Category: Film

At Home: Bingeing on Film

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Morning Movie Madness

Time is a gift and one we should cherish, even if that time is available because you aren’t where you wanted to be or doing what you intended to do.  Our holiday preparations were long since completed, and nearly all the Christmas cards mailed out so, we had free time for reading and watching new films.  Sometime ago, the Chief Penguin dubbed watching a movie at a time we wouldn’t normally (a bit like playing hooky), “Morning Movie Madness.”  This week we are indulging in some madness.  Here are comments on some recent films that you can stream at home.

Belfast (Apple TV $)

Buddy with his grandparents (mercurynews.com)

From the violent opening scene to the poignant ending, Belfast is simply excellent!  In some ways, it’s a simple story of a multi-generational Protestant family caught up in the Troubles in Northern Ireland in 1969.  In others, it’s a heartfelt account of a cosseted childhood in the bosom of grandparents and scads of cousins.  This family is one of a few Protestant ones on a one-block street of Catholics, but these folks know each other and mostly get along.  Ten-year old Buddy is the focus, and daily life is viewed through his perspective.  His father works away in England coming home every few weeks, his mother is the linchpin holding all together, and his grandparents provide solace, words of wisdom, and sometimes questionable advice. 

It’s Kenneth Branagh’s warmhearted paean to his hometown. The cast is wonderful with Jude Hill as captivating Buddy, Caitriona Bafe as his mother, Judi Dench as Granny, and Ciaran Hinds as Pop.  The soundtrack with music by Van Morrison is memorable, especially for anyone of that era. 

Tick, Tick… BOOM! (Netflix)

Jon at the diner (theatlantic.com)

Tick, Tick… is Lin Manuel-Miranda’s debut as a director, and the film is based on Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical.  Larson, played here by Andrew Garfield, won fame for his groundbreaking musical, Rent. Feeling pressured to have a success before 30, Larson at 29 is struggling and agonizing over composing the final song for a musical he’s writing.  In the process, he neglects his friends, puts off his loyal girlfriend, and wonders if he should be doing something other than working in a diner and not making any headway.  

Even though the Chief Penguin and I saw a very fine production of Rent, I was not familiar with Larson’s history.  Overall, the film is enjoyable light fare and perfect for a gray morning.

Spencer (Amazon Prime $)

Kristen Stewart as Diana (imbd.com)

If you’re looking to be entertained, this is probably not the film for you.  If you’re curious about this psychological fable or fairy tale about Princess Diana, then be prepared for grand settings, disturbing fantasies, and a lost princess.  Celebrating Christmas at Sandringham, Diana is distraught, seeing visions of Anne Boleyn, seeking to visit her childhood home, and sympathetically treated only by her dresser.  This is Diana untethered.  

It’s an often painful film to watch and yet still absorbing.  And, the ending may well surprise you—it did me.  I found Kristen Stewart believable as Diana. Prince Charles is played by Jack Farthing with a permanent sneer on his face, for me evoking memories of him as the evil George Warleggan in Poldark.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day. May it be a joyous and healthy holiday for all who celebrate. Merry Merry Christmas!

Note: The header photo is of my mother’s Christmas tree some years ago. She loved the color red and Christmas gave her another excuse to use it liberally.

Manhattan & Covid, Dec. 2021

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MANHATTAN–THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS

Full of optimism for being able to celebrate Christmas this year in person with our son and family, we flew to New York a week ago.  The first few days were lovely—spring-like temperatures hovering around 60, dining in favorite eateries, and spending time after school with our marvelous granddaughters.  As we watched the Covid-19 case numbers climb and observed the long, around-the-corner lines at Covid testing sites, we became a bit concerned.  

We stayed off the subway, we did not go to Rockefeller Center to see the always beautiful Christmas tree, and we did not get tickets for any museums.  Instead, we restricted ourselves to eating dinner indoors, often early, at our handful of favorite restaurants.  Going early, we avoided large numbers of diners and generally got great service.  One day we walked 60 plus blocks for exercise, and on another, we strolled in a lightly populated Central Park.  We were staying in comfortable digs, so reading and watching the occasional new film kept us occupied.  

Yesterday, that changed when a family member tested positive for Covid.  More concerned, and feeling vulnerable at our ages, we made the hard decision to leave town and return to Florida. Alas, it will be another Christmas shared via Zoom.  Perhaps 2022 will be better and next Christmas, we can once more celebrate in person!  In the meantime, we prize our current good health and will do what we can to preserve it. 

