What's new at Odeon's this week : Thursday 14th November 2024

The 32nd Camerimage Festival takes place this year from Saturday 16th through until Saturday 23rd November in the Polish city of Torun. The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography recognises and rewards the best in cinematography in film, television and music videos, and is described as being dedicated to the art of cinematography and its creators - cinematographers. The unconventional format of the Festival, which awards films according to their visual, aesthetic and technical values, has turned out to be an alternative to traditional film festivals.  

Steve McQueen's historical war drama 'Blitz' will serve as the festival's Opening Film, while the first half of Jon M. Chu's two-part musical fantasy film 'Wicked' will be the Closing Film. Both films will be honoured with special awards for their Director and Production Designer, respectively.

Australian Actress Cate Blanchett was announced as the Jury President for the Main Competition, with the Golden Frog Award where the idea behind the award is to present the feature films where the image significantly contributes to the way a story is told. There are twelve films in the main competition section, these being :-

* 'Blitz' - from the UK and the USA and Directed by Steve McQueen, with Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux.

* 'The Brutalist' - from the UK and Directed by Brady Corbet, with Cinematographer Lol Crawley.

* 'Cabrini' - from the USA and Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, with Cinematographer Gorka Gomez Andreu.

* 'Conclave' - from the UK and the USA and Directed by Edward Berger, with Cinematographer Stephane Fontaine.

* 'The Devil's Bath' - from Austria and Germany and Directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, with Cinematographer Martin Gschlacht.

* 'Dune : Part Two' - from Canada and the USA and Directed by Denis Villeneuve, with Cinematographer Greig Fraser.

* 'Emilia Perez'  - from France and the USA and Directed by Jacques Audiard, with Cinematographer Paul Guilhaume.

* 'The Fire Inside' - from the USA and Directed by Rachel Morrison, with Cinematographer Rina Yang.

* 'The Girl with the Needle' - from Denmark, Poland and Sweden and Directed by Magnus von Horn, with Cinematographer Michal Dymek.

* 'Gladiator II' - from the UK and the USA and Directed by Ridley Scott, with Cinematographer John Mathieson.

* 'Small Things Like These' - from Ireland, Belgium and the USA and Directed by Tim Mielants, with Cinematographer Frank van den Eeden.

* 'Vermiglio' - from Italy, France and Belgium and Directed by Maura Delpero, with Cinematographer Mikhail Krichman.

For the full synopsis of the aforementioned films in the main competition, plus the other competitive strands and a whole lot more good stuff, you can go to the official website at : https://camerimage.pl/en/energacamerimage-2024/

Looking ahead then to this weeks six new movies coming to your local big screen Odeon, we kick off with the sequel to a hugely popular and successful film from 2000 by an acclaimed Director that in this instalment sees our hero forced to enter the Colosseum, after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome, and must look to his past to find strength to return the glory of Rome to its people. This is followed by the story of a woman employed as a social worker who leads a simple and structured life, which is blown wide open when a man follows her home from their high school reunion, and their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past. Then we turn to the first of two Christmas comedy dramas - the Balsano family and a few close friends are together for what is likely to be their final family Christmas in their ancestral home, however, two of the younger members of the family escape for teenage rebellion; and then, nobody is ready for the mayhem and surprises that ensue when six of the worst youngsters disrupt the town's annual Christmas performance. Next up we have a Filipino offering that after fighting for their love to conquer the time, distance and a global shutdown that kept them apart, this couple meet again in Canada but realise that they're now very different people; before closing out the week with an Aussie doco that takes us back to May 1973, when 10,000 artists, activists, hippies, radical students, gurus and visionaries descended on a small dairy town for ten days of social and cultural exploration that changed a generation.

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

'GLADIATOR II' (Rated M) - is a US and UK co-produced epic historical action film that is Co-Produced and Directed Ridley Scott and is the sequel to Scott's classic 'Gladiator' from 2000, which grossed US$465M off the back of a production budget of US$103M and which won five Academy Awards from twelve nominations among a total awards haul of sixty wins and a further 104 nominations from around the awards and festivals circuit. The film is released here in Australia and New Zealand this week, in the UK on 15th and the USA on 22nd November. A further sequel 'Gladiator III' is reportedly in the early stages of development. 

