What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 20th June 2019.

The 66th annual Sydney Film Festival drew to a close on Sunday 16th June, marking an end to another hugely successful festival that showcased more than 300 award winning films, dramas, documentaries, thrillers, animations, comedies, cross-genre experiments and art house cinema from across the world. As reported last week, twelve films are selected for the Official Competition, which celebrates 'courageous, audacious and cutting-edge' cinema with a $60,000 cash prize.

The winner of this years Official Competition line up and the proud recipient of the AU$60K cash prize went to renowned South Korean Director Bong Joon-ho for his latest feature offering 'Parasite', which also picked up the Palme d'Or at Cannes last month. The film tells the story of the an all unemployed lower class family (the Kim's) that take a peculiar interest in a wealthy and glamorous family (the Park's) for their livelihood, until they get entangled in an unexpected incident that threatens to upend the Kim's newfound level of comfort. The film goes on general release in Australia on 27th June.

Indigenous Director Erica Glynn was awarded the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary's AU$10K cash prize for 'She Who Must Be Obeyed Loved', a celebration of the life of her mother, the trailblazing Indigenous filmmaker Alfreda Glynn from the heart of the country. This prize acknowledges excellence in documentary production with up to ten films of any length being selected for the competition.

For the full wrap up of this years Sydney Film Festival, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/

This week there are six new feature films to entice you out to your local Odeon on a cool Winter's evening. We kick off with two animated feature films, both of which are sequels to hugely successful prior instalments - the first is the fourth in a franchise that had its beginnings almost 25 years ago now about the life and exploits of toys behind closed doors when kids and adults aren't watching, and the second is the second film in a newer franchise that is about the life of pets behind closed doors when kids and adults aren't watching. We then move to a case of a missing person and one guys dogged determination to get to the bottom of the disappearance that takes him down all sorts of rabbit holes. Next up is a reboot of a mildly successful but enduring slasher horror offering that first saw the light of day back in 1988, involving a possessed child's doll that has been updated to an out of control robot doll, that nonetheless has bloody murder and mayhem most foul reprogrammed in to its memory banks. We then close out the week with two acclaimed foreign language offerings - the first a German film spanning three generations that sees a budding painter who falls for a fellow artist whose father is the keeper of a very dark and damaging secret. The second is a French film about an elderly woman who wakes up one day and decides that it will be her last, and so sells all her worldly possessions on her front lawn much to the bewilderment of her daughter who come home for the first time in twenty years having caught wind of her mothers madness.

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

'TOY STORY 4' (Rated G) - and continuing with this hugely popular and acclaimed computer animated comedy offering that first graced our big screens back in 1995, we have the fourth feature film instalment in the franchise that has spawned a limited series of television specials under the banner of 'Toy Story Treats', short animated films under the headline 'Toy Story Toons', a straight to video film, three 'Disney on Ice' productions, a musical, video games, merchandise, theme park rides and comic books. The first three films in the series were made for a collective US$320M and grossed a total Box Office haul worldwide of US$1.97B. This film is Directed by Josh Cooley in his feature film debut, taking over from John Lasseter who Directed the first two and Lee Unkrich the third. John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton were among the talent who dreamt up the story for all four films. The film saw its Premier screening on 11th June and goes on general release in the US and here in Australia this week.

And so turning back to the story behind 'Toy Story 4' which is set a couple of years after Andy gave his toys to Bonnie. Woody (voiced once again by Tom Hanks), Buzz (voiced again by Tim Allen) and the rest of the toys are faced with a problem when Bonnie creates a new toy from arts and crafts, named Forky (voiced by Tony Hale). Forky suffers an identity crisis about being a toy, which the others try to help him understand how to be one. As Bonnie and her family go on a road trip, Forky escapes and Woody goes to save him, becoming separated from the group near a small town. As Buzz and the others try to help find Woody, Woody finds Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) among other toys in the town's antique shop, and she gives him a new outlook on what being a toy is really about. Also starring the voice talents of Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Timothy Dalton, Laurie Metcalf, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Keanu Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Carl Reiner and Betty White amongst notable others.

'THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2' (Rated PG) - continuing with the animated genre, this American computer animated comedy film produced by Illumination, is Directed by Chris Renaud, with Jonathan del Val, and is the sequel to 2016's 'The Secret Life of Pets' which was also Directed by Renaud and grossed US$876M off the back of a US$75M production budget. This is the tenth animated feature from this Studio since its founding in 2007, and since this films release in the UK on 24th May and the US on 7th June, it has grossed US$158M off the back of an US$80M investment. Featuring the voice talents of Patton Oswalt, Eric Stonestreet, Kevin Hart, Harrison Ford, Tiffany Haddish, Ellie Kemper, Pete Holmes and Dana Carvey amongst others, this film reunites all the pets from the first instalment and some new ones too. Here we find Max the terrier, who must learn to cope with some major life changes when his owner, Katie marries Chuck and has a baby, Liam. When the family takes a road trip out to the country, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff Welsh Sheepdog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.

