old Eleanor Coppola, the wife of Francis Ford Coppola and mother to Sofia Coppola here Directs, Writes and Co-Produces this comedy about husband and wife team Anne (Diane Lane) and Michael (Alec Baldwin) - a prominent movie Producer. The couple are in Cannes attending the Film Festival with Michael's business partner Jacques (Arnaud Viard). After the Festival ends, Anne and Michael are due to fly to Paris, but this plan is scuppered by a last minute delay by a call for Michael to go to Budapest. Anne suffers an ear infection, and so the pilot suggests that Anne should not fly. Instead Arnaud offers to drive Anne to Paris, while Michael goes to Budapest and they can all rendezvous in Paris later on. What should only be a relatively short car journey soon morphs into a pleasant leisurely trip as Jacques, a French food lover, who can't resist taking any opportunity he can to stop frequently en route to sample new and interesting food delights. He  openly flirts with Anne too, which she finds quite flattering until she begins to question his motives when he uses her credit card to foot every bill for the gourmet foods they are sampling. The film Premired at the Toronto Film Festival in September last year, had its US release in May and has so far recovered just over US$5M from its US5M budget outlay.

'WISH UPON' (Rated M) - here we have a supernatural horror film from Director John R. Leonetti who has a history spanning 25 years as Cinematographer and has turned his hand on several occasions in the past to Directing, on such films as 'The Butterfly Effect 2' the prequel to 'The Conjuring' with 2014's 'Annabelle' and now this evil lurking in a mysterious music box offering. Having cost US$12M to bring to the big screen, the film has so far taken US$2.5M and has received lacklustre Reviews so far. And so we have Jonathan Shannon (Ryan Phillippe) presenting his seventeen year old daughter Clare (Joey King) a gift of an old music box that is said to bestow upon its owner seven wishes. At first dismissive, Clare becomes captivated by its dark force when her life starts to radically improve with each wish granted. Everything appears to be sunshine and rainbows until she comes to realise that with every wish she makes, the people who are closest to her die in violent and elaborate ways. Be careful what you wish for!!

'DESCENT INTO THE MAELSTROM' (Rated MA15+) - this Aussie doco charts the life and times of Radio Birdman as Written and Directed by Jonathan Sequeira. In a 1974 Sydney a group of outsiders living and touting their musical abilities on the fringe of the Australian music scene get together and form Radio Birdman, with their over riding mission being to keep compromise from their art. Radio Birdman are ultimately turned off and kicked out of venue after venue but their determination to do things their own way, against the industry norm, is unfaltering, and motivates them together to become a family as much as a band. As a new underground culture of disaffected young teens gains a rallying point when Birdman start their own venue, 'The Funhouse', and release their own records, but in the end the intensity that drives Radio Birdman causes their break up in 1978. 20 years later they reform. Radio Birdman are the greatest band you have probably never heard of! Australia's pioneers of the underground music scene with their absolute commitment to their art and do-it-yourself attitude, they changed lives and their influence is still felt today. Featuring interviews with all surviving members of the band and not shying away from the internal conflict which sometimes fuelled the band’s performances, 'Descent into the Maelstrom' is crammed full of Radio Birdman music and rare archival footage and photos, some not seen for over 40 years!

More adult oriented fare this week ranging from wartime drama to gourmet road trip comedy to horror to music doco. With these, and those other offerings still out on general release, there are plenty of reasons to get out amongst it to your local multiplex or independent theatre. Remember to share your thoughts afterwards with your like minded cinephiles here at Odeon Online, and in the meantime, I'll see you somewhere sometime in the week ahead at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th June 2016.

At the mid-way point in the year now, I got to thinking about the big blockbuster fare we have seen so far in 2016, and where these sit in the grand scheme of Box Office rankings. Judging by the Top 10 released so far this year with their current all time placing and total haul as shown, a couple of things seem to ring true. Firstly, we appear to have an insatiable appetite for comic book heroes, secondly, we have an almost unquenchable thirst for well made animation and CGI, and finally only one of these is based on a real story. In order of all time Box Office rankings so far, taken from Box Office MoJo, there is :-

• 'Captain America : Civil War' - #12 with US$1.148B
• 'Zootopia' - #25 with US$1.017B
• 'The Jungle Book' - #37 with US930M
• 'Batman v. Superman : The Dawn of Justice' - #46 with US$873M
• 'Deadpool' - #62 with US$779M
• 'The Revenant' - #141 with US$533M
• 'X-Men : Apocalypse' - #146 with US$524M and still on general release.
• 'Kung Fu Panda 3' - #150 with US$519M and still on general release.
• 'Warcraft : The Beginning' - #218 with US$412M and still on general release.
• 'Finding Dory' - #228 with US$398M and still on general release.

