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)
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)
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.
