THE WOMAN KING : Tuesday 1st November 2022.

I saw the M Rated 'THE WOMAN KING' earlier this week, and this American historical epic film is Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood whose previous feature film Directorial credits are 'Love & Basketball' in 2000, 'The Secret Life of Bees' in 2008, 'Beyond the Lights' in 2014, and 'The Old Guard' in 2020. The film saw its World Premier showcasing at TIFF in early September this year, has generated positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$87M off the back of a US$50M production budget. 

Set in 1823, a group of all-female warriors known as the Agojie, protects the West African kingdom of Dahomey that existed from the early 17th to the late 19th centuries, with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. One night under cover of darkness General Nanisca (Viola Davis) lays siege to an encampment where Dahomean women are being held captive in readiness for sale by slavers form the Oyo Empire. This in turn provokes the recently appointed King Ghezo (John Boyega) to begin preparations for war with the Oyo. 

Nanisca and her fearless group of female warriors begin training a new group of young would-be warriors to join the Agojie and ultimately defend Dahomey. Among this group of new hopefuls is nineteen year old Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), a strong-willed girl who was offered by her father to King Ghezo after refusing to marry a man old enough to be her father and who would beat her if she did not comply with his wishes. Nawi quickly becomes friends with Izogie (Lashana Lynch), a veteran Agojie. Later Nawi reveals to Nanisca that she is adopted and shows a birthmark on her left shoulder, when Nanisca tells her about the many battle scars she has suffered over the years and the many that Nawi will have to endure in her future. 

Sometime later, white slave traders led by Santo Ferreira (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) and accompanied by the half-Dahomean Malik (Jordan Bolger) arrive in West Africa as trading partners with the Oyo, led by General Oba Ade (Jimmy Odukoya). Nawi comes across Malik one day while he is bathing in a watering hold in the jungle, and the two become friends when he explains that he is part Dahomean on his mothers side. Later that night after graduating from training to become a full-fledged Agojie and following the celebrations, Nawi sneaks off to speak with Malik and learns that the Oyo are planning to attack. Nawi reports back to Nanisca with this news who decries the young graduate for her disregard for her own safety and that of the kingdom potentially. Nanisca reveals that in her youth, she was captured by Oba, raped multiple times, and eventually fell pregnant as a result. After giving birth to a daughter, Nanisca embedded a half shark tooth in her left shoulder before ordering Amenza (Sheila Atim), another veteran Agojie to give the new born child away. Nanisca extracts the tooth from the birthmark on her left shoulder using a knife given to Nawi by Malik, confirming that she is her biological daughter. Nawi runs off distraught at this sudden news.

Nanisca leads a planned and co-ordinated attack on the Oyo catching them off guard, which is ultimately successful causing the remnants of the Oyo to hastily retreat. However, Oba escapes and Nawi and Izogie are captured to be sold off as slaves. One of the captured Agojie, who was not secured with bindings slips away and reports the fate of other captives to Nanisca. Meanwhile King Ghezo announces his wish to bestow the title of Woman King, his equal partner in ruling over Dahomey, upon Nanisca, but refuses to sanction a rescue mission for the captured Agojie, saying that if Nanisca disobey's his ruling then it will be met with the sternest of punishments. In the meantime, Izogie and Nawi hatch a plan to escape their captivity but Izogie is shot twice in the back during their attempt at escape and dies in Nawi's arms. Malik buys Nawi in order to safeguard her from a life of slavery. 

Nanisca defies King Ghezo's orders and sets out alone, but is later joined by a group of her other compatriot warriors, including Amenza, to rescue the captives. In the ensuing chaos Nawi rejoins Nanisca. Ferreira hastily rounds up several slaves and bound with ropes bundles them into a row boat bound for their ship anchored off shore, with Malik who proceeds to free the slaves who in turn set upon Ferreira and drown him in the shallows. Nanisca confronts Oba in close quarter hand to hand combat, with the former eventually overcoming the latter as she stabs him in the chest and he dies where he fell.

Triumphant the Agojie returns to Dahomey, where Ghezo briefly reprimands Nanisca for disobeying him, before bestowing upon her the title of Woman King. Following the festivities which continue well into the night, Nanisca and Nawi privately acknowledge their new found relationship as mother and daughter.

'The Woman King' is an action movie first and foremost that successfully manages to combine a fictionalised story with historical fact that weaves a coming of age, overcoming adversity and the power of a unified force of women into an epic crowd pleasing tale. Viola Davis once again proves her acting chops by delivering us a no holds barred, cut and thrust, nuanced yet emotionally scarred character that is both believable and relatable; while Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and newcomer Thuso Mbedu also give compelling performances bringing emotional heft and weight to the films more tender moments and action sequences. I did however, feel that John Boyega's delivery of his lines left me straining to understand what he was saying under his accent; and for all the action scenes much of the slicing, dicing and blood letting was done out of view or off-camera I'm guessing for the sake of a more audience friendly M rating, not that this really detracts from the implied savagery of 1820's combat. 'The Woman King' takes all the best elements from 'Braveheart', 'Gladiator' and 'Wonder Woman' and melds them into an historical action epic that needs to be seen on the big screen.

