What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 26th January 2017.

Continuing with the Awards Season updates, the 43rd Annual People's Choice Awards were held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on 18th January 2017, recognising the people and their work in popular culture as voted by the general public. In the film category (there are also music, television and digital categories amounting to a total 65 awards handed out on the night) there are sixteen awards given as highlighted below. The ceremony was hosted by Actor, Comedian, Writer, Producer and Television Personality Joel McHale.

* Favourite Movie and Favourite Family Movie : 'FINDING DORY'
* Favourite Thriller Movie : 'THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN'
* Favourite Drama Movie : 'ME BEFORE YOU'
* Favourite Action Movie : 'DEADPOOL'
* Favourite Comedy Movie : 'BAD MOMS'
* Favourite Movie Actor : Ryan Reynolds
* Favourite Movie Actress : Jennifer Lawrence
* Favourite Action Movie Actor : Robert Downey Jnr.
* Favourite Action Movie Actress : Margot Robbie
* Favourite Dramatic Movie Actor : Tom Hanks
* Favourite Dramatic Movie Actress : Blake Lively
* Favourite Comedy Movie Actor : Kevin Hart
* Favourite Comedy Movie Actress : Melissa McCarthy
* Favourite Animated Movie Voice : Ellen DeGeneres for 'FINDING DORY'
* Favourite Movie Icon : Johnny Depp

This week there are four new offerings coming to your local multiplex or independent theatre. We start off with a prohibition era gangster film charting one mans rise to the top of the heap as seen through the lens of this Actor who also Writes and Directs in this his fourth feature behind the camera. We then move to a hugely acclaimed coming of age drama charting the life of one lad from young boyhood to manhood and his sexual awakenings and the drug scene that makes him what he is. Next up is an intense psychological thriller of multiple split personalities and the kidnapping of three girls as Directed by the master of suspense and surprises, and a career defining performance from the lead Actor, before wrapping up with the sixth instalment in a huge video game adapted film franchise that features the undead, mutant monsters and an evil corporation hell bent on wiping out civilisation as we know it.

As always you are cordially invited to share your movie going insights, observations and opinions with your like minded Cinephiles here at Odeon Online by leaving your relevant, constructive and pertinent Comment below this or any other Post. Meanwhile, enjoy your film in the week ahead.

'LIVE BY NIGHT' (Rated MA15+) - acclaimed Actor, Producer, Screenwriter and Director Ben Affleck is back with his fourth Directorial offering after 2007's 'Gone Baby Gone', 2010's 'The Town' and 2012's 'Argo', but with this 1920's era gangster offering based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane he has so far garnered his most lacklustre Director reviews. With Affleck Directing and starring as well taking the script credit and a Co-Producer credit alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, featuring a strong cast and a budget of US$65M the film has grossed just US$16M since its US release at Christmas. Perhaps timing is everything given the time of the year the film is released, what it is up against at the Box Office and the awards seasons focusing attention on more critically acclaimed fare. All that said, there are positives to be had, including strong visuals, an impressive cast and an entertainment factor - just not in the same league as Affleck's other three award winning feature films.

Set in Prohibition era Boston initially where Joe Coughlin (Ben Affleck) has been raised by his father Thomas Coughlin (Brendan Gleeson) the head of the Boston Police Department. When Joe falls in love with Emma Gould (Sienna Miller), the mistress of Albert White (Robert Glenister) who is the figurehead of the Irish Gang of Boston, the rival Italian Mafia Boss blackmails Joe to kill White. When he refuses he flees to California with Emma and along the way commits a daring bank robbery in which three policemen are killed. When Joe is imprisoned on a lesser charge he falls into the clutches of the Mafia Boss and is sent to Tampa, Florida to protect the interests of his rum production empire. Joe himself starts to rise to (underworld) prominence by investing in clubs and casino's but is targeted by the Ku Klux Klan starting an all out war for dominance, but where and how will it all end? Also starring Chris Cooper, Elle Fanning and Zoe Saldana.

'MOONLIGHT' (Rated M) - Written for the screen and Directed by Barry Jenkins based on the play 'In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue' by Tarell Alvin McCraney, this film has gained universal acclaim since its release Stateside in October last year, has made US$16M from its US$5M budget outlay and has garnered an impressive 140 award wins and another 222 nominations including The Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture plus five other nominations, four BAFTA nominations with winners yet to be announced and the yet to be released Academy Award hopefuls. Telling the coming of age story in three distinct chapters, we here chart the life of young Chiron (Alex Hibbert) known as 'Little' because of his meek and mild personality and stature. He lives with his abusive drug addicted mother Paula (Naomi Harris) in Miami whom he hates. In the second chapter Chiron is now a teenager played by Ashton Sanders. Here Chiron has his first sexual encounter, and gets arrested as a result of being the victim of an initiation ritual. In the final chapter Chiron now known as 'Black' (played by Trevante Rhodes) is a drug dealer in Atlanta. Grappling with himself across three defining segments in his life, this films charts the pain and torment of growing up, the pleasure and beauty of love and the consequences of your actions on your own life and those around you. Disturbing, heartbreaking, personal, tender and insightful this is a grounded drama that should be on your must see list.

