Category: TV

Happy young woman watching TV

Watching & Reading: On Screen & Page

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DOCUDRAMA OF FALSE IDENTITY

INVENTING ANNA (Netflix)

Julia Garner as Anna Delvey (tvline.com)

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)

Lady Danbury with Mrs. Sharma and daughters Edwina & Kate (latimes.com)

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)

Call the Midwife cast (townandcountry.com)

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

Bruni (wbur.org)

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.

Watching, Watching: Film, Stage, & TV

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BEST PICTURE NOMINEES—Heartwarming and Otherworldly

CODA (Apple TV+)

Cast of CODA (imbd.com)

I hadn’t seen or read much about CODA until it won several awards from the Screen Actors Guild. I then noted it was also a Best Picture Oscar nominee which really brought it to my attention.  It’s a wonderful story, poignant and compelling.  Ruby, a high school senior, is the only hearing member of her family (mother, father, older brother).  She assists the two men in their fishing livelihood, the family’s means of support, and is the resident interpreter for their interactions with the outside world.  Ruby loves to sing, but at school, she is teased and bullied.  When she signs up for the school choir, she begins to find herself and to gain respect and positive regard from her classmates.  

This film is groundbreaking with three of the principals in the cast all being played by deaf actors.  One, Marlee Matlin as the mother Jackie Rossi is a familiar face, but the other two are not.  They are so expressive in their signing that they carry the film.  As Ruby, Emilia Jones embodies teenage angst coupled with loyalty and determination.  Her music teacher, Mr. V. (played by Eugenio Debez), is both demanding and supportive in the best way.  For those who don’t know (and I didn’t), CODA stands for Children of Deaf Adults.  The entire film has embedded captions.  Highly recommended! 

Dune (HBO Max + other sources)

Timothee Chalamet with other cast members (whathifi.com)

The Chief Penguin was more interested in seeing this film than I was.  I knew of Frank Herbert’s award-winning science fiction novel but had never read it.  Dune, the movie, is long (2.5 hours) and full of special effects including amazing spacecraft for interplanetary travel.  The plot is complex and involves several different worlds and a young man who is seen as the savior of his people.   

Suffice it to say that I didn’t love or hate the film and watched it to its end.  I would be surprised if it didn’t win Academy awards for sound or cinematography.  Recommended for sci fi fans.

BASKETBALL & POLITICS ON STAGE

The Great Leap by Lauren Yee at Asolo Repertory Theatre

Coaches flank Manford and his cousin Connie (sarasotamagazine.com)

The Chief Penguin and I just saw The Great Leap, and it’s my favorite Asolo production this season!  Ostensibly a story about a basketball game and a Chinese boy’s coming of age, it’s more significantly a political tale highlighting the contrast between free expression in America and constraints in China.  Set in 1971, coming out of the Cultural Revolution, and then in 1989, against the backdrop of Tiananmen Square, two coaches, one from San Francisco and the other from Beijing come together with their competing philosophies.  Each is determined to win this special game.   

The play is brash, funny, powerful, and thought-provoking.  Having visited China three times in the 1980’s, we watched the events of Tiananmen Square unfold on TV and worried for our Chinese friends there.

Standouts in this performance were Greg Watanabe as Wen Cheng, the Chinese coach, and Glenn Obrero in the role of Manford.  The play runs through April 2, so there’s still time to see it.

FOOD DRAMA

Delicious (Acorn)

Sam & Gina, chef Leo’s wives (radiotimes.com)

I read one mention of this Acorn series and decided to try it.  The setting is beautiful Cornwall and a luxury hotel and restaurant made famous by Leo Vincent, its chef.  It isn’t giving away too much to say that Leo dies early on, and his ex-wife and his widow are left to manage the enterprise.  Gina Benelli, his first wife, is a talented chef in her own right, while Sam, his second wife and widow, gave up her career when she married Leo and doubts her own considerable management abilities.  Add in Leo’s children: Teresa, Gina’s adult daughter, and Michael, Sam’s 18-year-old son, plus Leo’s mother Mimi, and you have conflicts of all sorts among these wildly different personalities.  

Most everyone lies or has a secret about something, and when these truths are revealed, sparks fly.  At its heart, Delicious is more about female friendship than heterosexual love (although there’s plenty of sex about). Some might find Gina and Sam’s clashes tiresome after a bit, but I watched all three seasons and stayed engaged.  The scenes of delicious food are mouthwatering, and Sheila Hancock as Mimi is both tart and loving.  Delicious is lighter fare with an occasional serious message.

Header graphic of couple watching TV courtesy of elements.envato.com

Tidy Tidbits: 2/27/22

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COZY CRIME SERIES 

Hope Street (BritBox)

Finn & Leila (gizmostory.com)

Hope Street is set in a small town on the coast of Northern Ireland where everyone seems to know everyone else and their business.  Finn O’Hare heads up the Port Devine police department with his colleagues, Marlene and Callum.  When Detective Constable Leila Hussain arrives as the first Muslim officer, she causes a stir and initially meets with mistrust and suspicion.  

There are crimes to be solved, even the occasional murder, but this series is as much about the family affairs (wives and kids) and quarrels that consume the townsfolk.  Finn’s mother, Concepta, is a busybody who wants to know all, while Barry Pettigrew, taxi driver and retired police officer keeps his hand in too.  There are open secrets and real secrets.  Season 1 has 10 episodes, but it is not known if there will be a Season 2.   For me, it’s great treadmill fare—engaging enough to hold my interest and keep me moving!