'UNDER THE SILVER LAKE' (Rated MA15+) - this American neo-noir mystery thriller is Directed by David Robert Mitchell and follows up his second feature film, the highly acclaimed horror 'It Follows' in 2014. Here Sam (Andrew Garfield) lives in the Sliver Lake district of Los Angeles leading a largely aimless, lazy and jobless life with more than an avid interest in conspiracy theories and finding hidden meanings in our everyday culture. One day he befriends his beautiful neighbour Sarah (Riley Keough), who invites him to come over the next day. However, when he drops by he discovers that she and her roommates moved out during the night. Sam becomes obsessed with finding what happened to Sarah. Obsessed with finding out the truth behind Sarah's sudden disappearance, and through a series of seemingly random yet connected encounters, he inadvertently stumbles across an elusive and dangerous large scale conspiracy. The film saw its World Premiere screening back in May 2018 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was in competition for the Palme d'Or. It was released in the US in mid-April this year and has divided critics with some praising its originality, Direction, soundtrack, cinematography, and Garfield's performance while others found the script confusing, too cryptic, and lacking substance. The film has so far grossed US$2M.

'CHILD'S PLAY' (Rated MA15+) - this American horror slasher film is Directed by Lars Klevberg and is seemingly a remake and a reboot of the original 1988 film of the same name that spawned a whole host of sequels taking off with 'Child's Play 2' in 1990, 'Child's Play 3' in 1991, 'Bride of Chucky' in 1998, 'Seed of Chucky' in 2004, then 'Curse of Chucky' in 2013, and 'Cult of Chucky' in 2017, and a TV series planned for next year. The films original premise was on Chucky, a notorious serial killer who escapes death by performing a voodoo ritual to transfer his soul into a 'Good Guys' doll. The plot here harks back more to the original film. Having moved to a new city, young Andy Barclay (Gabriel Bateman), a lonely 13-year-old deaf boy with a hearing aid, receives a special present from his widowed mother Karen (Aubrey Plaza) - a seemingly innocent Buddi doll (voiced by Mark Hamill) that becomes his new best friend. When the doll suddenly takes on a sinister life of its own, Andy unites with other local children to stop the deadly toy from wreaking bloody murder most foul. In this film, unlike the original, Chucky is portrayed as an out of control hi-tech robot doll, rather than one that is possessed. Also starring Brian Tyree Henry, the film is released Stateside this week too.

'NEVER LOOK AWAY' (Rated M) - is a 2018 German drama film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. It was nominated for a Golden Lion at the 75th Venice International Film Festival where it saw its World Premier screening in September last year, and for a Golden Globe by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It was also nominated for two Academy Awards earlier this year in the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography categories. With a running time of just over three hours, the film has been lauded by audiences and Critics alike with some stating that it is the best movie they have ever seen! And so to the story, which is based loosley on the early life of famed German artist Gerhard Richter, here portrayed as Kurt Barnert (Tom Schilling) whom we are first introduced to at the tender age of six. As the years progress and Kurt enrols at the Dresden Art School he meets and falls in love with Ellie Seeband (Paula Beer) whose father holds a dark and devastating secret from his past, and vows to end their relationship.

'CLAIRE DARLING' (Rated M) - here this French foreign language film is Directed by Julie Bertuccelli and based on the best selling novel 'Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale' by Lynda Rutledge. In the small country village of Verderonne, in the Oise, on the first day of Summer Claire Darling (Catherine Deneuve) wakes up convinced that today will be her last day. She then decides to rid her house of all her possessions from prized and valuable antiques, to art works, to personal mementos, family heirlooms, everyday furniture and bric-a-brac which she has accumulated over many many years and which she subsequently decides to sell for a song. The objects so loved resonate with her tragic and flamboyant life with pertinent moments seen in flashback. This last act of apparent madness brings back her daughter Marie (Chiara Mastroianni, and the real life daughter of Catherine Deneuve) whom she has not seen for 20 years, who is naturally perplexed by her mothers current state of mind. The film has generated largely positive Reviews.

With six new release movies 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 in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

RED JOAN : Tuesday 11th June 2019.

'RED JOAN' which I saw earlier this week is a British spy drama film Directed by frequent theatre and occasional film Director Trevor Nunn. This film is based on the novel of the same name by Jennie Rooney which in turn gained its inspiration from the real life exploits of Melita Norwood, who worked at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association from 1937 as a secretary, and supplied the Soviet Union's KGB with nuclear secrets for the following thirty years or so. The film received its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, went on release in the UK and the US in mid-April, has so far taken US$8M at the Box Office and has garnered generally average Reviews.

We are first introduced to 80+ year old Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) as she potters about in her front garden pruning the hedgerows of her house somewhere in the English suburbs. She is a widow. It is the early 2000's and her peaceful uneventful existence is interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Opening the door reveals the British Special Branch accusing the octogenarian of treason, and promptly arrest her and take her in for questioning.

It soon transpires that Joan is accused of giving away Britain's secrets to the Russians from the late 1930's onwards, and in particular those secrets relating to the eventual building of the Atom Bomb. As the ageing Joan is interrogated in a drab and dreary looking room of course denying every accusation thrown at her, we are taken back to Joan's formative years in the mid-'30's when she was an aspiring physics student at Cambridge University (Sophie Cookson portraying the younger Joan).

