River Valley Film Circuit brings four ‘must-see’ films to Woodstock
By Doug Dickinson
River Valley Film Circuit returns for a new season of acclaimed films to the region. Associated with the Toronto International Film Festival, the circuit kicks off the fall season on Sept. 20 with a screening of H is for Hawk. Later screenings include Tuner on Oct. 18; The Choral on Nov. 15; and Dancing on the Elephant on Dec. 13.
All screenings are at Atlantic Cinemas in Woodstock with a 4 p.m. start time. Tickets are dropping from $12 to $10.
H is for Hawk stars Claire Foy and Academy Award nominee Brendan Gleeson and has garnered an 82 per cent rating from critics on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The film follows a woman (Foy) who takes up falconry after a sudden loss. The film was nominated for Outstanding British Film of the Year by the BAFTAs, the British equivalent of the Oscars.
Tuner is a crime thriller and romance that stars Leo Woodall (The White Lotus) as a piano tuner with a hearing disability who gets caught up in crime while trying to aid his ailing uncle (Oscar-winner Dustin Hoffman). The film has a 94 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating.
Movie critic Leonard Maltin raved about the film’s quality, especially for a cinema audience.
“This is how all films were meant to be seen, especially ones that tell a gripping story in a way that feels fresh and original,” said Maltin.
Beloved actor Ralph Fiennes leads the cast in The Choral, playing a choral director who is forced to recruit teenagers during the First World War.
Boston Globe critic Odie Henderson praised the film in his 3-star review.
“The Brits do this kind of light and dark juggling act better than almost anybody, and the filmmakers and their cast deliver a movie that’s perfect for viewing on a lazy Sunday afternoon at the movie theater,” said Henderson.
The season will close out the year with Dancing on the Elephant, a comedy-drama starring Mary Walsh and Sheila McCarthy as nursing home buddies who try to break out.
That Shelf critic Emma Badame praised the film’s lead acting, characters and writing.
“The film is an ode to the fires that continue to burn inside us even as we age, and to the connections and friendships that sustain us through the good times and the bad,” said Badame. “It’s a cinematic slice of Canadian life worth seeking out.”
