Category: TV

Carolina Comments: Viewing & Eating

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NOTEWORTH MOVIES

Continuing to focus on likely Oscar nominees, the Chief Penguin and I watched two recent films on Netflix last week.  Both included music, but one was intense and unconventional; the other was reflective and the winding down of a career and a life.  The films are Emilia Perez and Maria.

GENDER TRANSITION AND MORE

Emilia Perez (Netflix, in Spanish with English subtitles)

Emilia (usatoday.com)

Emilia Perez is a wild, operatic, intensely emotional movie with music, dancing, and some humor.  It’s based on an opera libretto that was adapted from a novel.  

Manitas del Monte, a drug lord with a long history of violence lures Rita Moro Castro, a young lawyer looking for greater recognition and more professional challenges, to oversee his disappearance and transition to a new life as a female.  His wife Jessie must believe he is dead and go into hiding with their two children.  His new life as Emilia is a rollercoaster ride full of surprises and twists.   The soundtrack is great, several dances add levity, and yet there is also mystery and darkness.  

The cast is superb with Karla Sofia Gascon, a trans woman, as both Manitas and Emilia, and Zoe Saldana as the glamorous and selfless Rita.  The film is truly unconventional, but I highly recommend it—if you are seeking something different.

A DIVA REFLECTS BACK

Maria (Netflix)

Angelina Jolie as Maria (nytimes.com)

Greek and American soprano Maria Callas was one of the most noted and talented opera singers of the 20thcentury.  Maria, the film, takes place in Paris during the fall of 1977 with flashbacks to some of Callas’ performances during her stunning career.  Now suffering from a diminished voice, she valiantly rehearses with the faint hope of performing once again.  

While Callas, as convincingly evoked by Angelina Jolie, is the focus, this diva’s life is made comfortable by the care of Bruna and Ferruccio, her stalwart household help.  Her relationship with Aristotle Onassis is also touched upon.

The plot line is simple and measured and interspersed with marvelous singing.  Angelina Jolie does some of the singing, but when Callas is in her prime the recordings are primarily of Callas.  It is not a perfect film but should be enjoyed by opera buffs and Callas fans.

SPIES ON TV

The CP and I are also always on the lookout for good drama and crime series on television.  We recently watched the somewhat different British thriller series called Black Doves.

FRIENDS, LOVERS, & AGENTS

Black Doves (Netflix)

Sam, Helen, & Reed (netflix.com)

When undercover spy, Helen Webb’s secret lover Jason is assassinated, her original trainer, Sam, is sent to London to keep her safe.  Helen nominally leads an ordinary life as a politician’s wife and mother of two children.  Yet, she is part of a covert group called the Black Doves and regularly reports to Reed, her handler.  As Sam and Reed and now Helen become involved in the mystery of who killed the Chinese ambassador to Britain, there is violence—shootings, killings, and kidnappings.  

It is often hard to follow the plot and the motivations of the secondary characters.  What is noteworthy and most enjoyable is the richness of some of the relationships.  Helen and Sam have a genuine longstanding friendship, and there is the bittersweet once-upon-a-time love between triggerman Sam and the upstanding Michael.  

I kept thinking we should abandon this series, but we kept coming back to it.  The cast is wonderful with Keira Knightley as Helen, Ben Whishaw as Sam, Sarah Lancashire as Reed, and familiar faces from Bridgerton and The Crown.   Overall, I recommend it, knowing it will not appeal to everyone.

CARY DINING

Shinmai (N. W. Maynard Road near Lowe’s)

Interior, Shinmai
Salmon bento box

This attractive Japanese restaurant is small, but its menu is extensive.  I dined here for lunch this past week with the Adventurous Eaters.  Our group of 17 took up almost the entire restaurant.  While ramen is a Shimmai specialty, there are plenty of other noodle dishes featuring soba and udon noodles as well as dishes with fish or crab.  Some of us sampled gyoza (little spicy beef dumplings), vegetable tempura, lemongrass ribeye, okonomiyaki (a squid pancake not often seen on menus), a chicken and cabbage bowl, and the teriyaki bento box with salmon.  

The food was very tasty.  On a return visit, I’d like to try more items from the First Flavors part of the menu.   

Note: Shinmai photos and header photo of seesaw park ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Carolina Moments: Staying Inside

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“DEEP IN DECEMBER”

We’ve been told that the lovely warm weather we enjoyed in October and the first part of November was not the norm for the Triangle Area.  For the Chief Penguin and me, it was reminiscent of balmy Florida in the fall.  Now that the weather has shifted (and not just here!), we feel like it’s winter and, like the song, “Try to Remember” (sung by Jerry Orbach), we are deep into December.  But not really.

Sun-striped books

Yesterday, after a chilly 28 degrees before dawn, the thermometer climbed only to 42 and stayed there.  We burrowed in, staying cozy, and never went outdoors!  Taking advantage of the fitness center down the hall, we exercised on the treadmills, enjoyed lunch and dinner in two of the downstairs dining venues, and then retreated to our nicely warm apartment for reading and the next episode in Season 2 of The Diplomat.