The catalyst for Joan's change of direction in life comes late one night, when a knock on her dorm room window, reveals Sonya (Tereza Srbova) who wanting to avoid the curfew clambers in through the window, introduces herself to Joan, the pair chat briefly, she borrows Joan's dressing gown and exits the door to return to her own quarters. But in this fleeting exchange a partnership is forged that will have long lasting impacts upon the world. Grateful for Joan's assistance, Sonya invites Joan to a film screening where she meets her cousin, Leo (Tom Hughes) - a dedicated communist just like she is. The pair are instantly attracted to each other.

Taken in by the notions of social injustice, and also swept along by Leo's convincing soap box preachings, Joan quietly begins to join in the rallies and gatherings speaking out against Hitler. As the timeline progresses Leo accepts a three month posting to Russia to further his studies and help with his thesis.



During this time, Joan accepts a job at a top secret government laboratory for which she has to sign the Official Secrets Act. Working in the employ of Professor Max Davis (Stephen Campbell Moore) who wants a secretary with some knowledge of physics so that he can bounce ideas off and someone who can really contribute to the cause, so Joan is seen as the prefect fit.

Eventually their work and the progress they are making comes to the attention of the upper eschelons of the ruling political party at the time, who order Davis and his entourage to travel to Canada to undertake further work and research with Britain's Canadian allies. During the trans-Atlantic shipping trip, Max and Joan hit it off. Unlike the closely guarded Leo, Max is able to express his love for Joan, but is hampered in their relationship because he is married and his wife won't give him a divorce despite him asking several times in the past. It also is revealed that both Max and Joan share equal views of the world order at that time, but have differing opinions on how that order should best be implemented. Whilst in Canada the Ambassador arranges a visit for the pair to the University of Montreal, where Leo just happens to be lecturing and has caught wind of the pending visit.

Leo asks Joan to offer up the British atom bomb research to the Russians who at that time are seen as an ally to Britain, but Joan stoically refuses. The Russians are lagging behind in their research but it is only a question of time before they catch up. The Americans too are advancing at a steadier pace, but at this point in the second World War, the Americans can't be trusted, hence the Canadian research trip. Back on English soil and Max is keeping his distance from Joan because of a marriage he can't escape from, and Leo is back on the scene further hassling Joan about giving up her research secrets to the Russians. Joan eventually relents, but for her own personal reasons.

As Joan reveals during her stony faced interrogation, now accompanied by her son Nick (Ben Miles) acting as her legal counsel, Joan didn’t just pass on Britain's nuclear secrets as an act of devotion towards Leo, but the reality was that she took up an ideological approach made entirely of her own free will after seeing the catastrophic aftermath of the two atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, effectively bringing Japan's end to WWII and killing millions of innocents in the process. Her thinking was that only with access to equal information could the superpowers be all on a level playing field with each other, and prevented from such disastrous consequences in the future - as history attests too subsequently.

Leo winds up dead at the end of a noose tied around his neck although it is unclear if this was of his own volition, or aided by the KGB, and Sonya has disappeared overseas with her young child and husband. Max is imprisoned for passing on atomic bomb research secrets to the Russians, although all evidence against him is circumstantial and is unlikely to hold up in court. When the authorities come to take him away Joan is in the room too, but can't bring herself to come clean for the man she loves. Joan meets Max in prison and confesses to him that it was all of her doing. Max whilst initially is stunned by this revelation, loves Joan after all, and that too him is more important. Afterwards Joan meets with a high profile ministry friend William Mitchell (Freddie Gaminara) whom she basically blackmails (via a rather damning photograph into his sexual preferences) into pulling the strings to get Max released from prison and for them both to be granted new identities and put on a slow boat to Australia. 

Back in the present day and Nick is at odds with the truth that has been revealed about his own mothers secret life. Being frail and aged she asks her son to speak for her at her trial, but Nick refuses saying that he cannot support a traitor, even if that traitor is his mother. Later that day the Special Branch detectives come knocking and promptly arrest Joan for treason having drawn a satisfactory conclusion from their investigations to which Joan practically admitted to anyway. Standing outside the front door of her suburban home, and confronted by hordes of media and disapproving neighbours, Nick emerges, holds his mothers hand, and advises the gathered Press contingent to direct any and all questions towards him, as he will be acting on her behalf.  

In an end credits sequence we are told that the British Government never did press charges against Joan Stanley, and that she passed away some years later at the age of 93.

'Red Joan' is a slow meandering offering that is light on intrigue and tension but is just about saved by the performances of Sophie Cookson and Judi Dench, with the latter's role skipped by all to briefly and wasting her valuable talents. The film recreates the era well enough - from the drab muted colours of the interiors, to the dull overcast days to the sets design but the dialogue is fairly one dimensional and all adds up to a fairly mediocre take on a true story that could have been so much more. It's regrettable that this film doesn't ignite in a way other similar period pieces did with 'The Imitation Game' or even 'Their Finest' which really seemed to grasp their subject matter and run with it in inventive ways to capture the interest and the enthusiasm of the viewer. I was left wanting more from this film, which despite its strong cast and period lensing and costumery, is a film you might watch on a rainy weekend afternoon from the comfort of your home rather than blowing your $20 on the price of a cinema ticket.

'Red Joan' merits two claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a potential of five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 13th June 2019.

