SNOWDEN : Wednesday 28th September 2016.

'SNOWDEN', which I saw earlier in the week, is a biographical political drama Co-Written for the screen and Directed by Oliver Stone and based on the books 'The Snowden Files' by The Guardian's foreign correspondent Luke Harding, and 'The Time of the Octopus' by Russian lawyer and Doctor of Law Anatoly Kucherena. The former is an in depth biography of Edward Snowden's story, and the latter is a story of a fictional American whistleblower seeking asylum in Russia. The film rights for both books were acquired by Oliver Stone and form the foundation of this account of Edward Joseph Snowden, who hit the international headlines in mid-2013 for leaking classified information from the National Security Agency to The Guardian in the June of that year. With an all star cast, Stone was so worried about filming in the US and reprisals from the NSA, that he shot the film mostly outside of the US in Munich and Hong Kong with some footage filmed in Washington D.C. and Hawaii. A controversial man and a controversial story with Snowden being hailed a whistleblower, a dissident, a hero, a freedom fighter, a patriot and a traitor - you'll just have to decide for yourself based on this 'dramatisation of true events' as the films opening titles tell us! The film was made for US$40M and has so far grossed US$19M since its release.

Featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Edward Snowden and Shailene Woodley as his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, the film tells the story of this American computer professional, former Central Intelligence Agency employee and former contractor for the United States government who copied and leaked classified information from the NSA without any authorisation. The film charts Snowden's career from when he was first serving in the army, and was medically discharged to him applying for entry into the CIA and going through numerous rigorous tests to gain entry and prove himself worthy. It also explains how he first met his girlfriend Lindsay Mills, a tech-smart photographer, and how their relationship coped with the peaks and troughs of the stresses and strains of the highly secretive world in which he worked, and what he was exposed to.

Once accepted into the CIA he is introduced to Corbin O'Brian (Rhys Ifans) as a major high ranking CIA official who takes the new recruit under his wing recognising the inner geek and computer programming genius that is now in his midst. He also meets with Hank Forrester (Nicolas Cage) on his first day on the job at 'The Hill' (a closely guarded CIA Training Facility) who will be one of Snowden's instructors, and they share common interests in historical computers and code-cracking hardware before Forrester lets out a barrage of stories about highly secretive projects and the modern spying game. Forrester is somewhat jaded having developed an intricate computer programme to target known enemies of the state, that was dismissed before completion and handed over to a third party contractor for US$4B - more money than sense!

As Snowden becomes more entrenched with the CIA and in turn the NSA and gets ever closer to O'Brian having proven his capabilities and his worth repeatedly, so his responsibilities and his authorities increase. He is quickly introduced to the world of surveillance and how the NSA is keeping tabs on every mobile phone, every social media site, Internet activity, messaging service  and computer use across the world with the ability to peer into all and any users private lives with astonishing speed and accuracy and completely unhindered. He's uncomfortable with this revelation and so seeks to get on to field operations and sample the world of the international spy, and so teams up with CIA Agent Geneva (Timothy Olyphant) and is exposed to some dirty dealings that sits uneasily with him too. Increasingly we see Snowden questioning himself to the point when he resigns his job because the burden of responsibility and accountability is all getting too much. However, he comes back as a contractor hired by blue chip consulting firms to work with the CIA and NSA again - same shit, different bucket!

Throughout the film we are taken back & forth in time over the course of nine years culminating in a Hong Kong hotel room. We see his relationship with Lindsay ebb & flow as she struggles with the secrecy he is sworn to, and not being able to discuss his working life with him openly to help relieve the stresses and strains he is feeling as a result of his work.

After postings in some far away places that culminated in a secret NSA underground facility in Hawaii, Snowden downloads several hundred thousand files onto a USB drive while his superior, NSA Agent Trevor James (Scott Eastwood) is pre-occupied with an emergency crisis. Casually, Snowden walks out of the heavily guarded facility with the USB hidden inside a Rubik's Cube which he is rarely seen without, and out into the sunshine having taken his leave from his desk because he wasn't feeling so good.

