DOCUDRAMA OF FALSE IDENTITY
INVENTING ANNA (Netflix)
Anna Delvey, Russian by birth, presented herself in New York as a German heiress with a large trust fund. Only 25, she grandly aspired to create a club cum art gallery called ADF, the Anna Delvey Foundation. Poised, confident, and brazen, she led the high life, courted the A-list of society, and conned investors into believing she was rich and worth the risk.
Anna Delvey was a real person, but not what she appeared to be. Based on an article that appeared in New York Magazine, this series is almost as much about journalist Jessica Pressler (called Vivian Kent) and her long investment of time and energy in getting and writing Anna’s story.
You may not like Anna, and I didn’t much of the time, but her story is a fascinating study in social psychology. Comprised of 9 episodes, the series runs through Anna’s trial for grand larceny. Anna is played by Julia Garner, who won two Emmies for her role in the TV series. Ozark. Jessica Pressler, the real writer of the article, has a new book coming out in August entitled Bad Influence: Money, Lies, Powers, and the World that Created Anna Delvey.
ONGOING SERIES
BRIDGERTON (Season 2, Netflix)
The courting games and rituals continue this season as Anthony, the eldest Bridgerton sibling, seeks a wife. Rational and determined in his mission, he’s guided more by his head than his heart. Key players are half-sisters Edwina and Kate Sharma who have come to London with their mother and are under the tutelage of the formidable Lady Danbury. Edwina seems to be the perfect candidate for Anthony while Lady Whistledown aka Pen, is always on the lookout for new material for her gossip sheet. I think this season, while different, is as good as the first one!
CALL THE MIDWIFE (Season 11, PBS)
Babies continue to be born, and East End London never climbs out of poverty. The sisters and midwives of Nonnatus House remain super dedicated to serving the local mothers and their families. It’s 1967 and while hair styles and clothing have changed, diseases like scabies can infect a whole community. After ten years, I feel as if I know these midwives, Nurse Crane, Trixie, and Sister Julienne to name just several; their exploits and the cases they handle make for charming and heartwarming drama. There is tragedy, but almost always there is something positive that makes this series uplifting.
RECENT READING
THE BEAUTY OF DUSK by Frank Bruni
Memoirs are a popular genre. While many are accounts of growing up in a dysfunctional family or putting one’s life together after a contentious divorce, there is also a sub-genre related to dealing with diseases such as cancer. A recent example of this sub-genre is Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad in my post of Sept. 19, 2021.
Frank Bruni’s first memoir, Born Round, was an affectionate portrait of growing up in a food-loving Italian American family coupled with his long struggle to get his weight under control. His latest memoir, The Beauty of Dusk, is about the effects of an illness, but is more wide-ranging. A few years ago in his 50’s, he suffered a sudden stroke which destroyed the sight in one eye. Reading and navigating both became more difficult.
Bruni discusses coming to terms with his disability, but more significantly shares examples of friends and others who are thriving despite disease or serious injury. These examples are heartening and uplifting. They remind both Bruni and the reader that other people have serious issues to contend with, some that are hidden.
Bruni is an engaging writer, and I enjoy his insightful New York Times columns on politics, gay rights, and other issues. Here, I was impressed by how open he was, not only on his eyesight, but also about the disruptions in his personal life.
