FILM
Marriage Story (Netflix and theaters)
This is a painful, and at times excruciating, excavation of a marriage unraveling. As the film opens, it’s clear that there will be no grand reconciliation. Instead Charlie and Nicole initially intend to handle their divorce themselves amicably, but, perhaps inevitably, the tensions and the disagreements lead them each to consult and hire high powered divorce lawyers. Their first lawyers are well played by a consoling Alan Alda and a falsely cozy Laura Dern. After all, this is a successful bi-coastal couple, he a theater director and she an actress.
Angry words and hate-filled invectives are tossed out, but, what makes it a convincing and compelling film is the moments of unexpected tenderness and even humor. When Nicole cuts Charlie’s hair, you are touched. Although they can no longer live together, these two still care about each other and are concerned about buffering their young son, Henry, from hurt as much as possible. The final scene is a real punch to the gut.
Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are superb as Charlie and Nicole, and while each party is partially to blame for the impasse, you might find it difficult to take sides, although I did not. Reviews indicate that this film is semi-autobiographical as director Noah Baumbach was divorced from his first wife, an actress, in 2010. Highly recommended!
FOOD
“Early Bird Special”
When you say “early bird special,” some folks will think of tired food served to past-their-prime senior citizens at 4:30 in the afternoon. As a senior citizen myself, I will admit that when we are on our home turf, the Chief Penguin and I eat earlier than we ever did before. In the city, not so much so. Unless we want to dine at our all-time favorite West Village restaurant, Via Carota. To snag a dinner table at this very popular eatery, you must arrive around 5:00 or submit to waiting in line or adding your name to a list and returning an hour or so later. Ever since Via Carota received mention in a New Yorker column and their green salad was featured in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, their popularity has only skyrocketed. They don’t take reservations. Why would they when they are always guaranteed to fill their tables!
The other day, we arrived at 11:00 am, just when they opened, to have an early lunch. We were not the only diners and well before 12:00, the aforementioned line had already formed. The grilled artichokes with slices of lemon and onion are a standard order for us; with them we alternate between the mouth-watering Meyer lemon risotto or a pasta entree.
This time, it was the tagliatelle with Parmesan and prosciutto. A mound of homemade pasta noodles arrived, covered with a thin blanket of prosciutto and showered with Parmesan threads. Simply sublime, this dish is a tangle of a soft, but springy pasta strands coated in butter and cheese with a hint of nutmeg. Add in the saltiness of the prosciutto and you have perfection. The Chief Penguin dubbed this our “early bird special” and that phrase now has new meaning.
Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington. Header photo taken at Rockefeller Center.