BOOK OF THE WEEK

Lady Bird Johnson:  Hiding in Plain Sight by Julia Sweig

Lady Bird Johnson (paintboxgarden.com)

I thought Hiding in Plain Sight might be a biography of Lady Bird’s entire life, but actually, it’s focused on her years as First Lady during the Johnson presidency.  During that tumultuous time, she recorded her thoughts daily. The result is a comprehensive source document covering her feelings and activities, LBJ’s concerns and moods, and the stresses of the Vietnam War and the battle for civil rights.  

Swieg masterfully details hows how carefully and skillfully Lady Bird crafted her image.  Following the elegant and popular Jackie Kennedy was initially challenging.  Lady Bird was a talented businesswoman before coming to the White House, yet this was a time when women were expected to be deferential and on the margins of serious dealings.  

Lady Bird made beautification her cause, but within it she worked tirelessly to raise broader awareness about the environment, urban blight, and poverty.  Always appearing feminine, she was a powerful voice in her husband’s ear on a wide range of issues.  She also traveled the U. S. solo giving speeches and campaigning for him and for her causes. Lady Bird Johnson was the most active First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt.

This is fascinating reading (am about halfway into it), and I’ve come to appreciate the much greater role she played than many of us realized.  I lived through this period on the cusp of adulthood so, it’s informative to see events from a deeper perspective.   Highly recommended! (~JWFarrington)

Note: Header photo ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Tidy Tidbits: Inside Diversions

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WATCHING—COMEDY, ADVENTURE, CRIME

Don’t Look Up (Netflix)

DiCaprio stocking up for a special dinner. (thewrap.com)

Don’t Look Up is both a funny film and a sobering one.  When a comet is on the horizon that will destroy the earth, the hapless president dithers and does little.  The scientists who have plotted its course are ignored and ridiculed.  The film is both a spoof and a satire targeting politicians, egocentric celebrities, and huckster entrepreneurs hawking worthless devices.  But despite its comic moments, it is a doomsday story.  

There’s an all-star cast with Leonardo DiCaprio as the lead scientist, Meryl Streep marvelously inept as the U.S. president, and Mark Rylance almost unbelievable as the tech giant, along with Jennifer Lawrence and Cate Blanchett.  It’s definitely a change of pace from some other recent film offerings.

Around the World in 80 Days (PBS Masterpiece)

Phileas Fogg and his companions (hollywoodreporter.com)

I saw the original film of Jules Verne’s adventure tale when I was about 8 years old.  It was one of the first movies I saw in the theater and going to see it was special.  

This new version of Around the World in 80 Days has a more diverse cast with a young woman, Miss Fix, as the accompanying reporter, and a Black man playing Passepartout, Phileas Fogg’s so-called valet.  They are an oddly mismatched lot with diverging aims, but they end up depending on one another for their wellbeing as they encounter riots, marauders, and collapsed bridges.

We are about halfway through the series and enjoying it.  David Tennant with his serious mien and upright, almost stiff bearing, makes the perfect Phileas.  There are 8 episodes in all.

The Commander (Amazon Prime)

Commander Clare Blake (hollywoodsoapbox.com)

This British crime drama is older (set in early 2000’s) and the technical quality is not that great, but it is diverting and suspenseful entertainment.  The series was developed by Lynda La Plante, author of crime novels and creator of Prime Suspect. Each case unfolds over two episodes and there are four seasons in all.

Amanda Burton plays Clare Blake, a high-ranking female commander in London overseeing a group of detectives.  The cases, usually involving murder, are gruesome and challenging. As a woman, Clare faces disrespect and outright hostility from some of the male officers on her team.  She makes some foolish errors of judgement in the early cases but learns from them and becomes smarter. 

Fans of Downton Abbey will be surprised to see a younger Hugh Bonneville as James Lampton, convicted for murder, and just released from prison.  

READING—WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Leaving Coy’s Hill by Katherine A. Sherbrooke

Lucy Stone (bostonathenaeum.org)

When the first history of the 19th century women’s rights movement was written by some of the principals, Lucy Stone got short shrift.  Consequently, for some time her contributions were overlooked.  Thirty years after her death, her daughter wrote a biography and recently, several others have been published.

Katherine Sherbrooke’s novel, Leaving Coy’s Hill, employs the device of Stone looking back over her life and telling her story to a much younger colleague.  Lucy Stone grew up on a farm in Massachusetts, the daughter of a staunch abolitionist father.  Early on, she vowed never to wed and to devote herself to the anti-slavery cause.  Working as a teacher, she saved enough money to go to college at Oberlin, one of the few institutions open to women.  After college, she began traveling around the states giving speeches against slavery.  It was hard life of little pay, spare accommodations, and no companions.  But Stone was a gifted orator and driven to succeed.  

Fortuitously, she became friends with Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Although their approaches differed, the three championed women’s rights—the right to vote and changes to the laws governing marriage and property.  Stanton was already married with many children when she became active, Anthony never married, and ultimately, Lucy Stone did.  

Sherbrooke’s novel details Stone’s career successes and imagines the conflicts and challenges she faced in her marriage to Henry Blackwell, brother of doctors Elizabeth and Emily.  

Lucy attempts to balance love and a child with demanding career objectives, still an issue today.  I thoroughly enjoyed this historical novel, and it fleshed out for me additional aspects of the women’s rights movement.  Recommended!  (~JWFarrington)