'The Woman King' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 27th October 2022

The 35th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) was first established in 1985 and from that year until 1991 was held biennially, and from 1991 onwards held annually. This year the festival launched on Monday 24th October and runs through until Wednesday 2nd November. Together with the Shanghai International Film Festival, it is one of Asia's competitive film festivals, and is considered to be the largest film festival in Asia and the only Japanese festival accredited by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations). The festivals events include open-air screenings, voice-over screenings, and appearances by Actors, as well as seminars and symposiums related to the film market.

This years Opening Night Gala film is the World Premier of the Japanese feature 'Fragments of the Last Will', Directed by Zeze Takahisa; with the Closing Night film being the Japanese Premier screening of 'Living' from the UK and Directed by Oliver Hermanus and starring Bill Nighy. 

The Tokyo Grand Prix award has remained throughout the festivals existence and is handed to the best film, as the top award. Other awards that have been given regularly include the Special Jury Award and awards for best Actor, best Actress and best Director. In official competition for the Grand Prix award are fifteen films chosen from around the world for screening at the festival. This year TIFF received 1,695 entries from 107 countries and regions. Those fifteen features are :-

* '1976' - from Chile, Argentina and Qatar, and Directed by Manuela Martelli. Chile under the Pinochet regime. Carmen is asked by a priest to shelter a young man, and she agrees — but this will change her life drastically. Asian Premier.

* 'Ashkal' - from Tunisia and France, and Directed by Youssef Chebbi. Bodies are found at a construction site near Tunis, where work was halted due to a pro-democracy movement; two detectives begin investigating. Asian Premier.

* 'The Beasts' - from Spain and France and Directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen. Set in a remote mountain village in Galicia, Spain, this potent thriller depicts the friction between a local powerbroker and a middle-aged French couple who have moved there to start a farming life. Asian Premier.

* 'by the window' - from Japan and Directed by Imaizumi Rikiya. A man discovers his wife is cheating on him, but then is bothered by his mixed feelings as he's too honest but yet searching for happiness. World Premier.

* 'Egoist' - from Japan and Directed by Matsunaga Daishi. Is love an ego to save yourself, or . . . This film tells the story of the love between Kosuke, an Editor, and Ryuta, a Personal Trainer. World Premier.

* 'The Fabulous Ones' - from Italy and Directed by Roberta Torre. In a villa housing transgender women, residents try to fulfil the last wish of their late friend, buried in male clothing against her will. International Premier.

* 'Glorious Ashes' - from Vietnam, France and Singapore and Directed by Bui Thac Chuyen. The film unveils relationships between three women and their partners in a southern seaside village. World Premier.

* 'Kaymak' - from North Macedonia, Denmark, The Netherlands and Croatia and Directed by Milcho Manchevski. Two couples go down the rabbit hole of unconventional erotic relationships, respectable at the beginning, happy at the end. Underneath its exploration of the eternal search for love, the film tackles darker social issues - surrogate parenting, infidelity, woman's role in family and society, human trafficking, sexual freedom. World Premier.

* 'Life' - from Kazakhstan and Directed by Emir Baigazin. A man loses everything after bankruptcy. Asian Premier.

* 'Manticore' - from Spain and Directed by Carlos Vermut. The film depicts the love between a young male game designer and a tomboy. Asian Premier.

* 'Mountain Woman' - from Japan and the USA and Directed by Fukunaga Takeshi. Set in the late 18th Century, an outcast girl, Rin lives in a village suffering from famine. She draws strength from Mt. Hayachine, where the spirits of humans ascend after passing. World Premier.

* 'Peacock Lament' - from Sri Lanka and Italy and Directed by Sanjeewa Pushpakumara. To earn money for his sister's heart surgery, Amila works for a company but learns they traffic babies to foreigners, from unwanted pregnancies. World Premier.

* 'Tel Aviv Beirut' - from Cyprus, France and Germany and Directed by Michale Boganim. With the backdrop of the 1980's Israeli-Lebanese conflict, this road movie portrays the journey of women separated from their families by the border. World Premier.

* 'This Is What I Remember' - from Kyrgyzstan, Japan, The Netherlands and France and Directed by Aktan Arym Kubat. The film depicts a man who has lost his memory while working in Russia and returns to Kyrgyzstan for the first time in 20 years. World Premier.

* 'World War III' - from Iran and Directed by Houman Seyedi. An actor playing Hitler in a film about World War II quits, and a day labourer working as an extra is chosen as a substitute. Asian Premier.