ESCAPIST READING

Post election, after writing hundreds of postcards, and now getting caught up in pre-Christmas preparations, I find I have less time for serious book reading.  I’ve been more drawn to mysteries.  Having finished Deborah Crombie’s latest (noted in last week’s blog post), I decided to try one in Ann Cleeves’ new detective series.  I’m a huge fan of Shetland, one TV series based on her books, but didn’t warm up to Vera in the one episode of that series I watched.

STRAITLACED DETECTIVE VENN

The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves

The Heron’s Cry is the second book featuring Detective Matthew Venn, the first being The Long Call.  I read recently that a TV series is in the works.  And a third mystery, The Raging Storm, was published in 2023.  The setting for all of them is coastal North Devon in southwest England.

Barnstaple in North Devon (northwooduk.com)

Venn is an unusual detective.  He was raised in the evangelical Brethren Church which he left behind and is married to Jonathan, who runs a community center called the Woodyard.  When Nigel Yeo, a local doctor, is murdered with a shard of glass, Matthew is called to investigate.  Jonathan is a friend of the deceased’s glassmaker daughter Eve and becomes tangentially involved.  Dr. Yeo had been looking into the handling of a recent suicide, bringing him into contact with the members of a prominent local family.  When another death occurs, Matthew and his colleagues must carefully pick apart the tangled strands of connections between artists, friends, tenants, and landlord to determine the culprit.

Initially, I found the book slow going; I was learning about Matthew and his colleagues Jen and Ross as individuals along with keeping straight the various suspects.  Ultimately, I got more caught up in it, enough to be surprised by the outcome and ready to read the next title in the series.  Worth considering if you like mysteries by Elizabeth George and Deborah Crombie.

WATCHING—COZY BRITISH CRIME SERIES

Whitstable Pearl, Season 3 (Acorn)

Mike & Pearl (deadline.com)

I don’t know if you call a TV mystery series “cozy,” but Whitstable Pearl comes close.  Set on the English coast in the real Kent town of Whitstable, it features a set of local characters.  Pearl Nolan and her mother Dolly jointly own and run an oyster bar and café where Ruby Williams is their rising young chef.  Pearl’s grown son Charlie has fled the nest and is away in Canada. On the side, Pearl is a private detective who gets hired to find missing persons and who often assists (sometimes without invitation) police chief Mike McGuire in solving other cases.  Add in the underlying romantic interest between Pearl and Mike and the ever-present wannabe boyfriend, math teacher Tom, and things are complex.

Season 3 has the usual number of missing persons, one being Pearl’s son Charlie, along with the death of a restaurant critic and scary Halloween pranks.  This is a tame series free of gore or gruesome scenes.  I think it’s even better than the earlier seasons.  Recommended!

Note: Late autumn light header photo and bookshelves photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Carolina Moments: Raleigh & More

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RALEIGH RAMBLE #2

MOORE SQUARE

We are continuing our Abroad at Home project.  You might say we are exploring our new region in nibbles. I mean that in terms of food, of course, but also in terms of how much ground we cover on each outing.  Lunch is the highlight, but beforehand we wander the several blocks adjacent to that day’s restaurant and see what we can see and maybe even go in a business or two.

Enjoying the sun in Moore Square
Cart with activities schedule

This week, the Chief Penguin and I focused on Moore Square.  This is a large square and a center for programs for kids, performances by buskers, craft activities, and the like.  A wide concrete walkway cuts through and in a few areas, beds of colorful zinnias beckon.  A low wall along one side provides a place to sit.  A photography exhibit, Click!, graced temporary wire fencing. This square also boasts a visitor’s center and clean public restrooms.

Photos are by Jeremy Janus

Moore Square was originally called Baptist Grove.  This was in honor of a small wooden church (built 1872) at the corner of Blount and Hargett Streets.  It was one of the first fully integrated churches in Raleigh and served several congregations there until 1896.

We strolled around the area, noting the brick sidewalks (a la Cambridge, MA) and the brick buildings. We stopped in the small art gallery across from City Market where we had an engaging conversation with two women artists about art in the city and election politics.  

Later, looking at a sign about historic City Market and its current tenants, a pleasant-looking man asked if we needed help.  He proceeded to tell us he had worked nearby for many years and highly recommended Sosta Cafe in the Red Hat Amphitheater for its menu’s French slant, while also acknowledging Big Ed’s southern restaurant next door.

DIM SUM LUNCH

Restaurant with transit center behind

We had a reservation at Brewery Bhavana, a welcoming light-filled big space.  As its name suggests, it has more than 20 of its beers on tap plus wine and cocktails, all to accompany a menu of dim sum and other dishes.  Part of their attraction is a book-lined wall in the back and selected new books and beautiful bouquets of flowers for sale up front. 

Ladies at lunch in Brewery Bhavana

I am not much of a beer drinker, but I did sample Brisk, a very low alcohol Pilsener, while the Chief Penguin went for a very hoppy IPA.  