'SPLIT' (Rated M) - Written, Co-Produced and Directed by M. Night Shyamalan this is described as a psychological horror film, but for me it's fits more in the thriller domain and certainly is edge of the seat stuff as the story progresses. The film costs US$10M to make and represents a return to form for the Writer/Director following 2015's successful found footage horror offering 'The Visit' which cost just US$5M and returned US$99M and was well received by Critics. The film kicks off in a fast food restaurant where a bunch of teenage girls are wrapping up celebrating a birthday party. Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) are wanting to go home with Dad who refuses to leave outsider Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) alone without a lift home. A few moments pass, and in the car park and into the drivers seat gets a stranger that none of the girls have seen before. Before you know it he sprays a chemical into each of the girls faces that instantly renders them unconscious. Dad is nowhere to be seen. The unknown captor drives off with the three girls. The character at the heart of the film is Kevin Wendell Crumb suffering from dissociative identity disorder whereby he frequently exhibits the personality traits of any one of 23 alternate personalities (all of them played out expertly by James McAvoy). As these characters manifest themselves they can be dangerous, monstrous, creepy, funny, harmless, young, old, male, female. What unfolds as these alternate personalities spring forth is the emergence of an all powerful, dominant, almost superhuman 24th personality known only as 'The Beast' which Kevin's analyst, Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley), can only begin to understand, and whilst the three held captive girls attempt to escape their captor. I caught an early viewing of this film a week before its Australian release, so check out my full Review posted on 20th January if you want more.

'RESIDENT EVIL : THE FINAL CHAPTER' (Rated MA15+) - this film sees the sixth instalment in the Sci-Fi action horror series that began its big screen life back in 2002 having been adapted for the screen from the popular video game of the same name. Back then Paul W.S. Anderson was hired to Write and Direct - a role he stuck with four of the films including the last three as Director, as Writer on all six and as Co-Producer on all six too. Milla Jovovich has played Alice, the #1 kick-ass leather clad protagonist in all six films fighting against the Umbrella Corporation, the main antagonist in the series - a bioengineering pharmaceutical company that creates bioweapons. Umbrella was responsible for the zombie apocalypse, which occurred after the corporation's T-virus infected the Earth's population. The first five films cost a combined US$250M to make, and so far those films have returned US$916M with 'The Final Chapter' earning so far US$35M since its release in Japan at Christmas. The film is released in the US on 27th January. Here the story takes place three weeks after the events closed out 'Resident Evil : Retribution' that sees Alice return to Raccoon City where it all began and where Umbrella Corporation are gathering forces and readying themselves for the final attack on the remaining survivors of the apocalypse. As Alice joins forces with some old allies and friends you can bet it will be a bloody brutal battle against marauding hordes of the undead and pesky mutant monster types. The films also stars Ruby Rose, Iain Glen, Ali Larter and Shawn Roberts.

For films aimed squarely at the late-teen market and above this week, but offering the undead, unhinged split personalities, prohibition gangsters, and one mans coming of age story with the back drop of the War on Drugs. What's not to like here? Get yourself out to a movie theatre in the week ahead and catch a film of choice as Previewed here, or as Reviewed previously. In the meantime, I'll see you in the coming week sometime, somewhere at the Odeon.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

SPLIT : Wednesday 18th January 2017.

I was lucky enough to catch an advance screening earlier this week of M.Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller, 'SPLIT' one week ahead of its Australian release on Thursday 26th January. Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Shyamalan this is described as a psychological horror film, but for me it's fits more in the thriller domain and certainly is edge of the seat stuff as the story progresses. The film costs US$10M to make and represents a return to form for the Writer/Director following 2015's successful found footage horror offering 'The Visit' which cost just US$5M and returned US$99M and was well received by Critics. In between time however, we had to endure 'After Earth' in 2013, 'The Last Airbender' in 2010, 'The Happening' in 2008, and 'Lady in the Water' in 2006. Before these of course we had his breakout films which were more highly regarded than his latter day offerings - 'The Sixth Sense' in 1999, 'Unbreakable' in 2000, 'Signs' in 2002 and 'The Village' in 2004. In 'Split' Shyamalan harks back to his early work with suspense, thrills, dark humour, gripping performances from his lead Actors and his trademark surprises that will keep you guessing as the credits roll.

The film kicks off in a fast food restaurant where a bunch of teenage girls are wrapping up celebrating a birthday party. Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) are wanting to go home with Dad who refuses to leave outsider Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) alone without a lift home. He offers to drive her home as its only a short distance out of his way, and so in the car park he is loading up his boot in broad daylight and the three girls climb inside the car. A few moments pass, and into the drivers seat gets a stranger that none of them have seen before. Before you know it he sprays a chemical into each of the girls faces that instantly renders them unconscious. Dad is nowhere to be seen. The unknown captor drives off with the three girls.