Over two decades after the events of 'Gladiator', Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal) the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe from the first film), lives with his wife and child in Numidia - a Roman province on the North African coast. Roman soldiers led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invade, killing his wife and forcing Lucius into slavery. Inspired by Maximus, Lucius resolves to fight as a gladiator under the teaching of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave who plots to overthrow the young emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). Also starring Derek Jacobi, Lior Raz, Tim McInnerny, Rory McCann and Matt Lucas.  

'MEMORY' (Rated MA15+) - this American and Mexican co-produced drama film is Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Michel Franco whose previous feature film credits include 'Chronic' in 2015 and 'Sundown' in 2021. The film had its World Premiere at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival where lead Actor Peter Sarsgaard won the Volpi Cup for his performance. Social worker Sylvia's (Jessica Chastain) structured life is blown apart when Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter profoundly impacts both of them as they open the door to the past. Also starring Merritt Weaver, Jessica Harper, Elsie Fisher and Josh Charles. It was released Stateside in late December last year, is only released here in Australia this week having so far grossed US$2M and has garnered generally favourable critical reviews.

'CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER'S POINT' (Rated M) - is an American Christmas comedy drama film Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Tyler Thomas Taormina. Here, a rambunctious extended family descends upon their small Long Island hometown on Christmas Eve for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. Before the evening is over, and as generational tensions arise, two teenage cousins take advantage of the chaos to sneak out into the wintry night and make the holiday their own. Starring Michael Cera, Sawyer Spielberg, Francesca Scorsese, Elsie Fisher, Matilda Fleming and Ben Shenkman.  The film saw its World Premiere at this years Cannes Film Festival and was released in the US last week.

'THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER' (Rated G) - this American comedy drama film is Directed by Dallas Jenkins and is based on the 1972 novel by Barbara Robinson. The Herdmans are six juvenile delinquent siblings who have a reputation for being the worst kids in the world. However, when they take over the local church pageant during the holidays, they just might teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas. Starring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes with Beatrice Schneider, Mason D. Nelligan, Matthew Lamb, Ewan Wood, Essek Moore and Kynlee Heiman as the Herdman clan. The film was released in the US last week and has received generally positive reviews. 

'HELLO, LOVE, AGAIN' (Rated PG) - is a Philippine romantic drama film Directed by Cathy Garcia-Sampana and is the sequel to the 2019 film 'Hello, Love, Goodbye'. After fighting for their love to conquer time, distance and a global shutdown that kept them apart, Joy (Kathryn Bernardo), a nurse working in Canada who previously worked as a domestic helper in Hong Kong, and Ethan (Alden Richards), a bartender working in Hong Kong, meet again in Canada but realise that they have also changed a lot, individually. 

'AQUARIUS' (Rated M) - this Australian historical documentary film is Co-Written and Directed by Wendy Champagne in only her second feature doco after 'BAS! Beyond the Red Light' in 2009. In May 1973, the small northern New South Wales dairy town of Nimbin was the perfect location, surrounded by farmland and rainforest. The inhabitants (all 300 of them) hoped the event would bring young people to their struggling town. Thousands arrived, all willing to contribute to the Aquarius Festival, whether by playing instruments or digging drains. It wasn’t quite all saunas, nudity, acrobatics, and chilled-out bliss however, as festival goers faced down Police interference, internal chaos, drugs and personal dramas. Nonetheless, countless participants found kinship as well as a blueprint for a sustainable life. 

With six 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 week ahead.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SUNDOWN - Tuesday 12th July 2022.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'SUNDOWN' earlier this week, and this Mexican, French and Swedish Co-Produced drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Michel Franco whose previous film making offerings include 'After Lucia' in 2012 that won the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes, 'Chronic' in 2015 with Tim Roth and 'New Order' in 2020 with Diego Boneta. The film has garnered generally favourable reviews, and has so far grossed US$372K since its release in the US at the end of January having seen its World Premier as the Venice Film Festival back in September last year.  