We shared and loved the pork and scallion dumplings, curry chicken filled buns, and an order of the cucumber salad with Szechuan vinaigrette.  There are lots more temptations on the menu, and we must return!

VIEWING: THOUGHTFUL BRITISH CRIME SERIES

RIDLEY, Season 2 (PBS or Prime Video)

Adrian Dunbar as Ridley (whro.org)

Detective Inspector Alex Ridley is retired, but acts as a consultant to Carol, one of his former colleagues, in this new season of Ridley.  Alex Ridley is a brooding guy and a musician, still haunted by the deaths of his wife Kate and daughter Ella.  Part owner of a local club, he regularly plays and sings there.  At work, he’s apt to go off on his own, then returning to offer his cogent thoughts.  

The episodes in this season are all in 2 parts.  There’s a depth and complexity to them which make for rewarding viewing.  A case involving a former colleague and an earlier murder is especially poignant.  Compared to Moonflower Murders, which we are also watching, this series probes character, while the other is slick and sometimes amusing.  Ridley is serious stuff.  Recommended! (~JWFarrington)

A BIT OF FUN

RAZZMATAZZ SENIOR DANCE TROUPE

(Facebook.com)

I had the fun of seeing Razzmatazz perform this past week. They are a group of senior women who love to dance and who perform to Broadway hits old and new. With lots of kicking and a different sparkly, sequined costume for each number, their enthusiasm was infectious. The audience smiled, tapped their feet, and even bobbed along. At the end, each dancer introduced herself and gave her age. They ranged from 65 up to 81 years, the oldest of these limber dancers. Fun!

Note: Header photo was taken in Moore Square. All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Carolina Comments: Having Fun!

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KINDS OF FUN

With all the tension in the world and around the upcoming election, it can be helpful to have an outlet that distracts us, makes us laugh, or gets us up and moving around. This week, you get a TV series, a fun novel, and Olympics for the mature set.

ADVENTURES IN WINE MAKING, KIWI STYLE

Under the Vines, Season 3 (Prime Video)

William, Louis, & Daisy (primevideo.com)

In this latest season of Under the Vines, Daisy and Louis, co-inheritors of Oakley Wines, are challenged by the arrival of obnoxious William, who claims to own part of the winery.  Their focus is on scheming both legally and otherwise to get him to leave, while Daisy plans her upcoming wedding.  

The supporting cast includes the mostly silent, but talented winemaker Tippy, their local friends Nic and Vic who are awaiting the arrival of twins, and Gus, who returns when his relationship with movie start Griff collapses.  Add in their chief competitors Don and Marissa and the somewhat flaky Hilary, fortune teller and devotee of the occult, and you have a spirited ensemble.  

 This comedy-drama is fun and occasionally silly, an energizing change from crime shows.  It’s best to start with the first season, but I think this one is the best.  Recommended!

FINDING ONESELF THROUGH FOOD

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

Reichl (austin.eater.com)

Ruth Reichl’s The Paris Novel has a bit of everything: scenes of Paris, that famous bookstore Shakespeare & Company, and appearances by literary figures like James Baldwin, John Ashbery, and Allen Ginsburg. And of course, food and cooking.  Knitting it together is Stella’s somewhat delayed coming-of-age story.  

At her mother’s death, Stella is left with money and the directive, “Go to Paris.”  She has lived a sheltered, controlled life.  She wasn’t close to her mother, she works as a copy editor, and she hasn’t ventured out of her comfort zone.  Paris overwhelms her, and Stella flounders a bit until Jules, a kindly older art collector and widower, takes her under his wing.  

She discovers the bookstore, drops in there, and reluctantly becomes a Tumbleweed, those who help in exchange for the privilege of staying overnight in an alcove.  Stella’s main quest has to do with finding out about a piece of art (Jules is helpful here). Secondarily, she wonders about the mystery father she never knew or was told about.  In the process, she samples all manner of French dishes and is pleased to learn that she has a discriminating palate and perhaps even talent in the kitchen.

There’s a lot going on in this novel, probably too many strands, but it’s a fun adventure—watching Stella expand her horizons while vicariously savoring all those luscious French meals.  For those who might not know, Reichl was the editor of Gourmet magazine for ten years. Bon appetit!

MATURE OLYMPICS

Brightspire Olympics

Who would have thought that senior living communities would host an annual Olympics?  Well, to my surprise and skepticism, four Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) in North Carolina compete each fall in a host of activities, both physical and mental.  There are some obvious events like bocce ball, pickleball, and walking races, but also timed puzzle contests and a quiz bowl.  Residents sign up in the summer for their preferred event and practices are held.  There are even cheerleaders, decked out in short skirts and tops with pompoms ready!

For those of us, like me, who were spectators only, highlights included cheering the arrival of the other teams midst band music, the opening parade of all the competitors (lead athlete with a torch, of course), chair dancing and line dancing performances, and witnessing the nail-biting last round of the quiz bowl competition.  A spirit of fun and camaraderie reigned all day at Glenaire.  It was hard not to get caught up in it!

Showcasing Olympic smiles

Note: Unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)