The 66th annual Sydney Film Festival launched last week on Wednesday 5th June and runs through until Sunday 16th June. Featuring over 300 films screened at eight cinema locations across greater Sydney, from 58 countries and including 33 World Premiers, the programme launched with Director Rachel Ward's drama comedy 'Palm Beach' starring Bryan Brown, Sam Neill, Richard E. Grant, Greta Scacchi, Jacqueline Mackenzie and Heather Mitchell.

There are twelve films in Official Competition this year, all vying for the AU$60K prize money for the film that presents as being heralded as 'the most audacious, cutting edge and courageous'. The official SFF website describes this competition as celebrating 'that rare but thrilling film that truly moves the art form forward. Innovative, provocative or controversial, they broaden our understanding of the world and say important things in original ways'.

Those films in the Official Competition line up this year are :
* 'BACARAU' - a Brazil and France Co-Production Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles who here deliver a searing political parable and a magic-realist, explosive genre film. Winner, Jury Prize, Cannes.
* 'BELLBIRD' - from New Zealand, and Directed by Hamish Bennet in his feature debut, this quietly powerful film is told with warm humour, that takes us into the heart of a small rural town in New Zealand, where a community comes together after a tragic death.
* 'DIRTY GOD' - a UK, Dutch, Belgian and Irish Co-Produced film is Directed by Sacha Polak who here paints an intimate portrait of a young mother from East London left scarred after an acid attack in this compelling tale of courage and self-acceptance.
* 'GOD EXISTS, HER NAME IS PETRUNYA' - here this North Macedonian, Belgian, Slovenia, French and Croatian Co-Production is Directed by Teona Struger Mitevska and in this award-winning feminist satire, based on true events, Petrunya causes fury in her small Macedonian town when she participates in a men only contest, and wins.
* 'HEARTS AND BONES' - this Australian Production is Directed by Ben Lawrence in his feature film debut and stars Hugo Weaving as a war photographer and Andrew Luri as a South Sudanese refugee living in Australia who discover a photograph that threatens to destroy them both.
* 'JUDY & PUNCH' - this Australian Production is Directed by first timer Mirrah Foulkes and reimagines the Punch & Judy puppet show as a blackly comic feminist revenge tale starring Mia Wasikowska and Damon Herriman.
* 'MONOS' - a Co-Production from Colombia, Argentina, The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Uruguay, this Spanish foreign language film is Directed by Alejandro Landes and follows almost feral child soldiers holding a female doctor hostage in a remote Latin American jungle location. Special Jury Award, Sundance.
* 'NEVER LOOK AWAY' - this German offering is Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and takes a vast view of German history, over three eras, in this remarkable love story inspired by the life of revered artist Gerhard Richter.
* 'PAIN AND GLORY' - this Spanish film is Directed by Pedro Almodovar who here reunites with Antonio Banderas and Penelope Cruz in his most personal film yet: a reflection on cinema, art, family, love and sexual awakening.
* 'PARASITE' - Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes this year, here renowned Korean Director Bong Joon-ho presents a thrilling, satirical take on income inequality as told through two families.
* 'THE SOUVENIR' - this UK film is Directed by Joanna Hogg who here weaves a dream-like, visually splendid tale of first love starring Honor Swinton Byrne alongside her mother, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Burke. Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Sundance.
* 'SYNONYMS' - this Co-Production from France, Israel and Germany is Directed by Nadav Lapid and is an intense, neurotic fever dream about a young Israeli man who goes to Paris to erase his identity. Winner, Berlinale Golden Bear.

For the full line up and all the latest news and views from the Sydney Film Festival, you can visit the official website at : https://www.sff.org.au/

Turning back to this weeks four latest release movies coming to an Odeon near you, we have the fourth film in a highly successful alien crime busting franchise that this time around leaves Uncle Sam behind and ventures further afield to more international pastures where them no good pesky alien types are also getting up to all kinds of mischief, and only two special black clad secret agents can take them on. We then turn to a biographical drama of the life and times of one of the 20th Century's great literary masters whose mid-century series of works are still devoured today by young and older and have been subsequently committed to both the big and small screens. Next up is an English tale of an average Scottish lass straight out of prison, who has a singing talent and has dreams of making if big in Nashville, Tennessee. We then wrap up the week with an extreme surfing documentary film about big waves and one man's dream of making a never before attempted surfing statement.

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

'MEN IN BLACK : INTERNATIONAL' (Rated M) - this fourth film in the ever popular science fiction action comedy franchise is Directed by F. Gary Gray whose previous Directorial outings take in the likes of 'The Negotiator', 'The Italian Job', 'Be Cool', 'Law Abiding Citizen', 'Straight Outta Compton' and 'The Fate of the Furious'. The first three films in the series were Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, in 1997, 2002 and 2012, grossed collectively approaching US$1.7B off the back of combined production budgets of US$495M and starred Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as our alien crime fighting duo Agent J and Agent K respectively. This instalment is a sort of sequel, sort of spin-off that cost US$110M and is released Stateside this week too.

Following the events of 'Men in Black 3', it is revealed that London too has a branch of Men in Black (MIB). After finding the MIB London base, a woman (Tessa Thompson) joins them. The head of the branch, High T (Liam Neeson), pairs her up with Agent H (Chris Hemsworth) and she becomes known as Agent M. These two secret MIB agents become involved in a series of alien attacks that sees them travelling around the globe with their alien busting high tech weaponry, whilst also uncovering a potential more major threat within their own organisation. Also starring Rebecca Fergusson, Rafe Spall, Emma Thompson and Les Twins.

