Spinning Reels

Wednesday, February 14th, 2024 | Sponsored by Chestnut Park Realty ~ Baysville

In writer-director Celine Song’s debut film, Nora (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) —two deeply connected childhood friends—are pulled apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea to the United States. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful and emotionally wrought week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the sum of their choices.

Past Lives received several major award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 | Sponsored by Muskoka Audiology

Single mom Flora (Eve Hewson) is at a loss about what to do with her rebellious teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan). Encouraged by the police to find Max a hobby, Flora tries to occupy him with a beat-up acoustic guitar. With the help of a washed-up LA musician (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora and Max discover the transformative power of music. From the musical mind of John Carney, ‘Flora and Son’ explores the bond between a mother and son on a journey toward a new harmony.

An official selection of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Wednesday, January 1oth, 2024 | Sponsored by Dr. Stuart Robson, Dentist

This four time Golden Globe nominated film centers on the relationship between American composer Leonard Bernstein (Bradley Cooper) and his wife Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). Directed by Cooper from a screenplay he co-wrote, Maestro was also produced by him, along with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

“Maestro is a searing love story caught up in an imbalanced relationship; Lenny loves Felicia almost as much as he loves himself, but she refuses to play second fiddle. Cinematically daring, musically exhilarating, and with two knockout performances, this is one of the films of the year.” VIFF

Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 | Sponsored by Connor Ryan of RBC Wealth Management

For the past year, Sandra (Sandra Hüller), a German writer, her French husband Samuel (Samuel Theis), and their eleven-year-old son Daniel (Milo Machado Graner) have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he committed suicide or was killed. Sandra is indicted, and we follow her trial which pulls the couple’s conflicted relationship apart. Daniel, who is partially sighted, is caught in the middle between the trial and their home life and his doubts take their toll on the mother-son relationship.

Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival

Wednesday, November 8th, 2023 | Sponsored by Muskoka Natural Food Market

Liam (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring and ambitious young writer, eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author J.M. Sinclair (Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant). But soon, Liam realizes that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment, and retribution. Sinclair, his wife Hélène (Academy Award nominee Julie Delpy), and their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan) all guard a dark past, one that threatens Liam’s future as well as their own. As the lines between master and protégé blur, class, ambition, and betrayal become a dangerous combination in this taut noir thriller.

Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 | Sponsored by Dr. Howard Owens, ND

Jules follows Milton (Ben Kingsley) who lives a quiet life of routine in a small western Pennsylvania town, but finds his day upended when a UFO and its extra-terrestrial passenger crash land in his backyard. Before long, Milton develops a close relationship with the extra-terrestrial he calls “Jules.” Things become complicated when two neighbours discover Jules and the government quickly closes in. What follows is a funny, wildly inventive ride as the three neighbours find meaning and connection later in life — thanks to this unlikely stranger.

Wednesday, October 11th, 2023 | Sponsored by Judy Watson, movie lover

This American comedy-drama is written, directed and produced by acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener. It’s about a writer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who, completely by accident, overhears her husband (Tobias Menzies) confiding to his brother-in-law that he does not like her new book. He’s been assuring her that it’s great for so long that now he thinks it’s too late for him to say that he doesn’t really get it. A film about trust, lies, and the things we say to the people we love most.

Wednesday, September 27th | Sponsored by Shamrock Lodge

DALÍLAND stars Sir Ben Kingsley as the titular Salvador Dalí, one of the most world-renowned artists of the 20th century and focuses on the later years of the strange and fascinating marriage between Dalí and his wife, as their seemingly unshakable bond begins to stress and fracture. Set in New York and Spain in 1974, the film is told through the eyes of James, a young assistant keen to make his name in the art world, who helps the eccentric and mercurial Dalí prepare for a big gallery show.

Wednesday, September 13th | Sponsored by Claudette Wheeler – in honour of Ted and Eleanor Phillips, the original founders of Spinning Reels

Click on the image to view the Official Trailer

Set in 1967, THE MIRACLE CLUB is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin. They have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives for her mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a skeptical traveler, joining in place of her mother. The glamor and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only distancing traits: Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle.

Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 | Sponsored by The Norwood Theatre

Madeleine, 92 years old, calls a taxi to take her to the retirement home where she will be living. Charles, a disillusioned driver with a tender heart, agrees to drive by the places that affected Madeleine’s life. Through the streets of Paris, her extraordinary past is revealed. They don’t know it yet, but they will forge a friendship during this drive that will change their lives forever.