AroView: H is For Hawk, and it is also for Helen Macdonald, the author of the memoir of the same name, formidably played by Claire Foy in this sorely under-rated screen adaptation that charts the intensive process of training a wild Goshawk (at the expense of all else) in the wake of the sudden loss of her father.

Quite a few so-so reviews made me approach this with caution, but this carries a gratifying tension and intimacy of the human-bird relationship achieved by director Philippa Lowthorpe (Misbehaviour, The Crown) and her crew. The imposing and quite magnificent creature is latched to the actress’s arm for much of the running time which, together with visceral scenes of nature in action, make this soar beyond the constraints of the source material. It’s far from run-of-the-mill either as a film about grief or of one about animal-human relationships.

“A genuinely lovely film — often visually beguiling, beautifully acted, and tender-hearted…” ~Kim Hughes, Original-Cin

“Foy is terrific in a film which balances bruising candour about mental health issues against arresting wildlife photography and a fervent appreciation of the natural world.” ~Wendy Ide, Screen Daily