'TOLKIEN' (Rated M) - here in this American biographical drama offering we have the story from the other side of the tracks compared to the epic big screen spectacles of Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy and later 'The Hobbit' trilogy as written by one John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, who in this film is the subject matter. As a teenager, J. R. R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) befriends a group of fellow artists and writers at his school, with whom he finds both inspiration and courage. Their bond of fellowship grows over the ensuing years, as they experience life together. Meanwhile, Tolkien meets Edith Bratt (Lily Collins), with whom he falls in love. But when World War I breaks out, Tolkien's relationships with his friends are tested, an act which threatens to tear their 'fellowship' apart, but which nonetheless serves as inspiration for his later highly acclaimed published works. Also starring Derek Jacobi, Colm Meaney and Pam Ferris, the film was made for US$20M, has so far recouped US$8M, was released in the UK in early May and has generated mixed Reviews and is Directed by the Finn, Thomas 'Dome' Karukoski.

'WILD ROSE' (Rated M) - this British musical drama offering is Directed by Tom Harper, whose previous credits include Directing duties on multiple episodes of television series including 'Demons', 'This is England '86', 'Misfits', 'Peaky Blinders', 'War & Peace' and 'Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams', as well as feature films 'The Borrowers', 'War Book' and 'The Woman in Black : Angel of Death'. Here, straight out of prison, a Scottish woman Rose-Lynn Harlan (Jessie Buckley) juggles her new job and two children while pursuing her dream of becoming a country music star. She soon gets her chance when she travels to Nashville, Tennessee, on a life-changing journey to discover her true voice. Also starring Julie Walters as Rose's mother Marion, and Sophie Okonedo the film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF last September, its UK release in mid-April and now this week its release in Australia and the US and has thus far garnered largely positive Reviews.

'HEAVY WATER' (Rated M) - here South African film maker Michael Oblowitz Directs, Produces and wrote the Screenplay upon which this extreme surfing documentary biopic is based. 'Heavy Water' follows big wave surfer Nathan Fletcher through the evolution of his surfing and his relationship with big waves. Tracing his lineage back to his grandfather, it all began in the '40's, with Fletcher’s grandfather and the first big-wave pioneers at Waimea Bay, Hawaii, then progresses through the ‘80s with Nathan’s father Herbie Fletcher pioneering the first tow-surfing with a JetSki. By that time, skateboard astronauts Jay Adams and Christian Hosoi were Nathan’s babysitters. And before long, his older brother Christian Fletcher was being kicked off the world skateboarding tour for flying too high. Amidst all of this, Nathan had his own unique course. Motorcycles, snowboards, skateboards, surfboards… it really didn’t matter what it was, Nathan just liked jumping off things. This led him to eventually jumping off a helicopter from 20 feet above the outer reef big waves on one of the most life threatening waves ridden - Code Red Teahupo’o in Tahiti - one of the gnarliest rides, and wipeouts, of all time. It's a voyage through the eyes of the surfing community that delves deep into the roots and mindset of board sports culture, culminating in a spectacular, never-before-performed stunt, as Fletcher once again attempts to raise the bar of what's possible.

With four new release movies 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 in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

ROCKETMAN : Tuesday 4th June 2019.

'ROCKETMAN' which I saw this week is a biographical musical film based on the life and times of Sir Elton John (aka Reginald Kenneth Dwight) as Directed by Dexter Fletcher, whose previous film making credits include 'Wild Bill' in 2011, 'Sunshine on Leith' in 2013, 'Eddie the Eagle' in 2016, and an uncredited role as Director on last years 'Bohemian Rhapsody' having replaced Bryan Singer as Director for the final two weeks of filming, but received an Executive Producer credit due to Directors Guild of America rules. An Elton John biopic had been in development for almost two decades, with the project going through several Directors, studios and Actors before Sir Elton finally approached Paramount Pictures. In early 2018 Taron Egerton was cast to play Elton John having previously appeared with Sir Elton in the 2017 film 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle', and Egerton, as Johnny the Gorilla, sang John's song 'I'm Still Standing' in the animated film 'Sing'. The film cost US$41M to bring to the big screen, saw its Premier screening at the Cannes Film Festival on 16th May this year, was released in the UK on 22nd May and was released in the US and here in Australia last week. The film has so far taken US$71M and has generated mostly positive Reviews. The film is titled after Sir Elton's 1972 UK #2 and US #6 hit single of the same name.

The film opens up with a flamboyantly attired Elton John (Taron Egerton) wearing an orange and heavily sequined Devil stage outfit walking hurriedly down a corridor and bursting through the doors of a room wherein, sat in a circle, is a self help group. Welcomed by the others, Elton opens up with a statement of who he is, and that he is an alcoholic, a drug addict, a sex addict and addicted to various other things to help him escape from his fractured childhood upbringing and what he has become, and, that he's bulimic. And so begins in flashback a story of his young years, right up until the time he entered this rehab facility where he currently sits with various others in the same group attempting to come to some understanding of the forces that worked for him and against him to bring him to this point.