For your further interest those films released in late 2015 but still doing the rounds into 2016 that also made a significant contribution were 'Star Wars : The Force Awakens' at #3 with US$2.068B, 'Spectre' at #43 with US$881M, 'The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part 2' at #96 with US$654M and 'The Martian' at #101 with US$630M. A big year so far with big films doing big things at the Box Office. With more comic books heroes and more animation and cutting edge CGI coming our way in the latter half of the year, we'll have to go see for ourselves and pay our money to determine what's hot and what's not at the movies as the year plays out. 

To this weeks new release films then. These kick-off with three master story tellers - combining their talents as Author, Director and Studio to bring us a tale of good versus evil, little and large, young and old coming together where the real world clashes with one of fantasy in this live action rendition of this much loved childrens classic. Then, an action comedy buddy teaming where a couple of unlikely school buddies reunite after two decades to thwart an evil enemy to save the world, before wrapping up with two foreign language films about two women of different generations in Sicily connected by one absent man and a game of cat and mouse that ensues as they begin to bond; and a story of one mans struggle to find work in recession struck France, support his family and the moral questions he has to deal with when he does eventually get a job.

Four films offering something different once again, which when combined with those still out on general release and doing the rounds equates to plenty of choice across all genres and all age groups. When you have sat through your movie of choice in the coming week, share your thoughts and observations by recording your Comment below this or any other Post - good, bad or ugly - there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the movies - just the emotion it stirs up in you and the entertainment/enjoyment factor you gained as  a result. Meanwhile, enjoy your film.

'THE BFG' (Rated PG) - The childrens book upon which this film is based was released in 1982 by Roald Dahl and since its release has sold in excess of 40 million copies in the UK alone and sits in the 'Top Lists' of must read children books in many countries. In 1989 the book was made into an animated feature film by Cosgrove Hall Productions, with the voice of David Jason as the 'Big Friendly Giant'. It has since been made into a theatre production, and now in 2016 it gets the full Disney treatment with master story-teller Steven Spielberg on Director duty with a budget of US$140M to bring this beloved story to the big screen in this live action version. The film Premiered out of competition at the recent Cannes Film Festival, and is released in the US on 1st July, and here in Australia the day before. With three key ingredients - Dahl, Disney and Spielberg - this has to be a recipe for success methinks!

The story here surrounds ten year old orphan girl Sophie (newcomer Ruby Barnhill) who encounters the Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance), and whilst initially scared at first by the towering giants 24 foot tall frame, soon comes to realise that he is in fact a gentle giant, quite charming, kind hearted and means her no harm, unlike the other giants who have a habit of eating children. As a result this BFG is ostracised by the other giants, and as the relationship between the young girl and the towering giant grows so the unwelcome attention of lesser meaning giants is drawn. These include 'Bloodbottler' (Bill Hader) and 'Fleshlumpeater' (Jemaine Clement) amongst others. The two decide that they must travel to London to meet with The Queen (Penelope Wilton) and convince her to rid the world of the bad giants, who have been attacking the human world, once and for all, but before they can do so they must travel through the wonders and perils of Giant Country.

'CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE' (Rated M) - Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber and Co-Wriiten for the screen by him too, this action comedy buddy film was made for US$50M, has so far grossed US$84M and stars as its leads Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, so promises quite a lot, but the film has divided critics. The film follows two guys - one being the guy most likely to succeed at school in the form of athletic wisecracking liked by everyone Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) and the other Robbie Weirdicht (Dwayne Johnson) as the overweight downtrodden bullied klutz that nobody likes and everybody hassles because they can. Fast forward twenty years and Calvin is married to his high school sweetheart and works as an accountant, which he hates and gets passed over for promotion. Robbie meanwhile goes by the name now of Bob Stone, has worked out the gym everyday of his life, and is a hulking mass of muscle working for the CIA. The two come together again as a result of a pending High School Reunion, and subsequently Stone enlists Calvin's accounting skills to break some satellite codes, and prevent these falling into the wrong hands. As a result of their pairing, you can count on shoot outs, explosions, bad guys getting wasted, cars getting trashed, and stunts aplenty as the action and the comedy collide, and the world is saved . . . once again! Also tarring Amy Ryan, Aaron Paul with cameos from Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy.