Neil Bennett (Tim Roth, who also Executive Produces here), a quiet introverted man from London, is on vacation in Acapulco, Mexico with his sister Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her two young adult children, Colin (Samuel Bottomley) and Alexa (Albertine Kotting McMillan). They stay in a luxurious resort hotel overlooking the ocean and eat at up market restaurants. Day after day, the family participates in a variety of fun activities, or just lounging beside and in their own private pool. Neil, however, is seemingly not enjoying himself. 

One day, Alice receives a phone call telling her that her mother is being taken to the hospital back in England. Following this news, the family immediately prepares to go home. On the way to the airport the next morning, Alice takes a second call informing her that her mother has passed away. Alice bursts into tears while Neil remains very calm and matter of fact. At the airport, Neil says he left his passport at the hotel, so the rest of the family are forced into flying out without him.

Neil lied about the passport, as it was in his suitcase the whole time, and he decided to stay in Acapulco, at least for the next few days. He gets to know a local taxi driver named Jorge Campos (Jesus Godinez), who takes him to a small cheap downbeat hotel. Neil whiles away the day by eating at cheap beachside restaurants, drinking beers and visiting the very crowded local beach. Alice calls him repeatedly to come home but he soon gets tired of her insistence and starts to ignore her calls and messages left. Instead he starts dating a friendly local named Berenice (Iazua Larios). One day he returns to his hotel room to find his belongings have seemingly been stolen, but he exhibits very little reaction to this, accepting it for what it is. The next day while he and Berenice are at the beach, he observes two men approaching the beach at high speed on a jet ski. They pull up and one gets off and walks up to another guy and shoots him dead at point blank range in broad daylight, and then departs immediately afterwards from whence they came. They both witness this, as did numerous others at the time, yet Neil remains apathetic to the whole affair.

Some two weeks later Alice returns to Acapulco and confronts Neil at the beach in a heated one sided conversation about him abandoning her in her days of need. She promptly leaves when she has said all she is going to. As it turns out the Bennett family is extremely wealthy because they are in the meat processing business with farms and abattoirs up and down the country back in the UK. Neil calls Alice and asks if they can meet. After briefly talking about the family business and saying it was never about the money, Neil signs a document relinquishing his assets and inheritance in the presence of the family lawyer, Richard (Henry Goodman). Alice however, agrees to a monthly stipend of £10,000 for as long as he shall live, which should set him up very nicely in Acapulco. 

Later, on the way to the airport Alice is shot and killed by a gang of three car jackers, driven by Jorge. The Police arrest Neil, believing he ordered the assassination as he was seen talking to the three on several occasions down by the beach. Neil bursts into tears upon learning about his sister's death from a newspaper article. His representatives arrive and tell him that the company is now his. After Richard gets him out of prison, after being locked up in very cramped conditions with half of Mexico's low life crims for a few days, Richard orders their driver to take him and Neil straight to the airport. Neil however, has other plans and asks to be returned to his hotel, much to Richard's bemusement. He continues seeing Berenice and spending time at the beach. Sometime later, Richard, Colin, and Alexa confront him in his hotel room unannounced. Alexa hits Neil in the head with an empty beer bottle. Later, Neil signs off the rights to the family company to Colin and Alexa. Neil, in return, will still receive his monthly pension, £100,000 as a once off down payment and have his private health insurance maintained until he dies. After the meeting, Neil returns to Berenice, with the other three departing straightaway back to England. Neil, once again shows no emotion or empathy at all. 

Sometime later, after Neil and Berenice return to her apartment Neil collapses down a flight of stairs carrying an esky full of beers. Berenice takes him to the hospital, where she learns Neil has advanced cancer that has metastasised to his frontal lobe and the Doctor recommends beginning chemo therapy immediately at a specialist hospital in Mexico City. After Berenice falls asleep by his side, Neil collects up his belongings, abandons her and walks down the streets of Mexico City alone at night. Abruptly we cut from his sullen face to an image of the beach's waves breaking on the shoreline some days following, the glaring sunshine, and the shirt and shoes Neil was wearing the night he walked away from the hospital, left unattended on the back of a chair with a beer bottle on a table nearby.