After leaving his job at an NSA facility in Hawaii, Snowden flew to Hong Kong and is holed up in a Hotel Room with Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) an American documentary film Producer and Director who was in attendance by invitation from Snowden to record his testimony. In the room too was Glenn Greenwald (Zachary Quinto) - an American journalist and author also invited by Snowden to document his testimony for the world press, and most notably The Guardian. And, Ewen MacAskill (Tom Wilkinson) - a Scottish journalist working for The Guardian as defence and intelligence correspondent. So, is came to be that over the course of four days in June 2013 holed up inside that hotel room, Snowden spilled the beans and revealed thousands of classified NSA documents to the three journalists and confidants, which then appeared in The Guardian and The Washington Post, other newspapers including Der Spiegel and The New York Times and across global television networks. Watching these events unfold on national news are Lindsay at home with her parents, Corbin O'Brian, Hank Forrester, and assorted world leaders.

Snowden's disclosures revealed numerous global surveillance programs, many run by the NSA and the Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance with the cooperation of telecommunication companies and Governments across Europe. After being charged by the US Government on two counts of espionage and theft of classified information he flew to Moscow seeking asylum which he was granted for twelve months, subsequently extended to three years. He remains in Russia as of this date, and was subsequently joined there by Lindsay.

In a closing scene we see Snowden being interviewed live via an Internet link-up in front of a live studio audience. He is asked probing questions, and why he did what he did. As the camera pans around the monitor on which Snowden is speaking from his apartment somewhere in Russia, the image cuts from Edward Snowden as portrayed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt to the real Edward Snowden who continues the discussion about peoples freedom, privacy and security and the violation of those basic human rights by President Obama. Edward Snowden co-operated in the making of this film.

I have to say I was fascinated about this film, and even if only 50% of what is depicted on the screen by Oliver Stone is true and correct, then that is a very scary prospect too - for all of us! Gordon-Levitt carries his character along with nuance and grace that makes him grounded, real and believable. There are no arousing speeches, chest beating, table thumping or over the top antics to be seen here, but rather a considered somewhat introverted but nonetheless highly intelligent man just doing what he believes in, and who has the courage of his convictions to speak out about what he believes in, and what he knows to be true. There was no personal gain here, no bag of gold at the end of this rainbow - for Snowden it was all down side - living in exile, the possibility of prison, labelled a traitor, alone and turning his back on his country, his family, his loved ones and the life he had thus far made for himself. One man against the world and prepared to blow open the lid. A riveting film based on fact that we cannot ignore, well delivered, very watchable and it will cause you to debate and discuss the subject at hand long after the credits have rolled.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 5th March 2015.

Friends, readers and film followers - this is my first update from Adelaide in South Australia where I have recently started a new day job that will keep me active when I'm not writing about cinema, movies, the film world and what goes on in it, on it and around it! The other news of significance is that Summer here has given way to Autumn, and with it comes a slew of new films as if to herald a new season.

This week then we have a deep black sea submariners sunken treasure adventure thriller and there is no Johnny Depp or Jack Sparrow in sight; a sleight of hand daze & confuse 'em rob 'em blind action adventure that is glossy, sexy and features beautiful people of course; a fantasy epic where your lucky number seven is sure to spell action, adventure and peril most evil; a work gig to a distant land where three hapless salesmen encounter more challenges than they thought; and a time travelling mind bending history changing conundrum that could end very badly for the world as we know it!

Whatever you choose to spend your movie going dollar on in the week ahead, choose wisely from one of the new releases as below, or any of those Previewed in previous weeks and still on general release. There remains plenty of choice, and when you've sat through your selection, drop us a note in the Comments sections below this, or any Post, and share your thoughts with the ever expanding readership at Odeon Online. Enjoy your film!

BLACK SEA (Rated M) - Directed by Kevin MacDonald who also Produced, this is an all too familiar story of a bunch of greedy men who go off to sea in search of sunken riches only to turn against each other before the final pay-off leaving more booty to divide amongst fewer shipmates, which of course is all good if you happen to be one of the few still left breathing! What separates this from all other other familiar tales that have trodden a similar path, or sailed into similar uncharted waters, is that at the helm is Kevin MacDonald who has a track record in tightly written, tautly filmed action adventure ('Touching the Void', 'How I Live Now', 'State of Play', 'The Eagle') and this time we are set in the confines of a submarine with a rag tag bunch of unscrupulous misfit salty sea dogs.