'THE WAIT' (Rated M) - this Italian drama film ('L'ATESSA') was Premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in September last year, released in Italy later than month, in France in December and now reaches Australian cinemas. Directed and Co-Written for the screen by Piero Messina and based on two works by Luigi Pirandello, this tells the story of young woman Jeanne (Lou de Laage) who arrives unexpectedly at the large rambling Sicilian villa of Anna (Juliette Binoche) under the auspices of spending the Easter break with her  boyfriend Giuseppe. Anna is Giuseppe's mother and is not expecting Jeanne, and furthermore Giuseppe is not there and is not expected, but this truth is kept from Jeanne. Whilst Jeanne is invited to stay and wait for her boyfriend, the two begin to form a bond as they both come out from under their respective shells . . . but where is Giuseppe, and why is he not responding to Jeanne's calls and left messages? Binoche's performance especially has been critically hailed, as has the backdrop of the Sicilian scenery, so this could be one to watch out for if you like your foreign language films intense, emotional and with a few surprises in store.

'THE MEASURE OF A MAN' (Rated M) - this French drama film ('LA LOI DU MARCHE') Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2015 where it was in competition for the Palme D'Or. Directed and Co-Written by Stephane Brize, it tells the story of Thierry (Vincent Lindon) who at age 51 was laid off his job as a factory worker. After eighteen months without work and being given the runaround by recruitment companies, training providers, and employment agencies he secures a job as a store detective. Having struggled to make ends meet and support his disabled son who is in need of round the clock care, he finds himself in a position in his new line of work of having to make decisions about people in very similar situations as his own, with all the moral dilemma's this throws up in working class France. A humbling film of very real life situations experienced by many, for which Lindon has received several Best Actor Awards for his portrayal of Thierry, and the film has garnered all up seven award wins and another seven nominations from around the traps.

Four films this week to tempt you out to your local movie theatre on a cold Southern Hemisphere winter evening to sit in a warm dark place and be entertained for two hours for just $20 or your local equivalent. What's not to like about that prospect? I'll see you at the Odeon in the week ahead!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

BRIDGE OF SPIES : Saturday 24th October 2015.

Steven Spielberg has been making films for over forty years now and over those years he has developed his mastery of the craft to such an extent that you know you are going to be solidly entertained with his movie making prowess, in every detail, at its best. His films may not always be Box Office sensations, but they are winners in just about every other respect, and so it is with 'BRIDGE OF SPIES' which I saw over the weekend. Made for US$40M the production values of this film suggest a far greater budget as we are taken back to Cold War era Berlin in this film Directed and Co-Produced  by Spielberg and Written by Mark Charman with Joel and Ethan Coen. So far the film has recouped US$26M having been released at the New York Film Festival on 4th October and on general release Stateside on 16th October.

Here we see Spielberg team up once again with Tom Hanks as he has done so notably before in 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'The Terminal'. Hanks plays Jim Donovan a partner in a New York law firm with his speciality being in insurance law. The film opens with Rudolph Abel (Mark Rylance on excellent form) painting in his Brooklyn apartment when the phone rings - he answers, there is no exchange of words - but it prompts the artists to pack his easel, his paints and his palette and walk down to the river side to paint one of the city's bridges. In doing so he surreptitiously retrieves a dollar coin from under the bench at which he sits, packs up his things and returns to his apartment. There he prizes open the coin and inside is a folded piece of paper containing a message which he views under a magnifying glass. Soon afterwards his apartment is busted by the F.B.I. and Abel is quickly arrested on espionage charges as a Soviet spy. It is 1957. This is a true story that will unfold over the next two hours.

Meanwhile back at Donovan's office he is given the case file on Abel and told by his business partner Thomas Watters (Alan Alda) that the US Government is seeking for him to 'defend' Abel, even though the nation wants the death penalty for the Russian spy, as do the Government and as does just about everyone else, including Donovan's own family. Such is the level of paranoia at the time that it seems it is only the lawyer who believes in true justice, upholding the constitution, and giving the man a fair trail as an innocent until proven guilty. Even the presiding Judge wants the alleged spy dead and so for him too this is an open & shut case, and the court case is just a means to an already predetermined end. Lo and behold the Jury finds Abel guilty on three counts with the penalty to be handed down at a later date, with the nation and still everyone else wanting the spy put to death.