'Sundown' is a film that won't be for everyone that's for sure, and I'm not even sure it was for me! There is no doubt that Tim Roth's understated introverted and bored millionaire Neil Bennet is meticulously played out with all the nuances of a man who has reached the end of his tether and who doesn't really care about anything or anyone. This is hardly an uplifting film either, it's a slow burn, leaves numerous questions unanswered, and when the ending comes after a brisk 82 minute run time I was left thinking where's the final ten minutes that would tie all those unanswered questions together and provide for a less unambiguous conclusion. On the positive front there is Tim Roth's and Charlotte Gainsbourg's performances, the cinematography which depicts both the richer and the poorer side of Mexican life, the random acts of violence that are seemingly all too real in that part of the world, and as a character study it works. 

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

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 7th July 2022.

The 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN), held in the city of Bucheon, the second most densely populated city in South Korea after Seoul, takes place between the 7th and 17th July. This festival is a non-competitive international film festival with a competitive section. With 'Stay Strange' as its motto, BIFAN strives to be a film festival that caters for the non-mainstream, while discovering and giving courage to talents that are pushed to the margins. This year BIFAN will feature 268 films from forty-nine countries and comprise eighty World Premier screenings, twenty International Premiers, seventy-nine Asian Premiers and fifty-one Korean Premiers. The festival will open with the screening of folk horror tale 'Men' by Alex Garland and close with film noir thriller 'The New Normal' from Korea and Directed by Jeong Beom-sik.

In competition for the Bucheon Choice Awards that offer a new outlook on the world, a unique style, and experimentation and progress in terms of genre conventions. Three feature film awards and two short film awards are voted on by a jury consisting of international film professionals. Audience Awards for both the features and shorts categories are determined by audience vote. In the feature film category, awards are presented for Best of Bucheon with a cash prize of the equivalent of US$15,500, Best Directors Choice offering US$3,850 and the Jury's Choice also offering US$3,850.

The ten films in competition are :-

* 'Alien Artist' - from Japan and Directed by Hoya Seiyo. Supernatural coming of age crime noir. International Premier.

* 'Huesera' - from Mexico and Peru and Directed by Michelle Garza Cervera. Supernatural thriller. Asian Premier.

* 'La Pieta' - from Spain and Directed by Eduardo Casanova. Asian Premier.

* 'Sissy' - from Australia and Directed by Hannah Barlow and Kane Senes. Horror drama comedy. Asian Premier.

* 'SLR' - from Thailand and Directed by Lertsiri Boonmee and Vutichai Wongnophadol. Supernatural horror. International Premier.

* 'Social Distancing' - from Hong Kong and China and Directed by Gilitte Leung. Horror thriller. World Premier.

* 'Speak No Evil' - from Denmark and The Netherlands and Directed by Christian Tafdrup. Thriller. Asian Premier.

* 'Vesper' - from Lithuania, France and Belgium and Directed by Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper. Supernatural Sci-Fi. Asian Premier.

* 'The Womb' - from Indonesia and Directed by Fajar Nugros. Horror. World Premier.

* ' You Won't Be Alone' - from Australia and Directed by Goran Stolevski. Supernatural horror. Asian Premier.

In the Korean Fantastic Competition section which was established to support and encourage Korean genre films, four feature film awards are chosen by the Korean competition jury. Those ten films are : 'Body Parts', 'Cabriolet', 'Chiaksan Mountain', 'The Fifth Thoracic Vertebra', 'A Good Boy', 'Mind Universe', 'Next Door', 'Thunderbird', 'Tiger's Trigger' and 'The Woman in the White Car'. 