This bunch are led by Captain Robinson (Jude Law) - a former naval office turned salvageman who lost that gig and now accepts a job with a backer lurking in the shadows that we know little about and trying to win back favour with a former employer all the while secretly plotting his revenge. The task is to venture forth to the Black Sea and salvage a WWII German U-Boat that was sunk in those waters somewhere, and is rumoured to contain a stash of gold bullion. The crew that Captain Robinson assembles are made up of British and Russian seafarers that include Ben Mendelssohn (Fraser), Scoot McNairy (Daniels) and Grigorly Dobrygin (Morozov) amongst others all adding a touch of authenticity to the claustrophobic underwater tin can conditions. Of course tensions rise when Brits and Ruskies, language and cultures clash leaving Captain Robinson to mediate and smooth over troubled waters. Solid submariner stories are few & far between on the big screen, but by all reports this has the tension, the intensity, the thrills and the characterisation to make this a winner and a worthy addition to the canon.

FOCUS (Rated MA15+) - touted as a romdramedy (romantic drama comedy) this package stars Will Smith as Nicky Spurgeon a long-time gifted and successful confidence trickster who gets himself tangled up romantically with young Jess Barratt (Margot Robbie). Things seem to be going well for the couple and so Nicky begins to introduce the young & talented Jess to his world and all the tricks and grifting skills that go with it. However, when Jess gets too close Nicky breaks things off and can smell a rat and so the two go their separate ways. Fast forward three years and Jess has now risen through the ranks of Nicky's world, and they find themselves in Buenos Aires both on opposite sides of the same con. This time though the stakes are very high with the target a billionaire race car owner, and in rekindling that old flame Nicky's personal and professional life are thrown into disarray at a time when he most needs to be on his game! Produced for US$100M and Directed and Written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa this also stars Rodrigo Santoro, some exotic locations, fast cars and all the glitz & glamour of the high life.

SEVENTH SON (Rated M) - this is another epic fantasy adventure based on the book of the same name as Directed by Sergei Bodrov on a production budget of US$95M. With a solid cast this film has taken over two years to get to the big screen after a slew of mishaps and misadventure occurred after production wrapped way back when. The story centres around a young Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) who is the fabled seventh son of a seventh son who works on some farm minding his own business, tending to the land and having no idea on God's green Earth what fate holds in store for him. He is taken under the wing as an apprentice by John Gregory (Jeff Bridges) - a Spook who has long since defended the Earth from evil malevolent forces, and who back in the time of yore captured and imprisoned wicked witch Mother Malkin (Julianne Moore). However, a once in a hundred year event is about to occur that will allow the wicked with of the west to morph dragon like and escape from captivity and wreak her revenge on this who would stand in her way. Enter John Gregory who has only until the next full moon to train up his seventh son apprentice into a finely tuned witch slaying machine to overcome the dark forces - a process that would ordinarily take years. Of course things don't go easily for the dynamic duo as they are distracted along their journey and have to ward off various other evil entities before the final showdown. You have seen this kind of stuff before but with two heavyweight Oscar winners in top billing it could be worth a look!

UNFINISHED BUSINESS (Rated MA15+)) - this dramedy is Directed by Ken Scott and is likely to do for the corporate sales world what 'The Hangover' did for Bucks Nights/pending weddings! There is a solid cast in the comedy drama offering that takes in Vince Vaughn as Dan Trunkman, a small hard working conscientious business owner, and a couple of his close business associates - Mike Pancake (Dave Franco) and Timothy McWinters (Tom Wilkinson). When the three comrades in arms need to travel to Europe to close the biggest and most important deal of their lives against stiff competition, you could be mistaken for thinking that the guys would have their fate sealed, their homework done, their PowerPoint Presentations finely honed, and their sales pitch perfect! But of course, the world of business sales never runs smoothly and inevitably what could go wrong does go wrong in the extreme! Also starring Sienna Miller and Nick Frost, it could just be that this solid cast might save the plot and create an enjoyable business trip on the company's expense account!