COMPELLING NEW FILM

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Peter, Phil, George, Rose (theplaylist.net)

Jane Campion’s new film has been getting a lot of attention and mostly praise.  Set in Montana in 1925, it’s the story of two brothers, Phil and George, and George’s new wife Rose and son Peter.  George is the owner of the ranch and seemingly ineffectual while Phil is “cowboy” personified and a mean cuss.  Phil berates his brother regularly, calling him “Fatso.”  When George marries Rose, Phil turns his venom on her and initially bullies medical student and aspiring surgeon Peter.  

Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant with a commanding presence as Phil.  He seems to be the one in charge and in control of events.  Phil teaches Peter how to ride and makes him a rawhide rope in scenes with erotic undercurrents.  How the relations between these four characters play out is shown in acts like a play, and the ending will surprise you.  Only in retrospect did I appreciate the clues that were laid out from the beginning.  Peter is a much more complex individual than he appears as is Phil.  

The cinematography is gorgeous showcasing the wide-open spaces of the west and the smallness of one man against such a vast horizon.  I look forward to watching this film a second time.  Highly recommended!

NEW FICTION–SUCCESSOR TO THE MORLAND DYNASTY

The Secrets of Ashmore Castle by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Author Harrod-Eagles (goodreads.com)

For some of us, maybe Americans in particular, Harrod-Eagles’ long series, The Morland Dynasty, was a way to easily absorb the sweep of British history from the 15th to the 20th centuries.  I have read nearly all 35 novels about the successive generations of Morlands and found them fascinating.  That series seems to have ended in 1931, and now there is a first novel in a new series.

The Secrets of Ashmore Castle introduces the Tallant family and the sons and daughters of the late Earl of Stainton.  As the oldest son and the newest earl, Giles has a duty to marry and to marry well.  His father left the estate in disarray and in poor shape financially so Giles needs to find a rich bride. He meets Kitty Bayfield and her friend Nina Sanderton and becomes engaged to one of them.  The house and stable servants also have a role to play, think Upstairs Downstairs, and have dreams and aspirations of their own.  

This first novel covers the courtship and events leading up to and including Giles’ wedding from several different perspectives.  Harrod-Eagles has a keen eye for detail, and you get a real sense of the social niceties and rules governing behavior in 1900 Britain.  Recommended for fans of historical fiction. (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header photo is the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center we didn’t see (people.com).

Tidy Tidbits: A Novel & A Film

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A FORTHCOMING NOVEL

INDIAN WOMEN AND RELIGIOUS POLITICS

Honor by Thrity Umrigar

Thrity Umrigar (esalen.org)

I received this novel as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) through BookBrowse, an e-mail newsletter that I recently discovered.   It will be published in January 2022.  I devoured the book in a day and a half and loved it!

Indian American journalist Smita reports on gender issues and travels the world to do so.  As a favor to a colleague, she returns to India after 20 years away.  Initially she does not realize that she will be covering the verdict in a trial of two Hindu brothers who maimed their sister and murdered her Muslim husband.  Through her main characters, author Umrigar presents several differing perspectives on India.  The reader is kept wondering for most of the novel why Smita has such a scornful, negative view of her native land.  Affluent Mohan, a professional man, lives in Mumbai and loves it despite its complexities.  Meena, the severely injured wife and mother, lives in a poor village and chafes under her brothers’ dictates.  She challenges what is deemed allowable behavior for a Hindu woman by working in a factory and then marrying Abdul.

The novel unfolds slowly as Smita travels with Mohan, filling in as driver, to interview Meena and several others.  Smita questions why she feels so hateful toward her country while simultaneously both resenting and appreciating Mohan’s decency and kindness.  The concept of “honor” and what it means whether one is Hindu or Muslim plays out against violence, corruption, love, and sympathy in a multi-faceted society.

Some years ago, I read The Space Between Us, another novel by this author about class differences between two women.  I thought it was very good, but this new novel is more powerful.  (~JWFarrington)

A RECENT FILM

LOVE IN THE 1960’S

Last Letter from Your Lover (Netflix)

Jennifer & Boot (refinery29.com)

Based on a novel of the same name by JoJo Moyes, this romantic drama is schmaltzy, but good entertainment.  Jennifer Stirling is trapped in a loveless marriage, controlled by her husband and constrained by the times.  Enigmatic throughout, but elegant in dresses, hats, and gloves, she attracts the attention of reporter Anthony, aka Boot, O’Hare, and they begin an affair.  Decades later, one of his letters turns up in a newspaper archive.  Young reporter Elly Haworth makes it her mission to identify the correspondents.  