For the full programme of events, screenings, and all the sections of this years 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, you can visit the official website at : http://www.bifan.kr/eng/

This week, turning attention back on to the four new release movies coming to an Odeon near you, we kick off with the 29th film in the MCU and the fourth film featuring the Asgardian God of Thunder who this time, with the help of some trusted friends, must thwart Gorr the God Butcher who intends to make the Gods extinct. Next up we have a wealthy family on vacation in Mexico until a distant emergency cuts their trip short, and when one relative disrupts the family's tight-knit order, simmering tensions rise to the surface. This is followed by a French comedy about a young convicted man who is sentenced to community services, and must now work in a retirement home, where he learns a thing or two about life from the residents there. And closing out the week we have a drama film that sees a Finnish student and an rough Russian miner slowly forge a hesitant connection when they are thrown together in a cramped train compartment on a journey across Russia.

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

'THOR : LOVE AND THUNDER' (Rated M) - is an American Superhero offering that is Written and Directed by Taiki Waititi who returns to the chair following his success with helming 2017's 'Thor : Ragnarok' to which this is a direct sequel. This is the 29th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is part of the MCU Phase Four. Filming took place in Sydney, Australia at a production cost of in the region of US$250M and has generated largely favourable Reviews.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is on a journey unlike anything he's ever faced - a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the Gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who, much to Thor's surprise has come to inexplicably wield his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher's vengeance and stop him before it's too late. Also starring Jaimie Alexander, Russell Crowe, with Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, and Bradley Cooper reprising their roles from the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise, and Sean Gunn, Jeff Goldblum, Matt Damon, Sam Neill, Luke Hemsworth, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone.

'SUNDOWN' (Rated MA15+) - this Mexican, French and Swedish Co-Produced drama film is Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Co-Edited by Michel Franco whose previous film making offerings include 'After Lucia' in 2012 that won the Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes, 'Chronic' in 2015 with Tim Roth and 'New Order' in 2020 with Diego Boneta. Here then, the wealthy London man Neil Bennett (Tim Roth) is vacationing with his sister Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and her two children at a resort in Acapulco, Mexico until she receives a phone call. There's been a death in the family, and everyone must return home. However, at the airport, Neil pretends to have left his passport as the hotel, which delays his return, while Alice and her children return to London, leaving the seemingly uncaring and apathetic Neil to his own devices. The film has garnered generally favourable reviews, and has so far grossed US$336K since its release in the US at the end of January having seen its World Premier as the Venice Film Festival back in September last year. 

'THE VILLA' (Rated M) - is a French and Swiss Co-Produced comedy Directed by Thomas Gilou whose previous Directorial efforts include his 1986 feature film debut with 'Black Mic Mac' then 'Rai' in 1995, 'Would I Lie To You' in 1997 and its two sequels in 2001 and 2012, with 'Victor' in 2009 and four episodes of 'Marseille' in 2016. Having been raised in an orphanage, Milann Rousseau (Kev Adams) does precious little with his life. Hosted by his lawyer and childhood friend, the latter constantly pushes him to move. After causing property damage that nearly killed an old woman in a supermarket, Milann is sentenced to two months of community service. Hired as a handler in a retirement home, it is a real nightmare for Milann who does not support the elderly. Despite his clumsiness and his lack of motivation, Milann in time becomes attached to the residents, where he forges a close rapport in particular with Lino Vartan (Gerard Depardieu), a former boxer, who will teach him to defend himself and take his life in hand.

'COMPARTMENT NO. 6' (Rated MA15+) - this internationally Co-Produced drama film is Co-Written and Directed by the Finnish Juho Kuosmanen in just his third feature film following 2010's 'The Painting Sellers' and 2016's 'The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki'. The film is based on the 2011 novel of same name by Rosa Liksom. Here then, traveling by train from Moscow to Murmansk in the far north western part of Russia to study the Kanozero Petroglyphs, (a set of about 1300 rock drawings dating back to the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC), a Finnish student Laura (Seidi Haaria) forms an unlikely friendship with a gruff Russian miner, Lyokha (Yuri Borisov) as they are forced to share the long ride and a tiny sleeping car. This unexpected encounter leads the occupants of Compartment No. 6 to face major truths about human connection. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in July of that year, where it shared the Grand Prix with Asghar Farhadi's film 'A Hero', has garnered generally favourable Reviews and has taken US$3.2M at the Box Office so far.

With four 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-