PROJECT ALMANAC (Rated M) - this film was released here in Australia last week, but flew under my radar . . . and perhaps that is hardly surprising! You have seen this film before under the guises of a hundred different time travelling movie offerings where the past catches up with the future, and those in the future must go back into the past to safeguard the future! Make sense? This found footage style of film-making as applied to 'PA' is starting to wear a little thin but Director Dean Israelite and big time action Producer (and Director too) Michael Bay tell a story of a group of late teenage buddies who discover the plans for a time machine buried in the basement of one of theirs houses. Needless to say the adventurous scientific time bending nerds decide that it would be a whizz to build the thing, and so they do . . . successfully, and in so doing use the device for their own personal gain and adrenalin rush. But of course, in travelling back to the past, they change the future destiny of the world and themselves . . . and not necessarily for the better! Getting back to the future they soon confront the error of their ways and so have to go back again, several times, to fix the past in order to prevent certain future events from occurring that could have far reaching consequences for them as individuals, as a group, and for the world at large. Time travel is always an interesting premise, but I'm not sure this has anywhere near the makings of last years excellent 'Predestination'! Made for just US$12M it has already grossed US$30M.

That's it then - five new offerings to get you out in front of a big screen - no excuses! Share your thoughts, observations and emotions - good, bad and ugly at Odeon Online.

Movies - see some this week!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SELMA : Wednesday 25th February 2015.

I got around to seeing 'SELMA' last night - the US$20M story that has so far grossed US$54M as Directed by Ava DuVernay recounting the true life events of the Selma to Montgomery march in 1965 that was a catalyst for positive change to  the equal voting rights of oppressed, victimised and harassed black African American citizens in the state of Alabama where this film is set, and where the events depicted in the film largely unfold. This film was nominated at the recent Academy Awards for Best Motion Picture and Best Original Song - for which it won the latter, and all up can boast a total awards haul of 35 wins and a further 71 nominations to date.

Telling the story of Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo in fine form as MLK) who after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 focuses on the racial hardships endured by black African Americans, particularly in Alabama where segregation, discrimination, and acts of violence were commonplace at that time. The small town of Selma has has its fair share of oppression handed down by its townsfolk, the local rangers and sheriff's office and the mayor himself toward any black individual who dares to register to vote or who does not follow the local acts of segregation - despite what the law might otherwise say. Extreme acts of violence are meted out on a frequent basis resulting in numerous deaths that go unpunished, unpublicised and largely unnoticed in the northern States. But as the civil rights movement gathers momentum, so King travels to Selma to support the oppressed locals and add weight to the cause, given his direct line to President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson).

President LBJ though has more important things on his agenda than helping out the personal crusade of MLK - he recognises what's going on down south, he recognises that it is wrong, and he recognise that something needs to be done -  but it is not on his priority list given that he had been in office only a matter of months and he has 101 things on his radar compared to MLK's one!

Supporting James Bevel (Common) who had called for a non-violent protest march from Selma to Alabama's capital, Montgomery (50 miles away) with the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference of which King was the leader) the first attempt was made on 7th March 1965 but ended violently when local Selma whites, the police, and rangers turned on the peaceful demonstrators with guns, batons, clubs, tear gas to squash the protest. This however, was televised to 70 million people including the President, MLK, J.Edgar Hoover, and George Wallace (Tim Roth in excellent form as the bigoted Governor of Alabama) who watched these events unfold on national television. 'Bloody Sunday' as it came to be known, and as tragic as it was, was a turning point in the civil rights movement.

Advocating at all times non-violent protest as a demonstration of force, will & sheer determination by the blacks, King as his growing followers in the wake of Bloody Sunday, regrouped and attempted to march again on 9th March 1965. Taking his ever expanding followers to Edmund Pettus Bridge that day, he halted the gathered group behind him and paused mid-way across the bridge. Kneeling down in prayer, his group followed suit and did the same at which King then stood, turned around and headed for whence he came, even though the law enforcement officers, local rangers and sheriff's department had retread this time. King was however, still fearful of reprisals and a repeat of Bloody Sunday despite the media coverage.

On 25th March 1965 the full march went ahead with the knowledge of LBJ and George Wallace who sat by and watched the huge non-violent demonstration march on Montgomery from Selma fifty miles away. By now the worlds media had turned their attention to this civil rights campaign that was joined by growing numbers of white sympathisers, clergy, dignitaries and celebrities of the time (Sammy Davis Jnr., and Harry Belafonte for example, are shown in real footage of the time). Upon arriving at the steps of state capitol building in Montgomery, King delivered another rousing speech that later became known as the 'How Long, Not Long' speech in which he states that equal rights for black African Americans would now be not far away.

As a result of this and the growing pressure on LBJ from MLK, his ever growing followers and advocates, and from escalating numbers of white followers in the aftermath of Black Sunday, the President of the United States passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to law on 2nd July that year and received an over whelming majority of support.