Of the principals, Jennifer is the least substantial character, and one wonders what other than her beauty has kept Boot’s interest.  I watched this while on the treadmill and it kept me moving!  (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header image of woman reading courtesy of readersdigest.co.uk

Time, Crime & Tomatoes: Screen & Kitchen

JWF 2 Comments

ON SCREEN

Time and Mortality

On Golden Pond  (Amazon Prime $)

Jennifer Finney Boylan is an occasional opinion writer for the New York Times and an English professor at Bard.  Years ago, I read her groundbreaking memoir, She’s Not There:  A Life in Two Genders, about her transition from male to female.  I find her columns thoughtful and insightful.  

In her most recent piece, she reflected on age and time.  Boylan is now 63 and not as physically flexible as she would like.  Watching the film, On Golden Pond, with Fonda and Hepburn as Norman and Ethel, a retired couple of 80 and almost 70, prompted thoughts on life and what comes after.  Here’s a quote from this July 9 column, Katherine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Me.

It is not just the thought of my now-grown children that causes me to come unstuck in time. My wife and I first came to Maine in our 20s; now, as Ethel says in the film, we are a couple of old poops.

We have changed so much and have been blessed — and battered — by time. But we are still in love. I am not ready to leave this pond or Maine or her. Still, I know that, in time, all of us leave the things that we have known and turn our eyes toward whatever it is that comes next.

At the end of “On Golden Pond,” Norman asks Ethel if she wants to say farewell to the pond. This time, as they stand by the water, he hears the sound that eluded him before. “Ethel, listen,” he says. “The loons. They’ve come around to say goodbye.”

Hepburn & Fonda (mubi.com)

Like Boylan, the Chief Penguin and I first saw On Golden Pond in 1981, the year it was released.  Then it was an engaging film about an older couple enjoying their cottage on the lake while working hard to entertain a 13-year-old soon to become their daughter’s stepson.  In 2021, it’s a poignant film that hits hard at the challenges and cruelties of getting old while simultaneously demonstrating the strength of a long marriage. 

 I have to say that these characters, Norman and Ethel, act older than many 70- and 80-year-olds do today.  Many of us are more active and in better health than folks were then. It’s noteworthy that this was Henry Fonda’s last film and Jane Fonda played his daughter Chelsea.  Their father-daughter relationship was better after the film. Although a bit dated, I still recommend On Golden Pond.

Complex Lives

Mare of Easttown (HBO via Apple TV $)

Winslet as Mare (tvline.com)

This seven-part crime series stars Kate Winslet as a small-town detective on hard times.  It’s set in a fictitious working-class town near Philadelphia.  Anyone who knows that area will recognize place names (Darby, Bryn Mawr) and a certain gritty quality in the streets of houses set cheek by jowl.  Detective Mare has a difficult home life.  Her aggrieved mother and her high school daughter live with her along with her young grandson Drew.  Drew’s father was Mare’s son Kevin, who committed suicide several years ago.  Several young women have gone missing or disappeared and another’s body is found in the woods.  Mare knows everyone in town and is alternately compassionate, brusque, and her own worst enemy.  

Initially, I was put off by the depressing quality of these townspeople’s lives.   I kept on and began to appreciate the depth and complexity of Mare, superbly played by Winslet.  In some ways, more than a crime series, this is a study of a community relationships and travails.  Recommended!

CULINARY CORNER

In the Bowl—Summer Soup

As part of reviewing our cookbook collection for recipes to scan, I came across a recipe for a tomato and berry gazpacho in Dorie Greenspan’s book, Everyday Dorie:  The Way I Cook.  I marked the page for scanning and then decided to serve it to friends.  I went online the next day to print out the recipe and it was not there!  Seems the Chief Penguin either missed it or made an executive decision.  In any case, I went ahead and made it and served it in small cups as a teaser with pre-dinner drinks.  I loved it, the guests liked it, and even the skeptic enjoyed it!

Greenspan uses cherry tomatoes and fresh strawberries and includes scallions, mint and basil leaves, chopped fresh ginger, lime juice, sherry vinegar, some olive oil, and either harissa powder or hot sauce to your taste.  I used some Tabasco in it and had it available for anyone who wanted more heat.  It was a luscious variation on traditional gazpacho with a hint of sweetness.

Dorie Greenspan’s recipe is not available online, but here’s a link to another strawberry-tomato version which has cucumber, jalapenos and honey.  Happy summertime!

Note: Header photo from On Golden Pond is from top100project.com