King’s Film Society Presentation
Following their culinary outings to England’s Lake District in The Trip and down the Italian coast in The Trip to Italy, Steve Coogan (Philomena) and Rob Brydon (Tristram Shandy) team up once more to indulge in Iberian epicurean delights, trade barbs, and compete to perfect the ultimate Michael Caine impression, in Michael Winterbottom’s much-anticipated The Trip to Spain.
After the success of Coogan’s travelogue and reviews of English and Italian restaurants, The New York Times commissions a new piece; this time, he is sent to Spain with the ever-reliable Brydon in tow. Soaking in the culinary riches of the Basque region, which boasts several of the best reviewed restaurants in the world, and moving through the country to the Mediterranean coast, Coogan and Brydon devour envy-inspiring meals, while reviving their iconic and devastatingly funny impressions of Michael Caine, Al Pacino, and Roger Moore (with a new and accomplished Mick Jagger joining the roster).
Between the meals, jokes, and meandering drives throughout the Spanish countryside, cracks begin to show in Coogan and Brydon’s optimistic veneer. Despite their insistence that they are at “the sweet spot” of their lives, the pair spends substantial amounts of time reminiscing about their younger selves and earlier films (Philomena is mentioned repeatedly), while negotiating the difficult task of coming to terms with their older selves, and more settled family lives. Still crackling with the improvisational energy and vibrancy of the first two installments, The Trip to Spain provides a reliable mix of breathtaking vistas, indulgent meals, and Coogan and Brydon’s hilarious odd-couple comedy.
Directed by Michael Winterbottom
Featuring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Rebecca Johnson, Claire Keelan
UK
Rated 14A
1h 47m
“Director Michael Winterbottom hasn’t just delivered the funniest movie of the year, but also a comedy that casts its characters in a harsh new light.” – Indiewire
“For fans of the series, The Trip to Spain gives one a wholehearted meal of all they could possibly desire.”
–The Film Stage
“… brilliant, hilarious, the funniest thing since The Trip to Italy.”
–The Guardian)
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
King’s Film Society Presentation
A fascinating and lively look at the inner-workings of the team responsible for The New York Times’ obituary section, Obit chronicles the ways in which life, death, and the written word intersect to create personal and public legacies that resonate long after our time is up.
Director Vanessa Gould presents the obit department as an entertaining and eccentric crew of writers and editors are charged with the daunting daily task of chronicling the life and legacy of complete strangers. With a primary focus on the details of life rather than death, the writers also wryly acknowledge that their profession doesn’t exactly make them popular at cocktail parties. However, as new assignments fall onto their desks, each writer carefully delves into the histories of politicians, celebrities, inventors, authors, and adventurers, gently detangling the complex minutiae of a lifetime of familial myths, newsworthy accomplishments, and amusing anecdotes.
Obit quietly meditates on a seemingly morbid subject that, more often than not, provides surprisingly life-affirming moments of humour, nostalgia, and humanity. Whether compiling the obituaries for public figures like Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, or telling the life story of the man responsible for Kennedy’s masterful televised debate against Nixon, the writers approach each assignment with equal parts gravitas and curiosity.
A look into the archives of “advance obits,”or obituaries that are prepared and continually edited for still-alive famous figures, may seem like a gloomy fact of the business, but it is also a testament to the department’s dedication to presenting accurate and timely historical records of personal legacies. Engaging, lively, and warmly funny, Obit proves to be an unexpectedly vibrant celebration of life.
Directed by Vanessa Gould
With: Bruce Weber, William McDonald, Margalit Fox
Documentary USA 1h 30m
“At The New York Times, the obituary beat is no career dead-end. Editor William McDonald gets to weigh the desires of writers like Bruce Weber and Paul Vitello, who seem often to fall in love with these people they’ll never meet. Those writers make for fun company here, however much they claim people avoid them at cocktail parties.”
– The Hollywood Reporter
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
King’s Film Society Presentation
Winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at the Cannes Film Festival
Directed by Juho Kuosmanen
Finland/Germany/Sweden 2016
1h 31m
This lovely film from Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen is a gentle, shrewd, somehow mysterious love story, based on real life, beautifully photographed in luminous black-and-white and drawing inspiration from Scorsese and Truffaut. It is inspired by the Finnish boxer Olli Mäki, who electrified Finland’s boxing fans in 1962 by getting a shot at the world featherweight title, fighting on home turf against visiting American star Davey Moore.