This is a solid film offering recounting that true story that changed the course of history. It is not an MLK bio-pic by any stretch, but, it educates, illuminates and demonstrates the black/white divide of the time, the violence of the era and the oppression suffered by so many who were just seeking what was constitutionally theirs anyway. The performances are top notch especially from David Oyelowo as MLK, from Carmen Egogo at MLK's wife Coretta Scott King, Common as James Bevel, Tim Roth as George Wallace, and Tom Wilkinson as LBJ. Along the way there are further lesser roles that nonetheless add gravitas including Giovanni Ribisi as Lee White (advisor and aide to LBJ), Oprah Winfrey as Annie Lee Cooper, Cuba Gooding Jnr. as Fred Gray, Martin Sheen as Federal Judge Frank Minis Johnson and Dylan Baker as J. Edgar Hoover looking to discredit and unsettle the King family as only he knows best.

At times the film plods along, and at just over two hours running time, it could have perhaps been abbreviated just a little, but in the final analysis this is a strong, powerful, riveting and occasionally disturbing film that you should watch to see just how far we have come as we approach the 50th anniversary of that march, and just how far we have still left to go!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

FELONY - Tuesday 9th September 2014.

It's encouraging to see some solid cinema content coming out of Australia in recent months, with 'FELONY' (which I saw at the Cremorne Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace earlier this week) adding to that canon, and following hot on the heels of 'The Rover', 'These Final Hours' and 'Predestination' - all of which have been Reviewed in this Blog in previous weeks. 'Felony' stands up there proud with these others as a strong suspenseful Sydney set Police drama that was penned, Produced and stars Joel Edgerton with Tom Wilkinson, Jai Courtney and Melissa George providing convincing support.

As the film opens we are mid-drug bust with Detective Mal Toohey (Edgerton) giving chase on foot through a suburban Sydney clothing factory. Reluctant to use his side arm he is shot at by his assailant and hits the ground while his colleagues overcome the shooter and cart him off arrested. Toohey rises to his feet - saved by his Kevlar vest, but shaken and badly bruised at the point of impact. The drug bust is successful, and six months of hard work have paid off.

That evening, having taken a bullet and successfully closed a major bust, Toohey and his Detective cohorts celebrate in a local pub through to the small hours of the morning. Upon leaving it is clear that Toohey is well under the influence of alcohol, and should not be getting behind the wheel of his car . . . but he does, and he begins the drive home, albeit cautiously, and half asleep. Being a Policeman he successfully gets through an RBT when pulled over, but in the final leg of his drive home, on a quiet stretch of road, he clips a young lad on his bike delivering the morning newspapers. As the boy lies in a crumpled heap in the middle of the road, Toohey pulls over and ponders what to do. There are no witnesses, it is dark, all quiet, and he could simply drive away as though nothing ever happened. Instead he goes to the boys aid and calls 000 for an ambulance, and we witness the uncertain, disjointed dialogue with the emergency services phone operative as questions are asked and Tooheys stumbles through his answers unsure if he should be truthful or plead ignorance, and lie.

Within minutes the ambulance arrives with the Police in tow, and hearing this on the Police radio so do Detective Carl Summer (Wilkinson) and his rookie sidekick Jim Melic (Courtney). Melic and Summer have known each other for years. The veteran Policeman Summer takes charge and pulls Toohey to one side to get his take on events, while sending Melic off to deal with rubberneckers, onlookers and the gathering media. Melic meanwhile is all ears and eyes surveying the scene and asking questions in his own mind because for him, things don't quite add up! Toohey passes a breathalyser test and is sent off on his way - a witness to a hit and run, and certainly not a suspect.

In the days that follow with the young lad in hospital in a coma, we are pulled into the distraught mothers bedside vigil; Melics further investigations of his own given his gut feelings that Toohey is covering something up and possibly aided & abetted by Summer; the relationship between Summer and  the young inquisitive untrusting Melic with something to prove; the relationship between Toohey and Summer that is long standing and respected by each; and the family relationship between Toohey and his wife Julie (George) as more of this matter is uncovered and Toohey wrestles with the truth, his conscience and his guilt. The question becomes who will prevail among the one who did it, the one who wants to cover it up and the one who wants to expose it?