Abel meanwhile is stoic throughout, never admits to anything and does not divulge anything to anyone, including his lawyer Donovan who steadfastly upholds his ethics of Client/Lawyer privilege even when confronted by the C.I.A. Before final sentencing is past down Donovan attempts to secure a 30 years prison term for Abel instead of the almost foregone conclusion of the death penalty on the grounds that at some future date a prisoner exchange may be necessary with the Russians if the situation were ever to be reversed - then at least the US has something, or someone, to bargain with. When the day of sentencing comes, the Judge hands down a 30 years prison term amidst uproar in the court, the awaiting crowds and press outside, and the public at large.

Needless to say, at a not too distant date in the future and while flying a sortie over Russian territory in a U2 spy plane, US pilot Frances Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down, captured, interrogated and convicted by the Russians in much the same way as the American's did before with Abel. Powers is sentenced to ten years with his interrogations continuing but he too gives nothing away. The USSR send a secret message to Donovan suggesting a prisoner exchange - the Russian for the Yank, but in the meantime another American citizen - economics graduate student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) is arrested trying to smuggle his German girlfriend across the newly built Berlin Wall from East into West, and is promptly arrested by Statsi Agents on trumped up communist spy charges.

With this unfolding Donovan is tasked with heading to Berlin to meet with Russian and East German power brokers to negotiate a deal that will lead to Powers being exchanged for Abel. But with the Berlin wall under construction, tensions running high between East & West, and the Russians intervening at every turn, this will be no easy task. And of course Donovan has to do this covertly - can tell no one, not even his own family, and his own Government will deny all knowledge if the brown stuff hits the fan. Into the fray too has come Pryor, so Donovan is seeking a 2 for 1 exchange, much to the dismay of the C.I.A. who assist Donovan from a distance while in Berlin, whose overarching aim is the retrieval of Powers.

As agreements are reached with the Russians and the East Germans and then breached, Donovan holds firm that it's both Powers and Pryor or nothing, and the negotiations escalate as the previously agreed date of an exchange approaches. Abel meanwhile is put on a flight but has no knowledge that Donovan has been negotiating this exchange now for months on his behalf and between the Governments of all three nations (albeit unofficially). When agreements are reached they are done so right up to the 11th hour and only a few hours before the agreed time and place of the exchange, but there is one last 'wrinkle'. Powers will be exchanged for Abel on the Gleinicke Bridge at 5:30am with the Russians, and simultaneously Pryor will be handed over by the East Germans at Checkpoint Charlie, with the C.I.A. taking receipt of the latter calling the former when Pryor is in safe hands so giving the go ahead for the exchange at the Bridge.

All's well that ends well as Abel bids farewell to his new friend for the last time at the Bridge and the two prisoners pass each other at the mid-way point. Abel at this point does not know what fate awaits him at the hands of the Russians but stoically and unemotionally he makes the crossing. With the exchange done and all successful in the final analysis Donovan returns home to his family believing that he has been on a salmon fishing trip to Scotland mixing business with a little pleasure. Only when it is broadcast on the television news that earlier that day a successful exchange was made between the prisoners, and that James Donovan was instrumental in negotiating that deal, does his family become aware of the role he had in brokering that successful outcome. Donovan is hailed a national hero, and subsequently we learn in the closing credits that Donovan was later tasked by President Kennedy to negotiate the release and exchange of 1,113 prisoners following the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Donovan wrote of his experiences with the Abel/Powers/Pryor exchange in 1964 in his book 'Strangers on a Bridge, The Case of Colonel Abel'. Donovan died of a heart attack in 1970 having been awarded the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.

This is a well paced, entertaining Cold War dramatic thriller with Tom Hanks delivering another reliably measured performance the like of which we have seen so many times before, and Mark Rylance on top form as the unassuming, steady, and unshakable spy. Spielberg's Direction is top notch once again which we saw too in 'Schindler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan', the performances he eeks out of his cast, his attention to detail, and the angst he captures from the era on all sides make for a highly entertaining offering that is well worth the price of you ticket.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-