Vancouver Island has alot to offer our residents and visitors when it comes to outdoor festivals, foodie events and even a nature walk or two. But for people like me who enjoy a good film over a good hike, I look to our local movie houses. With the Langford Caprice suffering an early death thanks to progress, I lean on the four remaining indie theatres in my area. Although the Roxy may have converted to live theatre, as Blue Bridge at the Roxy, they still show movies from time to time.

Please check media for local showtimes, ratings and admission rates.

Cinecenta

Cinecenta is located in the thriving community of the University of Victoria (UVic) campus in Saanich. The theatre offers more than a reasonable rate for general admission while giving discounted rates for UVic students, faculty, staff and alumi. Discounted rates are also available to seniors and children 12 and under. Matinees are $4.75 for all seats.

The Railway Man
UK/Australia – 108 mins
Director: Jonathan Teplitzky
Writer(s): Frank Cottrell Boyce & Andy Paterson
Book: Eric Lomax
Cast: Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård, Jeremy Irivine.

Railway Man begins with bumbling Colin Firth, bemused Nicole Kidman and a romance on a train. But there’s great pain ahead, deeply buried truths, and ultimately an attempt at redemption and reconciliation. Firth and Kidman are both up for the challenge, complementing the compelling story with measured and memorable performances. Australian director Jonathan Teplitzky’s mystery/drama focuses heavily on the torture and recovery themes in Eric Lomax’s 1995 autobiographical novel.

Eric (Firth) is a retired World War II veteran in the early 1980s, and he has a savant-like knowledge of English railways. He meets Patti (Kidman), a former nurse who is adrift as well. They instantly have an intellectual connection, and the whirlwind affair doesn’t leave time for Patti to fully understand Eric’s demons. As his post-traumatic breakdowns get worse, she pushes him to confront his past.

Sidney’s Star Cinema

Sidney’s Star Cinema is located in the heart of Sidney-by-the-Sea. Equipped with 2 digital projectors and recently outfitted with new comfortable seating, general admission is cheap at $9. Discounts are available to students, seniors and children 3 to 13 years with a low $6 admission for everyone on cheap Tuesdays.

Chef
USA – 114 mins
Director: Jon Favreau
Writer(s): Jon Favreau
Cast: Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt and Bobby Cannavale

A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise, while piecing back together his estranged family.

Fading Gigolo
USA – 90 mins
Director: John Turturro
Writer(s): John Turturro
Cast: John Turturro, Woody Allen, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, Sharon Stone, and Sofía Vergara

Fioravante decides to become a professional Don Juan as a way of making money to help his cash-strapped friend, Murray. With Murray acting as his “manager”, the duo quickly finds themselves caught up in the crosscurrents of love and money.

The Grand Seduction
Canada – 113 mins

Director: Don McKellar
Writer(s): Michael Dowse and Ken Scott/i>
Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Brendan Gleeson, Liane Balaban, Gordon Pinsent, Mark Critch, Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones

The small harbor of Tickle Cove is in dire need of a doctor so that the town can land a contract to secure a factory which will save the town from financial ruin. Village resident Murray French (Gleeson) leads the search, and when he finds Dr. Paul Lewis (Kitsch) he employs – along with the whole town – tactics to seduce the doctor to stay permanently.

A remake of the original film La grande séduction, written by Ken Scott.

The Vic Theatre

Located across from the historical Empress Hotel and a short walk from Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour, The Vic Theatre has been entertaining movie-goers since 1993. The theatre shows a wide range of films from foreign to art house, and from rereleases to festival award winners. And Vic Theatre is one of the yearly purveyors of Victoria Film Festival and Victoria Foodie Fim Festival movies.

The German Doctor (AKA Wakolda)
Argentina/Spain/Norway/France – 93 mins
Director: Lucia Puenzo
Writer(s): Àlex Brendemühl, Diego Peretti, Guillermo Pfening
Cast: Àlex Brendemühl, Natalia Oreiro, Diego Peretti

Winner of 11 awards and 18 nonimations

Set in Patagonia, 1960. A German doctor (Alex Brendemuhl) meets an Argentinean family, hoping to start a new life. Eva (Natalia Oreiro), Enzo (Diego Peretti) and their three children welcome the doctor into their home and entrust their young daughter, Lilith (Florencia Bado), to his care, not knowing that they are harboring one of the most dangerous war criminals history has ever seen.