As a young child, Reginald 'Reggie' Dwight was raised by his less than loving mother Sheila (Bryce Dallas Howard), his more caring grandmother Ivy (Gemma Jones), while his father Stanley (Steven Mackintosh) was away serving in the Royal Air Force. Reggie shows interest in playing the piano, and seems to possess a natural gift, and soon begins private piano lessons at London's prestigious Royal Academy of Music. Stanley returns home for a two week period of leave, and keeps his son at arms length having never really ever shown him any affection or emotion. Eventually, feeling constricted by his family surroundings and discovering Sheila getting it on with another man in a car, Stanley walks out on his family forever, to forge a new life. Reggie takes up an interest in Rock & Roll music artists such as Elvis Presley, gets a similar haircut to The King, and begins performing in local pubs before joining a band, 'Bluesology'.

As an adult, Reggie changes his name to Elton John (Elton from a fellow Bluesology band member, and John after John Lennon) and responds to an advert in the music press seeking singers, songwriters and musicians with any talent to make contact. This takes him to an appointment with the Dick James Music Publishing Company under the management of Ray Williams (Charlie Rowe). Williams introduces Elton to songwriter Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). The pair meet up for the first time in a local cafe and quickly form a bond, with Taupin accepting both Elton and his closeted homosexuality. 

The pair are encouraged to move in together so that they can be close to each other to fuel their songwriting output. Taupin moves into the Dwight family home, which creates a strain on the family unit, but nonetheless allows the pair the proximity to each other to encourage Taupin's lyrics to be quickly set to music by Elton.

The duo impress Dick James (Stephen Graham) with 'Your Song' and he sets up their first American performance for them at the 'Troubadour' in Los Angeles. The audience loves Elton's performance, and he doesn't hold back having fought off his earlier nerves. At a party afterwards at Mama Cass's place, he feels abandoned when Taupin leaves him to be with a woman.

At that same party, feeling somewhat dejected, Elton is approached by John Reid (Richard Madden), a music Manager and Promoter who is attracted to Elton. The two sleep together. Reid's ever increasing influence over Elton results in him spiralling into a life of decadence and debauchery as his career takes off and he becomes one of the worlds most successful musicians, at one point accounting for 5% of all the worlds records sales. Meanwhile, Elton embraces an ever increasing extravagant and flamboyant stage profile.

After Elton contracts him as his new manager, Reid begins manipulating Elton, starting off with his insistence that he admits to his mother and father that he's gay so they can help shelter his sexual leanings from the press. Sheila curtly over the telephone informs Elton she was already aware of his sexuality and had been for a long time and doesn't really care, except, she tells him, that he's facing a life of being alone forever. Elton finds Stanley in his new suburban family home and doesn't tell him that he's gay, because he's too upset by his father's happiness with his new family, complete disregard of his old one and total indifference towards Elton and his success. Struggling with his parental issues, as well as Reid's rising abuse, Elton becomes addicted to cannabis, cocaine, alcohol and sex. 

After witnessing Reid cheating on him with another man, at a house party later that day, he consumes a dangerous amount of drugs and alcohol and attempts suicide by jumping into his pool. Whilst sinking to the bottom of the pool, and before being pulled out by friends, he sees a vision of his younger self wearing a makeshift aqualung and playing at a small piano. He is pulled out, bundled into the back of an ambulance and rushed into hospital, and not long after is forced back on stage to continue his performance.

Elton falls out with both his mother and Taupin. Feeling angry, increasingly agitated and depressed, and very alone in the world despite the trappings of his success, he consumes prescription pills and alcohol, causing him to have a heart attack at home during which he falls down the stairs. Once more he is rushed into hospital. Reid hears the news and waves it off as a mild chest infection, forcing Elton again to get back on stage for his next performance. Realising that his life is spiralling out of control, Elton leaves before the performance and finally seeks help. He enters rehabilitation and comes to the realisation that he no longer needs anything from his parents or Reid. Elton repairs his friendship with Taupin, who visits him in the rehab clinic, and returns to performing, wrapping up with 'I'm Still Standing' off the 1983 hit album 'Too Low For Zero'.

In 'Rocketman' Actor turned Director Dexter Fletcher, has crafted a solid tribute to Elton John's meteoric rise to super stardom in the late '60's and through the '70's, and doesn't let up in exposing the warts and all lifestyle and its effects on the wildly extravagant singer. He does however, take some liberties with the timelines, the story and the facts but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment factor of seeing Taron Egerton mimic Sir Elton so well and so brazenly, and how he spirals out of control so wantonly as a result of his success. The film charts the first twenty years or so of his musical career up until about the time he married Renate Blauel in Sydney in 1984, and their subsequent divorce in 1988 and the release of 'I'm Still Standing' in 1983 (muddled timelines here) which concludes the film with Egerton's Elton John cut into the actual video footage that accompanied the release of that single. It is unlikely that 'Rocketman' will emulate the success of those other two hit musical dramas of this year 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (US$904M Box Office) and 'A Star Is Born' ($US435M Box Office), but it is sure to please die hard Elton John fans as well as those with only a passing interest in the life and times of this enduring rock music icon. The film plays out with an update and images of where Sir Elton is now in both his personal and musical life as of the present day.

