Film Archives - Page 7 of 27

Happy Spring: Diversions & Dining

March 20, 2021March 20, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

HAPPY SPRING!

For me, the appearance of daffodils, even in the supermarket, heralds the arrival of spring. Today, March 20, is the first day of spring, the spring equinox. This equinox can occur on March 19, 20, or 21. Interestingly, according to the Farmer’s Almanac, the next time spring arrives on March 21 in the United States isn’t until 2101, the next century!

TOUCHING FILM

Minari (Amazon Prime $)

Minari is one of the Academy nominees for Best Picture. It’s a mostly quiet film, but powerful and very moving. This Korean American family of Jacob and Monica and their two children, Anne and David, moves from California to a large tract of land in Arkansas.

Jacob has dreams of becoming a successful vegetable farmer despite Monica’s doubts. Their young son has a heart condition, and they live isolated in a rundown trailer. The parents work at the local hatchery sexing baby chicks while the kids are alone much of the time.

Monica arranges for her mother to come live with them, and she is not at all what David expects. This Grandma is tough and foul-mouthed and doesn’t bake cookies. You wonder along the way if this foursome will survive economically, if they will fit in culturally, and finally, if Jacob and Monica will go their separate ways.

The performances are wonderful, especially that of the boy playing David. I also found the soundtrack memorable. Highly recommended!

THRILLING ESCAPISM

The Diplomat’s Wife by Pam Jenoff

First published in 2008, this historical novel was re-released in paperback in 2020. At the end of the Second World War, Marta Nederman is rescued from a Nazi prison by an American soldier named Paul. While recovering in an Allied hospital, Marta makes friends with Rose, another patient, and with her nurse Dava. She has one evening with Paul before he ships out to the Pacific.

Through a series of happenings, Marta does not return to her native Poland, but ends up in London. She is offered a secretarial job at the Foreign Office and then marries a British diplomat. How she becomes involved in a secret mission to Prague makes for a suspenseful story with lots of hair-raising twists and turns. Overall, some of the incidents seem improbable and there are numerous coincidences, but it’s a fast-paced read!

This is one of Jenoff’s earlier works. She has written a number of other novels and often draws on her own experiences working in the Foreign Office.

CULINARY CORNER

Several days ago, we ventured to downtown Sarasota for our first meal at a restaurant since Labor Day weekend last year. We were celebrating having had both Covid vaccine shots and the conclusion of my term on our condo board.

Rosemary and Thyme has a very large patio. Tables are nicely spaced, and all servers were masked. Our table even had several partial walls further dividing it from anyone or anything else! We dined early, but by the time we finished, this outdoor space was full and service a bit slower.

The menu offers a variety of fish, seafood, and meat entrees along with salads and starters such as fried calamari and fish chowder. The Chief Penguin and I liked the just-right size and freshness of our Caesar salads. He then tucked into the hearty meatloaf plate, a signature dish. I opted for the catch of the day which was a lovely piece of Branzino accompanied by risotto, green beans, and carrots. Entrée prices range from the low 20’s into the 40’s, the latter perhaps a reflection of staying viable during the pandemic. The food was tasty and the ambience very nice— we will return.

Note: Header illustration of daffodils courtesy of dreamstime.com.

A POTPOURRI OF VIEWING CHOICES

March 14, 2021March 14, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

Today, March 14, is the International Day of Mathematics. This date was chosen and proclaimed by UNESCO in November 2019. Previously, 3/14 had already been known around the world as Pi Day. In celebration of Pi (3.14159), some people bake round pies, both sweet and savory. Perhaps you are having pie today too!

FREUD’S FEMALE CASE

Hysterical Girl

Filmmaker Kate Novack is the daughter of good friends of ours. Her earlier film, The Gospel according to Andre, profiled Andre Talley, an illustrious Black member of staff at Vogue.

This short film (just 13 minutes) takes Sigmund Freud’s account of his lone female patient, Dora, and re-envisions it in Dora’s own words. It’s fast moving and filled with graphic clips from contemporary history. Everything from Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford at the Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings to images of women being bullied, mistreated, or sexually abused. Women as objects through the decades.

It’s powerful and thought-provoking! For more background, see the following article. Hysterical Girl is in contention for an Oscar nomination.

SLAVERY ENDS IN JAMAICA

The Long Song (PBS Masterpiece)

This series is sent in Jamaica beginning before the Christmas Rebellion of 1831 and continuing through the abolition of slavery in 1833. It’s a different piece of the slavery story based on a novel by Andrea Levy.

July is a young slave woman who captures the attention of the plantation’s white overseer. Enamored with each other, July and Robert Goodwin have what resembles a common law marriage when he takes Caroline, the plantation owner, as his wife.

This is an engrossing story with painful images, but an almost too pat ending. Levy, a British author with Jamaican roots, also wrote the novel, Small Island.