The dialogue throughout is sharp; well written to give realism without over dramatising; the context is spot on; and the quality of acting by Edgerton, Wilkinson and Courtney especially is top notch but in an understated raw emotional and convincing way without the histrionics, the chest beating and the bravura that we see all to often in other similar features. Directed by Matthew Saville this is quality film making with a strong cast, a gripping story and assured Direction that ensures this tense, taut thriller delivers on the price of your ticket.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

  

What's new in Odeon's this week - Thursday 28th August 2014.

A fist full of films for your cinematic consideration over the coming week that range from the experimental, the Sci-Fi fantastic, the largely predictable, the local long arm of the law, and another Sci-Fi that you may have seen before . . . or maybe not! Down Under it is the last week of Winter and Springtime beckons with the promise of longer days and warmer evenings - but, having been in the grip of an almost continuous deluge for the last two weeks there is no better time to get out to your local movie theatre for an evening of great entertainment in front of the big screen to forget about the rain and steal yourself off to someplace else!

When you have done that drop me at line at this, your trusted filmic Blog, and let me and my other Reader know what you thought of your big screen experience by recording it in the Comments sections following immediately after every Post. Thanks!

LOCKE (Rated MA15+) - Ivan Locke is played by Tom Hardy, and he occupies all 90 minutes or so of screen time at the wheel of his car driving down an English Motorway from Point A to Point B. He will step out of his car eventually a very different man to when he stepped in, and this is the central premise of the film - handled deftly by relative newcomer Director, Stephen Knight who also wrote the Screenplay. As the film begins Locke we learn is a construction worker leaving his building site place of work - he is a respected worker and a committed family man. He jumps into his car to begin his journey and along the way through the darkness of night, his family life will crumble away and his career will implode as he unburdens himself en route with what will be the biggest mistake of his life. All this occurs through phone conversations he has with other key players in his life during his journey. These other actors are not seen, simply heard over the speaker phone in the car but give compelling voice performances to make this taught, tight and gripping from start to end. This coupled with dazzling night time lights, the darkness and solitude of Locke's vehicle, his own musings broken up by telephone calls, and his muffled sounds contemplating the magnitude of his actions should make for compelling viewing from an actor who is quickly establishing himself at the top of his form.

MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT (Rated PG) - another year and another Woody Allen film - this time a period piece set on the Cote d'Azur in the early 20's. We find Englishman abroad, Stanley Crawford (Colin Firth who is in just about a new film every fortnight right now!) who plays Chinese magician by night and a debunker of all things mystic, psychic and paranormal during the day. He crosses paths with American clairvoyant Sophie Baker (Emma Stone) engaged by rich well-to-do socialite Grace Catledge (Jacki Weaver) to connect with her dearly departed husband. Needless to say Crawford is less than impressed . . . initially, but in time comes to believe in Baker's powers - despite that fact too that as an old letch advanced enough in years to be her father, he is drawn to her beauty -  physical, mental and emotional. This looks good, and it seems that Allen has recreated the era very well, and predictably it will doubtless contain all the usual Allen touchstones with which we have become all too familiar. Is this in the same vein as his recent 'Blue Jasmine' - methinks not, but is likely to be enjoyable fluff for ardent Allen fans!

PREDESTINATION (Rated MA15+) - Directed and Written by Australian brothers Michael and Peter Spierig this is going to mess with your mind in a way that 'Inception' did - but in a good way and leave you musing over it for long after the credits have rolled. As the film opens we are in 1975 New York where a man is attempting to diffuse a bomb set by the mysterious 'Fizzle Bomber', but things go awry and he awakens in the future, in hospital and with a new face (this is Ethan Hawke, our time travelling hero of the piece) who is now a 'temporal agent' that can travel through time with a portable device he carries around in a violin case. He needs to go back to that time, but can do so with a whole new persona to go incognito (becoming 'The Bartender'), and so ultimately thwart the Fizzle Bomber and his/her evil plot. Along the way The Bartender encounters a strange man who goes by the name of 'The Unmarried Mother' (played in a career defining best by Australian Sarah Snook) from whom he must eek out the truth, and her connection with The Fizzle Bomber. There are twists & turns aplenty here to keep you guessing all the way to the end in what has been described as intelligent, original and brave film making that is sure to find it's place in the annals of Sci-Fi cult classic.