The film includes such renditions of John's famous back catalogue performed convincingly by Taron Egerton as 'The Bitch is Back', 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting', 'Border Song' 'Your Song', 'Crocodile Rock' 'Tiny Dancer', 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart', 'Pinball Wizard', 'Rocket Man', 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', 'Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word' and 'I'm Still Standing'. 

'Rocketman' warrants four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, out of a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 6th June 2019.

In May the world bid a fond farewell to a number of stars of the silver screen and the small screen. In brief, shown below, is my passing tribute to those stars who leave an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, and in particular the world of film and television. May you all Rest In Peace, and thanks for the memories . . . . Alvin Sargent, Carmine Caridi, Peggy Lipton and Doris Day.

* Alvin Sargent, born Alvin Supowitz on April 12th 1927 and died on May 9th 2019, aged 92. He was an American Screenwriter who wrote forty-four feature films, made for television movies and series. He was the recipient of nine award wins and another six nominations including two Academy Award wins, the first in 1978 and the again in 1981, for his Screenplays on 'Julia' and 'Ordinary People' respectively. Before turning his attention to writing he had a brief time as an Actor, playing the uncredited role of 'Nair' alongside Montgomery Clift in 'From Here To Eternity', which won the Oscar for Best Film in 1953. Sargent began writing for television in 1953 and throughout the '60's he wrote episodes for 'Route 66', 'Ben Casey' and 'The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'. He collaborated on his first screenplay for the 1966 film 'Gambit' and gained recognition for  1970's 'I Walk the Line' and 1973's 'Paper Moon'. His other more notable credits also included 1977's 'Bobby Deerfield', 1987's 'Nuts', 1990's 'White Palace', 1991's 'Other People's Money', 1996's 'Bogus', 2002's 'Unfaithful', on each of Sam Raimi's three 'Spider-Man' films and on 2012's 'The Amazing Spider-Man' plus his final work 'Miami Heist' due for a 2020 release.

* Peggy Lipton, born Margaret Anne Lipton on August 30th 1946 and died May 11th 2019, aged 72. She was an American Actress, Singer and Model, well known for her role as flower child Julie Barnes in the counterculture popular TV series 'The Mod Squad' which ran from 1968 through until 1973 and for which she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 1970. At 15, Lipton became a Ford Agency Model and enjoyed a successful early career. She made her television debut at age 19 in the NBC sitcom 'The John Forsythe Show' and during the latter half of the '60's, she appeared in episodes of 'Bewitched', 'The Virginian', 'The Invaders', 'The Road West', 'The F.B.I.' and 'The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'. After this, perhaps her most famed role was as Norma Jennings in cult classic 'Twin Peaks' in 1990 - a role she would reprise in 2017 with film roles in between time including 'Purple People Eater' in 1988, 'Twin Peaks : Fire Walk With Me' in in 1992, 'The Postman' in 1997, 'The Intern' in 2000, 'When in Rome' in 2010, and 'A Dog's Purpose' in 2017. Lipton was married to famed Singer/Songwriter Quincy Jones from 1974 until 1990 with whom she had two daughters - both Actresses, Kidada and Rashida Jones.

* Doris Day, born Doris Mary Kappelhoff on April 3rd 1922, died May 13th 2019, aged 97. She was an American Actress, Singer and animal welfare activist, who began her career as a Big Band singer in the late '30's and from 1947 through until 1967 she recorded over 650 songs. Her film career began during the latter part of the Golden Age of Hollywood with the 1948 film 'Romance on the High Seas' which in turn led to a twenty year career as a film Actress spanning 43 film and television credits. This was followed up in 1949 with 'It's a Great Feeling' with an ensemble cast and she subsequently starred in films of many genres, including musicals, comedies, thrillers and dramas. She played the title role in 'Calamity Jane' in 1953 and starred in Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' in 1956 with James Stewart. Her best-known films are those in which she co-starred with Rock Hudson, chief among them 1959's 'Pillow Talk', for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, plus 1961's 'Lover Come Back' and 1964's 'Send Me No Flowers'. She also worked with James Garner on both of 1963's 'Move Over, Darling' and 'The Thrill of It All', and also starred with the likes of Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas, James Cagney, David Niven, Jack Lemmon, Frank Sinatra, Rod Taylor, Richard Widmark, Ronald Reagan and Lauren Bacall. After ending her film career in 1968, only briefly removed from the height of her popularity, she starred in her own sitcom 'The Doris Day Show' which ran from 1968–1973. Day became one of the biggest movie stars in the early '60's, and as of 2012 was one of only eight performers to have been the top Box Office earner in the USA four times over. In 2011 she released her 29th studio recorded album, and amongst her award wins (of which there were 25 in total plus another 23 nominations for her TV and film work alone) was the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in motion pictures. In 2004 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was an avid animal lover and in 1971 she co-founded 'Actors and Others for Animals', in 1978 'The Doris Day Pet Foundation' (now renamed to 'The Doris Day Animal Foundation'), in 1987 'The Doris Day Animal League' (which in 2006 merged with 'The Humane Society of the United States'), in 1995 she originated the 'Spay Day USA' and in 2011 'The Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Centre' received a grant of US$250K from Doris Day although she had no direct involvement therein.