Jarkko Lahti plays the intense, wiry Olli, who finds that as the big fight approaches, he has fallen in love with a beautiful schoolteacher, Raija (Oona Airola) – to the horror of his tightly wound trainer and manager, Elis, played by Eero Milonoff. Elis’s own marriage appears to be crumbling, and he is aghast, for complex reasons, at the distractions of love, which might mess with Olli’s focus. Inside of the ring, it’s Finland vs. the USA, but outside, boxing and romance become unlikely adversaries vying for Olli’s attention.
“A lyrical sense of bittersweet acceptance permeates freshman director Juho Kuosmanen’s marvelous sports biopic from its very first, perfectly composed frame.” – Variety
“Kuosmanen’s impeccable, buoyant first feature upends all the conventions of the fight film genre.” – NOW Toronto
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
King’s Film Society Presentation
After years of critical success as an actor, Andy Serkis makes his directorial debut with Breathe, the inspiring biopic portrait of Robin Cavendish. After being diagnosed with polio at age 28, Cavendish served as a global advocate for people living with disabilities and assisted in the development of medical technologies that transformed the lives of paralyzed individuals everywhere.
Andrew Garfield stars as Cavendish alongside Claire Foy (The Lady in the Van, Rosewater) as devoted wife Diana Blacker in this heartwarming chronicle of a couple determined to break barriers for families facing physical challenges. Completely paralyzed from the neck down, Cavendish was put on a medical respirator but refused to be confined by his hospital bed. Against his doctors’ advice, he and Diana bravely set off on a worldwide quest with their son, Jonathan (Dean-Charles Chapman), to share their story. Not only was Cavendish a miracle of science for being one of the longest living polio survivors, but he was also a pioneer in the medical community for his innovating efforts to enhance mobility for the physically impaired. With the help of his friend, professor, and inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville, TV’s Downton Abbey), Cavendish used himself as a guinea pig to test the first wheelchair with a built-in respirator. While he and Diana faced unique pressures in their relationship, their unwavering strength and spirit lies at the heart of this story.
Directed by Andy Serkis
Starring Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Hugh Bonneville, and Dean-Charles Chapman
UK
Rated NR · 1h 57m
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
King’s Film Society Presentation
The world’s first fully oil painted feature, this film brings the paintings of Vincent van Gogh to life to tell his remarkable story.
On 27th July 1890 a gaunt figure stumbled down a drowsy high street at twilight in the small French country town of Auvers. The man was carrying nothing; his hands clasped to a fresh bullet wound leaking blood from his belly. This was Vincent van Gogh, then a little-known artist; now the most famous artist in the world. His tragic death has long been known, what has remained a mystery is how and why he came to be shot.
Every one of the 65,000 frames is an oil-painting hand-painted by 125 professional oil- painters who travelled from all across the world to the Loving Vincent studios in Poland and Greece to be a part of the production. As remarkable as Vincent’s brilliant paintings, is his passionate and ill-fated life, and mysterious death.
Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman
Starring Helen McCrory, Jerome Flynn, Saoirse Ronan
UK-Poland
Rated NR
Animation/Drama
BBC feature about the making of the film:
“An animated masterpiece! An absolutely stunning film that not only does justice to the art of Van Gogh but also to the art of movies. I have never seen anything on screen like it before. You will be amazed and lifted by this extraordinary film.” – Deadline
“This one-of-a-kind Vincent van Gogh biopic appropriates the artist’s vibrant impasto style, using animated oil paintings to examine the mystery of his last days.” –Variety
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
An Evening of Stand-Up Comedy and Improv
Led by beloved Canadian comic Elvira Kurt, Girls Nite Out has been wowing audiences for 10 years.
This all-female variety show features comedians with Second City roots, who will have you laughing in the aisle over their hysterical stand-up and improv performance.
Please be advised this performance contains occasional use of strong language and mature themes or subject matter. It is intended for mature audiences only.
THANK YOU TO OUR “WINTER AT KING’S” SPONSORS
JANSON LAW INC. 
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
General Ticket Price: $36
Member Advance Price: $32
Youth: $12
All prices include HST.
*Tickets purchased online will be held at the Box Office for pickup.*
Note: You can use your credit card without signing up for a PayPal account.
Online ticket sales for this event are closed.