For the other sections playing out at this years 35th Tokyo International Film Festival in the Asian Future, Gala Selection, World Focus, Youth, Nippon Cinema Now, Japanese Animation and Japanese Classics strands, plus a whole lot more besides, you can visit the official website at : https://2022.tiff-jp.net/

This week then, with five new release movies coming to an Odeon close to you, we start with a historical epic film based on true events and set in the early 19th Century about the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey against a foreign enemy. This is followed by a historical comedy drama about a widowed cleaning lady in 1950's London who falls in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. Next up we have a groundbreaking film about two men with commitment problems who attempt a relationship; and then we turn to a horror splatter sequel that follows a murderous clown's resurrection and pursuit of a teenage girl and her younger brother on Halloween night, one year following the events of the first film; before closing up the week with a family film about a young girl who discovers her magic stone is part of an ancient prophecy and embarks on a thrilling journey to face a great evil, and shape her own destiny.

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

'THE WOMAN KING' (Rated M) - is an American historical epic film Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood whose previous feature film Directorial credits are 'Love & Basketball' in 2000, 'The Secret Life of Bees' in 2008, 'Beyond the Lights' in 2014, and 'The Old Guard' in 2020. The film saw its World Premier showcasing at TIFF in early September this year, has generated positive critical reviews and has so far grossed US$83M off the back of a US$50M production budget. 

Set in 1823, a group of all-female warriors known as the Agojie, protects the West African kingdom of Dahomey that existed from the early 17th to the late 19th centuries, with skills and fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen. Faced with a new threat from the Oyo Empire (also in West Africa and located to the east of Dahomey) that existed from the mid-17th century to the late 18th century, General Nanisca (Viola Davis) trains the next generation of recruits to fight against a foreign enemy that's determined to destroy their way of life. Also starring Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega and Hero Fiennes Tiffin. 

'MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS' (Rated PG) - is a historical comedy drama film Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced and Directed by Anthony Fabian in his third feature film making effort following 'Skin' in 2008 and 'Louder Than Words' in 2013, although he has also Directed a number of short films, documentaries and a TV series too. This film is based on the novel 'Mrs. 'Arris Goes To Paris' by Paul Gallico from 1958 and is the third screen adaptation of that novel. In 1957 London, a widowed housekeeper Mrs. Ada Harris (Lesley Manville) falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, deciding she must have one of her own. After working to raise the funds to pursue her dream, she embarks on an adventure to Paris that will change not only her own outlook, but the very future of the House of Dior. Also starring Isabelle Huppert, Lambert Wilson and Jason Isaacs. The film saw its release in the US in mid-July, the UK in late September and in France next week having so far grossed US$16M at the Box Office from a US$13M production budget and has garnered generally favourable reviews. 

'BROS' (Rated MA15+) - this American romantic comedy film is Co-Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Nicholas Stoller whose prior feature film Directorial offering are 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' in 2008, 'Get Him to the Greek' in 2010, 'The Five-Year Engagement' in 2012, 'Neighbors' in 2014, 'Neighbors 2 : Sorority Rising' in 2016 and the animated 'Storks' movie in 2016 also. Here then, Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner) is a neurotic podcast and radio show host who's happy to go on Tinder dates and content not to have a serious relationship. That all changes when he meets Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane), an equally detached lawyer who likes to play the field. Repeatedly drawn to each other, both men begin to show their vulnerable sides as their undeniable attraction turns into something resembling a commitment. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF in early September, was released in the US in late September, has so far grossed US$11.5M from its US$22M production budget and has generated largely favourable critical reviews. 

'TERRIFIER 2' (Rated CTC) - is an American splatter film Written, Co-Produced, Directed and Edited by Damien Leone in his fourth feature film making offering following 'All Hallows' Eve' in 2013, 'Frankenstein vs. The Mummy' in 2015 and 'Terrifier' in 2016 to which this film is a direct sequel. The film saw its World Premiere at the FrightFest on 29th August and went on release in the US in early October where it was met with positive reviews from critics with many considering the film to be an improvement over its predecessor. Here then, after being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) returns to the timid town of Miles County where he targets a teenage girl, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) and her younger brother, Jonathan Shaw (Elliot Fullam) on Halloween night. The film has so far grossed US$5.3M from its production budget of US$250K, with 'Terrifier 3' already planned and Damien Leone suggesting that he has more than enough material to warrant a 'Terrifier 4'. 

'MIA AND ME : THE HERO OF CENTOPIA' (Rated PG) - is an animated and live action family adventure film based on a German TV series that is Co-Written and Directed by Adam Gunn in his debut feature film making outing, although he has previously Directed on thirteen episodes of 'Archibald's Next Big Thing' for Netflix. When Mia (Margot Nuccetelli) returns to her old family summer home for the first time since her parents’ death, she is suddenly taken back into the unicorn world of Centopia through the magical portal. There she meets Iko (Mike Singer), an elf from Lotus Island, who desperately needs her help. Toxor (Gedeon Burkhard), a monstrous, toad-like, vindictive villain, is taking over Lotus Island, transforming its citizens into an army of will-less henchmen with its dark magic. Mia, and her old and new friends, must band together to follow in the footsteps of the mythical heroine of Centopia and unite three ancient, magical power stones to defeat Toxor. When faced with the biggest villain Centopia has ever known, Mia will learn what it really means to be a hero, and shape her own destiny in the process.

With five 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-