* Carmine Caridi, born January 23rd 1934, and died May 28th 2019, aged 85. Caridi was an American film and television Actor with 104 acting credits to his name spanning five decades. His film career started in 1971 on 'The Anderson Tapes' and subsequently such fare as 'The Gambler' and 'The Godfather Part II' in 1974, 'Car Wash' in 1976, 'Brewster's Millions' in 1985, 'The Money Pit' in 1986, 'The Godfather Part III' and 'Havana' in 1990, 'Bugsy' in 1991, 'Ruby' in 1992 and he continued working right up until this year largely on short films, made for TV movies and television series including over the years 'Fame', 'NYPD Blue' and most recently on a single episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'.  Also of some notoriety, in January 2004, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it had identified a copy of the film 'Something's Gotta Give', that had been circulated illegally on the Internet, as carrying markings identifying it as having been sourced from a video (a 'screener') sent to Caridi in his role as an Oscar voter. Likewise unauthorised copies of 'Mystic River', 'Big Fish', 'The Last Samurai', and 'Master and Commander : The Far Side of the World' were also allegedly traced back to Caridi. The FBI subsequently began an investigation into the affair. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced in early February 2004 that it was expelling Caridi for violating his agreement to safeguard their screeners, making him the first Academy member to be expelled. He was subsequently cleared of any wrong doing.

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

'X-MEN : DARK PHOENIX' (Rated M) - yet another Superhero adaptation to grace our screens this year after the likes already of 'Shazam', 'Captain Marvel' and 'Avengers : Endgame', comes this twelfth installment in the Marvel Comics 'X-Men' film series, a direct sequel to 2016's 'X-Men: Apocalypse' and the seventh and final installment in the main 'X-Men' series. This time Directed in his debut by Simon Kinberg who also Co-Produces and wrote the Screenplay based on  Stan Lee's and Jack Kirby's original comic saga, this film cost US$200M to bring to the big screen. That said, the saga so far has amassed from the first eleven films in the franchise, a total global Box Office haul of US$5.8B off the back of combined production budgets of US$1.5B, making this franchise the seventh most commercially successful of all time. This film is released in the US this week too.

Starring an ensemble cast of our much loved X-Men mutant Superheroes and set some ten years after the events of 'X-Men : Apocalypse' in 1992, this is the story of one of the X-Men’s most beloved characters, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), as she transforms into the iconic Dark Phoenix. With the X-Men hailed as national heroes undertaking increasingly dangerous and risky missions, during a life-threatening rescue attempt in space, Jean is hit by a solar flare that transforms her into one of the most powerful mutants of all. Wrestling with this increasingly unstable power as well as her own personal demons, Jean spirals out of control, tearing the X-Men family apart and threatening to destroy the very fabric of our planet. Also starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jessica Chastain and Evan Peters.

'RED JOAN' (Rated M) - here we have a British spy drama film Directed by frequent theatre and occasional film Director Trevor Nunn based on the novel of the same name by Jennie Rooney which in turn gained its inspiration from the real life exploits of Melita Norwood, who worked at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association from 1937 as a secretary and supplied the Soviet Union's KGB with nuclear secrets for the following thirty years or so. In this adaptation, Sophie Cookson is the young Joan Stanley studying physics at Cambridge University. She became entangled with Communists and radical politics through her friend Sonya (Tereza Srbova) and Leo (Tom Hughes), a German Jew. Her story, which reaches as far back as the late '30's, is recalled in flashbacks as Joan in retirement age (played by Judi Dench) living the quiet life in the suburbs is placed under arrest and questioned by the Special Branch, which reveals that Joan was more concerned about 'leveling the playing field' in the post-WWII world rather than promoting Communism. The film received its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, went on release in the UK in mid-April, has so far taken US$7M at the Box Office and has garnered generally average Reviews.

'AFTER' (Rated M) - this American romantic drama offering is Directed by Jenny Gage and based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Anna Todd, that has subsequently spawned a series of novels. Here Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) is a dedicated student, dutiful daughter and loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart Noah (Dylan Arnold). Entering her first semester of college, Tessa's guarded world opens up when she meets Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin), a mysterious and brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself, and what she really wants out of life. Also starring Selma Blair, Jennifer Beals and Peter Gallagher, the film was released Stateside in mid-April, was made for US$14M, has so far grossed US$67M, has received generally negative Press to date, and a sequel is already in the works.

'VITA & VIRGINIA' (Rated M) - here we have a British biographical romantic drama film Directed by Chanya Button and based on the 1992 play of the same name Written by Eileen Atkins who also Co-Wrote the Screenplay for this big screen adaptation. Set in the swinging 1920's the story here surrounds socialite Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) and literary icon Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki) who both run in different circles in the London of that era. When the two cross paths, the magnetic Vita decides the beguiling, stubborn and gifted Virginia will be her next conquest, no matter at what expense. Vita and Virginia forge an unconventional affair, set against the backdrop of their own strikingly contemporary marriages; an affair that inspires one of Virginia’s most iconic novels, 'Orlando'. The film saw its Worldwide Premier screening at TIFF last September, gets a limited release here in Australia this week, and not until early July in the UK and late August in the US. The film also stars Isabella Rossellini.

With four new release movies 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 in the week ahead, at your local Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-