King’s Film Society Presents:
Lady Bird
USA
1h 34min
Comedy/Drama
In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
Review from The New York Times: Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ Is Big-Screen Perfection
“You want to give thanks for how wonderful it is, how wise and funny and full of grace.” – Wall Street Journal
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
King’s Film Society Presents:
Lady Bird
USA
1h 34min
Comedy/Drama
In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird’s father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
Review from The New York Times: Greta Gerwig’s ‘Lady Bird’ Is Big-Screen Perfection
“You want to give thanks for how wonderful it is, how wise and funny and full of grace.” – Wall Street Journal
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.
Vincenzo Bellini’s
Norma
This opera is an extraordinary fusion of sublime melody, vocal challenge, and dramatic power. It examines an ageless and archetypal situation: a powerful woman compromises her ideals for love, only to find herself betrayed by her lover. But equally gripping is her relationship with the younger woman who is the new object of her former lover’s attention and in whom Norma sees both a rival and a second self. The title role demands dramatic vocal power combined with the agility and technique of a coloratura singer. It is a daunting challenge that few can rise to: those who have are part of operatic lore.Soprano Angela Meade and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton star in the Met’s new production of Norma, reprising their acclaimed 2013 portrayal of the title role and Adalgisa, respectively. Tenor Joseph Calleja is Pollione, Norma’s unfaithful lover, and Joseph Colaneri conducts. Sir David McVicar’s evocative production sets the action deep in a Druid forest where nature and ancient ritual rule.
The opera is set in Gaul (France) at the beginning of its occupation by the Roman Empire. Almost all of the characters are druids, members of the Gallic priesthood, the only exceptions being the tenors, both of whom are Romans. It is interesting that the Roman Empire, long depicted in European culture as a civilizing force, is here seen as corrupt and exploitative.
Norma is perhaps the archetypal bel canto opera, a style of singing that flourished in Italy in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Its principal features are beauty of tone, legato phrasing, and the delivery of florid ornamentation. The score of Norma is characterized by extraordinary melody punctuated by sharp moments of raw drama. The primary functions of the clear orchestral writing are to move the drama along with vigorous rhythm and to inform certain moments with feeling and emotion.
- Estimated Run Time 3 hrs 4 mins
Cast
- Conductor Carlo Rizzi
- Conductor Joseph Colaneri
- Norma Sondra Radvanovsky
- Norma Marina Rebeka
- Norma Angela Meade
- Adalgisa Joyce DiDonato
- Adalgisa Jamie Barton
- Pollione Joseph Calleja
- Oroveso Matthew Rose
- Oroveso Vazgen Gazaryan
Norma: Woman on Fire
Creators
Vincenzo Bellini (1801–1835) was a Sicilian composer whose greatest gift was his extraordinary understanding of the human voice. His meteoric career was cut short by his death at the age of 33, shortly after his opera I Puritani triumphed in its Parisian premiere. Felice Romani (1788–1865) was the official librettist of Milan’s Teatro alla Scala. A frequent collaborator of Bellini, he worked with the composer on six operas, and also wrote the libretti for Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore and Anna Bolena, among many other works.
- Production Sir David McVicar
- Set Designer Robert Jones
- Costume Designer Moritz Junge
- Lighting Designer Paule Constable
- Composer Vincenzo Bellini
TICKETS: $20 General/ $16 Members / $8 Youth
Prices include HST.
Online ticket sales for this event are closed.
King’s Film Society Presents
Call Me by Your Name
ITALY/FRANCE/BRAZIL, 2017
English, Italian, French, German w/ English
subtitles
130 minutes
Drama/Romance
In the summer of 1983, in the north of Italy, Elio Perlman, (Timothée Chalamet) a 17-year-old American spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa lazily transcribing music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). One day Oliver (Armie Hammer), a 24-year-old graduate student working on his doctorate arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture. Soon, Elio and Oliver discover a summer that will alter their lives forever. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by James Ivory, is based on the novel by André Aciman.
Review from The Guardian
The top 50 Films of 2017: No. 1 Call Me By Your Name
“Each element is carefully calibrated, but deployed with consummate grace—this is a film to rush to, and to then savor every minute of.”
The Atlantic
Tickets: $10 Adult, $9 with Film Buff Card, $8 Youth.
All prices include HST.
General admission seating.
Doors open 45 minutes before showtime.