INDIA IN THE 19^TH CENTURY

Beecham House (PBS Masterpiece)

John Beecham flanked by his mother & his brother Daniel (britishperioddramas.com)

The first episode of this 6-part series is a bit slow and when we set out to watch it a year ago, we gave up. This time around, we were more patient and got caught up in the intrigue. Set in Delhi in 1800, it focuses on the enigmatic, handsome John Beecham who arrives at the palatial Beecham House with an entourage including his baby son, but no mother. The British are there through the East India Company, an emperor reigns, and the French vie to keep the British at bay. There are secrets, treachery, and class and caste differences.

The production is lavish while the complexities of the interrelationships draw in the viewer. The series ends with a cliffhanger, a mystery that awaits no planned second season. And fans of Downton Abbey will recognize Beecham’s mother as Mrs. Patmore, the cook. Worth watching.

WHICH GRANDPARENT IS THE CHOSEN PARENT?

Black or White (Netflix)

Kevin Costner is a lawyer and a grandfather raising Eloise, his biracial granddaughter. When his wife dies in a car accident, the other grandmother, Rowena, and her n’er-do-well son (the girl’s father) sue to gain custody of Eloise. Octavia Spencer plays Rowena, an enterprising businesswoman, who feels strongly that the girl will benefit from being a part of an extended Black family.

The film focuses on the legal battle with a wise Black judge presiding in the courtroom. It’s a good film, not a great one, but the little girl who plays Eloise is delightful!

Note: Header photo of a decorated pie courtesy of newschannel10.com

Screen Time: Just Films

February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

Despite having had our first Covid shot, we’re still being cautious about our activities. Only socializing, mainly outdoors, with a small group of neighbors. And not yet venturing forth to restaurants or cultural events. Once we’ve had shot #2, we may ease up a bit, albeit still wearing masks when we leave our home turf.

That’s a long way of saying that we continue to watch lots of films, together, the Chief Penguin and I, and separately on the treadmill. Here’s this past week’s crop, everything from history to proms to glass and Obama.

1960’s HISTORY

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

This is the gripping story of a piece of history I was aware of but didn’t fully recall. Who was responsible for the riot associated with the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago? Was it the radical members of SDS, the Yippies, and Tom Hayden? These and other groups were all against the Vietnam War, but how they went about their business varied. Seven men, plus initially Bobby Seale, were all tried together in one courtroom.

Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman is fabulous. Mark Rylance as Kunstler is great, and it’s fun to see Eddie Redmayne as the always preppily dressed Tom Hayden. Frank Langella, who loomed large in The Americans, here plays the aggressive, acerbic Judge Julius Hoffman.

UPLIFTING REVIEW OF THE OBAMA YEARS

The Way I See It (Peacock)

Pete Souza was the chief White House photographer during Obama’s presidency. Probably few knew him by name then. When he left the White House after Trump was elected, he began posting photos of Obama on Instagram with witty, pointed, and cutting captions. He gained a following, and he made the rounds on the speaker circuit. This film focuses on Obama and his family with occasional commentary from colleagues like Samantha Power.

It’s also an account of Souza’s career from assignments for National Geographic to gaining a post in the Reagan White House. And it details Souza’s evolution from behind-the-scenes photographer to an actively political person. It’s hard to watch this and not feel good about that less contentious time. Recommended!

A note about Peacock. It’s another streaming service for films and TV programs. I signed up for a free account just to watch this documentary. That it’s free means that ads interrupt the flow periodically. You can avoid them if you pay for a premium account.

GLORY HOLES IN THE HOT SHOP

Blown Away (Netflix)

Alex, one of my favorite contestants (newyorker.com)

I like glass, art glass, and when I was a child, my family made several trips to the Corning Glass Center. Later, the Chief Penguin and I also visited. Seeing the glass blowers through the viewing window was a highlight every time, watching them create beautiful pieces of Steuben glass. As a kid, I acquired a couple souvenir miniature colored glass animals.

This Canadian documentary series is the glass art counterpart of the British Baking Show. Contestants compete against one another and the clock. Each week they must design and create a glass piece around a particular theme. They are rated on technical quality, adherence to the assignment, and overall creativity. Each week, someone gets eliminated.

It’s fascinating to watch the stages of creation from design through heating, blowing, and shaping the glass to arrive at a finished piece. And you get to know the personalities of the contestants who last the longest. Each piece is judged by the resident evaluator and a guest in a field related to that week’s creative brief. The ultimate winner gets a residency at Corning. There are 2 seasons. I’ve just about reached the conclusion and the naming of the winner in Season 1.

ANGST IN INDIANA

Prom (Netflix)

Streep, Nicole Kidman and others (thefilmexperience.net)

I decided to watch this film because I like Meryl Streep. Here she plays an aging actress who is brittle and full of herself. She and several of her co-stars travel to Indiana to help a teenage girl who’s been denied the opportunity to go to the prom with her girlfriend date. It’s based on a musical and the song and dance numbers are fun.