Later we see the girls captor carrying them into a room that is to become their prison cell. It is bare brick, three made up camp beds, and a gleaming white en suite bathroom. There are no windows and a single heavily bolted wooden door. Through a crack in the door they can see that there is an adjacent room with just one entry door and they can hear a voice on the other side. The door unlocks and in walks Dennis (James McAvoy) - a well built stocky man, obviously strong, a little nervous, but with a commanding presence. He establishes some ground rules, and leaves. The girls meanwhile contemplate their fate - as Claire seeks out a plan to break out of her prison confines using the teenage karate lessons learned by Marcia to overcome their captor. Casey meanwhile seems content to wait and see what unwinds - to watch and observe until the time is right to take decisive action.

Meanwhile various characters come and go - all of them played out by James McAvoy who at heart is Kevin Wendell Crumb suffering from dissociative identity disorder whereby he frequently exhibits the personality traits of any one of 23 alternate personalities. As these characters manifest themselves they can be dangerous, monstrous, creepy, funny, harmless, young, old, male, female.

Whilst we don't see Kevin until close to the end when his state of mind is explained, we do meet a well to do English matriarch with sinister overtones (Patricia), a nine year old simpleton lad who likes dancing to Kanye West (Hedwig), an OCD caretaker who is fastidious about cleanliness and hygiene (Dennis), and a gay fashion designer (Barry). All of these personalities are played out expertly by McAvoy using items of clothing as his only props to suit the personality he is portraying whilst his facial expressions, mannerisms and voice convey the mood and tone of the character he is inhibiting.

Meanwhile, Claire hatches a plan to escape through the roof of their prison cell and does so by means of ventilation ducting just wide enough for her to scale through. She exits in a nearby room and is promptly recaptured, and for her troubles is locked up in a storeroom all alone, feeling desperately sorry for herself and fearing the worst. Then Marcia has a go when she and Casey are invited to the kitchen for dinner. She slams a wooden chair into the turned back of one of Kevin's female alternates and makes a bolt for it, only to be recaptured in a dead end room from which there is no exit. She too is banished to another empty storeroom to contemplate her fate.

While all of this is going on Kevin's more sinister personalities are increasingly requesting daily emergency sessions with his analyst Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley) who has been treating Kevin for a number of years and has met just about all of his personalities. She specialises in the field of DID and has been chipping away to gain a full understanding of what makes each of his 23 personalities tick. It is here that we are introduced to the possibility of a 24th personality emerging - known as 'The Beast', that will dominate over the other 23, with his physical and mental strength. No one has yet seen The Beast in manifested form, but the other personalities know that he is coming, and when he does . . .

In micro-flashbacks too we catch short little bursts of what made Casey the young woman she is today. On hunting trips aged five or six when Casey (Izzie Coffey) first learned to shoot a shotgun and kill a deer under the tutelage of her father and Uncle, through to her fathers premature death and her being raised by her abusive Uncle. These life lessons as young as she is, have taught her to be patient, to give nothing away, and to play along with her captor gaining what little confidence and trust she can along the away. And in the end, it pays off as she emerges the heroine of the piece while her two friends succumb.

Dr. Fletcher becomes increasingly alarmed by Kevin's demands for sessions on a now daily basis by sending multiple e-mails at all hours of the day and night. She keeps digging away at times uncertain of which character she is addressing, but always placating the personality with kind words, generous compliments, and her own engaging character. All the while the tension mounts between them, only adding to the suspicion between the two parties.

Eventually 'The Beast' manifests itself and it is everything and more that Kevin and his various personalities had imagined. Domineering, powerful, almost superhuman, and definitely to be feared. In the final analysis there are some gruesome casualties along the way, but Casey survives with the help of a shotgun and some carefully aimed shots from the relatively safe confines of a locked cage. Whilst she survives, so does The Beast who we see treating his own wounds in some derelict home having escaped his own underground lair. He morphs from one personality to another having conversations with himself about the state of his shot up body, and what to do next.

As Casey is rescued we see the exact location above ground where Kevin housed his deep underground quarters in which he lived, held his prisoners captive and how he was able to move about relatively easily. There is a metaphor here for the behaviours exhibited by some of Kevin's personalities too. In a final scene where breaking news reveals the ordeal that Casey went through and the casualties of that experience, we cut to a diner and the dialogue between two patrons harks back to an earlier film where the antagonist is committed to an institution for the criminally insane, drawing comparisons between that character and the one of Kevin Wendell Crumb.

McAvoy carries this film with his seamless portrayal of a myriad of dangerous, unhinged, twisted personalities easily showcasing his awards worthy talents. Here too the storytelling and Direction of Shyamalan marks his welcome comeback with an original and compelling story, and those trademarks we have come to expect from his earlier works especially. See this on the big screen for the larger than life opening credits sequence, and the expert personalities adopted by each of McAvoy's alternate persona's - this film belongs to him, and he clearly relished the multiple characters the role presented him with.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-