BEARING THE COLD
Our first several days here in the Big Apple have been cold, cold with highs of just over 30 degrees and the occasional gust of wind. Not days for long walks, so we tend to hibernate and catch up on reading or watch promising new films or the latest seasons of favorite drama series. Here are my thoughts on a new film and a nonfiction tome about the brain.
NEW MOVIE: POMP AND POLITICS VATICAN STYLE
Conclave (Apple TV+)
Based on a novel by Robert Harris (author of Pompeii), Conclave is the story of choosing a new pope. It is a deliberate, secretive process, often rife with tension, competing priorities, and wildly divergent candidates. As dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence manages the selection process. As played by Ralph Fiennes, Lawrence is thoughtful, concerned with doing it the right way, and sometimes conflicted about his role and his own desires.
His closest colleague and friend is Aldo Bellini, wonderfully played by Stanley Tucci. Bellini receives some votes on the early ballots, but not as many as far-right outlier Tedesco or the disgraced Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow). As the voting drags on, secrets and intrigue simmer in the background.
The initial pacing is slow with strong visuals of the cardinals all in red—-assembling, robing, or just listening to the dean. A scene where they all carry white umbrellas is especially striking. The viewer may think she has it all figured out, but there is an unexpected twist at the end. We found it fascinating viewing. Recommended!
Note: You can rent or buy this film without being an Apple TV subscriber for about the price of two movie tickets.
WHAT I’M READING
Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery by Theodore H. Schwartz
A talented and creative neurosurgeon, Theodore Schwartz has spent most of his career at Cornell’s medical school and hospital in New York. His book, Gray Matters, takes up a daunting, but fascinating topic for the lay reader. It’s a text on the anatomy of the brain; accounts of the injuries and brain surgeries of famous individuals from Abraham Lincoln to Natasha Richardson, Robert F. Kennedy, and JFK; a discussion of sports injuries and CTE; and a thorough explanation of those deadly glioblastomas. Along the way, he provides personal history of how he got from aspiring to be a musician to becoming a brain surgeon.
His writing is both accessible and engaging, and he uses good analogies to help his readers picture the distinct parts of the brain. While not everyone will be interested in this level of detail about brain injuries, it is comprehensive and informative. Reading it, I hope never to hit my head hard on anything—pavement or other! Recommended! (~JWFarrington)
HOLIDAY CHEER
Since we haven’t yet been down to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, here are two trees from the streets of downtown Cary. Plus penguins!
Note: All photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.). Header photo is Santa’s reindeer in Cary, NC.