I liked the premise of inclusiveness, but overall, I found the film hokey and perhaps even dated. I recognize I am definitely not the target audience, but I stuck with it to the end. Perhaps because I was on the treadmill; otherwise I’d have given it a pass.

Film, Fun & Food

February 20, 2021February 20, 2021 JWF Leave a comment

RECENT FILMS

POISON GLOW

Radium Girls (Netflix)

Based on history, this is the heart-tugging story of several young women who work in a New Jersey factory painting luminous numbers on clock faces. It’s 1925, and the “girls” are told the brush point is finer if they dip the brush in the paint, lick it, and then paint. Paid by the piece, there is incentive to paint as many clocks as possible each day. The company is American Radium, and the radium in the paint takes up residence in their bodies. Their bones, and sometimes their jaws, become infected. In time, a number of them die of radiation poisoning.

One sister has died and Josephine, another sister, is suffering when Bessie becomes determined to do something. She meets resistance, but eventually there is a notable court case. It’s the beginning of regulation and concern for workplace safety. The sisters here are a fictional composite based on several young women, and the name of the company has been altered. It’s a good pairing with the film Radioactive.

TEXAS AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

News of the World (Netflix $)

Based on the novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles, the film is a faithful rendering of the book. Tom Hanks is perfect as Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, and Helena Zengel, a child actor of 12, is amazing as Johanna. Set in Texas in 1870, the psychic wounds of the Blues’ victory are still festering. The captain takes on the task of traveling 600 miles across the state to return Johanna to relatives. Her parents are dead, she’s witnessed violence and brutality, and the Indians who adopted her are gone. Johanna is angry, unruly, and almost mute.

Their journey is slow and marked by shootouts, broken wagon wheels, and suspicious relatives. Initially unable to communicate, Captain and Johanna gradually adapt to each other. She teaches him words in Kiowa and he gives her the English equivalent. I loved the book for its writing. I loved the movie for its gentle depiction of the growing trust and acceptance between these two wandering souls. Recommended!

MOSTLY FUN–AN ARISTOCRAT’S MEMOIR

Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner

At age 87, Anne Glenconner has had a life of travel, tragedy, adventure, and service. Daughter of an earl and then wife of a baron, she grew up playing with the Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth. As children, they were friends. As a young woman she was a maid of honor at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. Later, after marriage and the birth of her five children, Anne was invited by Princess Margaret to be her Extra Lady-in-Waiting. She served Princess Margaret in that role for 30 years.

In those decades, she traveled abroad with Margaret and attended many royal engagements. There was a closeness between them, even to the point of friendship, but in conversation, it was always and forever, “Ma’am” and “Anne.” Margaret was supportive when tragedies struck Anne’s family, but Anne was always on call to the princess when working. A strange relationship from an American perspective.

Anne’s husband, Colin Tennant, was the son of a baron and a temperamental eccentric. He was subject to fits of rage, had numerous affairs, and yet was applauded for his enterprise in developing the island of Mustique. He divided his time between London and Mustique, relishing the latter’s more laid-back milieu. In his late years, he decamped to St. Lucia and opened a restaurant. We visited St. Lucia several times in the 1990’s and once met Lord Glenconner when we dined there. Tall and dressed all in white, he cut quite an odd figure.

I got curious about the role of a lady-in-waiting and found this brief summary of the duties. There is no pay, they are generally rich, titled women, they must be trustworthy, and their hours are somewhat flexible. The job is to provide company and friendship for the princess or queen, to attend events with her, to travel with her, and to be her personal assistant. Two specific positions are Mistress of the Robes and Woman of the Bedchamber. Queen Elizabeth has nine ladies-in-waiting.

Lady Glenconner has had a fascinating life, and I found her memoir an absorbing peek into the world of the royals. Her principal royal, Princess Margaret, comes off better and nicer in this account than in many I’ve read.

CULINARY CORNER

ITALIAN TAKEOUT

The little Italian restaurant not far from us changed hands some months ago and is now called Pesto. We finally tried it for takeout and were pleased with the results. Veal is not that common on local menus, so we both had veal entrees. The Chief Penguin found their version of veal cutlet saltimbocca quite good, and I liked my veal scaloppini with capers, nuggets of pancetta and slices of hearts of palm. Each entrée came with broccolini and a choice of penne alfredo or the chef’s potato of the day which was mashed potatoes.

We began with a small Caesar salad (slathered with dressing and topped with an anchovy) and the Caprese salad which was a lovely presentation of sliced tomatoes and burrata with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, and walnut pesto. Italian bread and dipping oil were included with our order. A very successful first taste which we will repeat!

Category: Film

Happy Spring: Diversions & Dining

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