Six films worth catching at Ottawa's indie cinemas this July
From Ryan Gosling's space odyssey to a Vivaldi period drama, Ottawa's independent theatres are screening new releases and restored classics through mid-July.
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Ottawa's independent cinemas are programming a strong slate of new films and restored classics through mid-July, mixing blockbuster sci-fi with intimate dramas and documentaries.
Project Hail Mary, continuing at the Mayfair, follows a science teacher named Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) who is recruited—shanghaied, really—into piloting a spaceship 11.9 lightyears away to a star that remains uninfected by something killing all other stars, including Earth's Sun. Grace must use his scientific knowledge and unorthodox problem-solving to save his home solar system. He discovers he's not alone on the mission.
At the ByTowne, The Invite is a new dramedy starring Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen as a married couple whose relationship is crumbling. They invite their upstairs neighbours, Piña and Hawk (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton), for a dinner party. Joe is unhappy about seeing them, especially after witnessing their frequent and loud intimate moments. The Wrap wrote that the film "cured" audiences at its Sundance premiere, and it holds a Metacritic score of 80.
Vivaldi et Moi (originally titled Primavera), also at the ByTowne, is a historical drama about Cecilia, one of the orphans taught music at the Ospedale della Pietà in Venice. The girls and young women gave famous public choral and orchestral performances for the nobility. Vivaldi was one of their teachers and composed some of his most celebrated works for them. Cecilia is a brilliantly gifted violinist who becomes totally enamoured of music under Vivaldi's tutelage but chafes at her preordained role as the wife of a military officer.
Exhibition on Screen: Frida Kahlo, at the ByTowne, explores one of the 20th century's most renowned and unusual painters. Kahlo defied tradition as both a Mexican woman and a disabled person to create unique art that compares with Diego Rivera and Salvador Dali. The documentary offers access to her home, studio, and scenes from this year's blockbuster exhibit of her work.
From the film vault, Akira Kurosawa's 1956 masterpiece Seven Samurai screens at the ByTowne as a new 4K restoration—free as part of the Japanese Embassy's Japanese Film Week. The story follows desperate villagers who hire seven ronin to protect them from invading bandits. The Guardian raved about the film's "glorious vigour and strength...presented with such theatrical relish and flair." It holds a rare Metacritic rating of 98.