FELONY (Rated M) - Writen, Produced and Starring our own Joel Edgerton, 'Felony' is his offering to the gritty Police drama seen from the perspective of Sydney's mean streets with its dark underbelly, on both sides of the law! Following a successful drug bust, Detective Malcolm Toohey (Joel Edgerton) drives himself home after a night of celebration under the influence of alcohol, and is involved in an car accident that leaves a young lad in a coma. The following investigation sees young cop Jim Melic (Jai Courtney) and old hand Detective Carl Summer (Tom Wilkinson) working to uncover the truth or cover it up, and in doing so just how far will these three Policemen go to let the truth be told, or conceal it forever! With a strong cast that also includes Melissa George, this has some great hallmarks of a true big screen Aussie Drama that we can turn on so well when we want to!

EARTH TO ECHO (Rated PG) - this is a 'found footage' style of film involving three young lads who have spent their lives together (Tuck, Munch & Alex) - up until now, and that is all about to change when the Las Vegas suburb in which they live is to be uprooted to make way for a new highway. Spending their last week together before they all relocate with their respective families to the far flung corners of the US they experience strange and weird things happening with mobile phone signals, and all manner of sounds and messages emanating from the handsets across the suburb . . . but only within the suburb. The construction company working on the new highway believe it is their fault, and so hand out new phones to the locals thinking this will cure the problem. What Munch discovers from an image he receives is that it matches a desert some 20 miles away, and so the lads decide they had better investigate. Going undercover of darkness having spun a yarn to their unsuspecting parents, and taking local young hot chic, Emma, along too, they venture out in to the desert armed only with each other for support, their wits and a torch. They discover a small and friendly alien robot who has become stranded on Planet Earth -  they call it 'Echo', and quickly learn that our pint sized robot needs spare electrical parts to repair his space ship so he can return home (are you thinking 'E.T.' here or 'Super 8' as I am?). So the lads come to the rescue with trouble along the way in the form of Government Officials also hot on the trail of a crashed UFO somewhere in the vicinity. Needless to say all undoubtedly ends well; the lads discover something about themselves, each other and their friendship; and everyone returns home - some further away than others!

Some solid entertainment choices to tempt you out to your local multiplex this coming week! So pay a visit and let me know what you think!

Movies - see as many as you can!

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - Saturday 12th April 2014

I sat up high in a packed out Orpheum Theatre last night at the Cremorne Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace on a rain soaked night to enjoy 'THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL'. This film is a delight, and for a running time of just 100 minutes this Wes Anderson Directed offering will captivate your interest from beginning to end. This is Anderson's eighth film ('The Royal Tenenbaums', 'Moonrise Kingdom', 'The Darjeeling Limited', 'Rushmore' etc.) and while this one contains his trademark style, his favoured acting talent and his quirky touchstones this will rank right up there as possibly his finest work so far.

With a stellar cast that takes in Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Tom Wilkinson, Jude Law, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Tilda Swinton, and Saoirse Ronan amongst others this film should succeed on that level alone. But there is so much more here to take in - the lavish sets, the beautiful colours of a decadent era, sharp dialogue, fast paced action, dark humour, convincing performances . . . and a gripping story.

We are initially greeted by an ageing author in 1985 (Tom Wilkinson) who begins to tell the story of his stay at the run down somewhat dilapidated Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968 (the younger self played by Jude Law) and how a chance meeting with the hotels owner, Mr. Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham) leads to him recounting how he came to own the hotel having first worked there as the Lobby Boy in the early 1930's.

And so the story within a story begins to unfold as the Hotel Concierge, M. Gustave H. (played brilliantly by Ralph Fiennes) takes the younger Zero under his wing and their relationship unfolds in the lead up to war, occupation of this fake eastern European country, and what needs to be done after the murder of one of the Hotel's guests and the contents of her last will & testament are revealed. Gustav H. is devilishly debonair, sophisticated, well educated, admired by all Concierge, but can also scheme and connive with the best of them when the chips are down. And so this tale of deception, escapism and daring do mixed in with a little intrigue, danger, rich dialogue and heavily stylised images of a by-gone era make for an engrossing film.

You don't need to see this on the big screen and can easily wait for the DVD, but why would you? This is a great little film, and you will be rewarded by repeat viewing to ensure you capture all the little nuances offered on screen by Anderson and his assembled cast, the colourful storyline and the rich dialogue.

   

-Steve, at Odeon Online-