MOVIE TIME: A PSYCHIATRIST IN CRISIS
A Private Life (Cary Theater)
Having discovered the delights of our local movie theater, the Chief Penguin and I walked downtown again. This time to see Jodie Foster in A Private Life. A French film in French with subtitles and a few snatches of English, it’s a little bit of everything: murder mystery, love story, and psychological portrait. Foster plays Lilian, an American psychiatrist in Paris, who lives a polished, well-ordered, and meticulously arranged life.
The news of the death of a favorite patient, Paula, presumed to be suicide, puts her into a tailspin. Lilian’s convinced that it’s murder and comes up with a variety of theories based on conjecture. She engages her ex-husband Gabriel in her investigations, and they go rogue pursuing her ideas. In between, she sees a hypnotist, her imagination goes wild, and she insults her son Julien at a family dinner.
The film doesn’t completely work or hold together. The best moments are the tender scenes between Lilian and Gaby and Lilian’s apology to her son. The two leads are wonderful and probably what makes the film worth seeing. Jodie Foster transforms from brittle to serious to finally, smiling with laughter; a convincing range of moods. Daniel Auteuil, an ophthamologist, is warm and approachable, ready to go along with Lilian, and comforting like a teddy bear. (~JWFarrington)
BLACK HISTORY IN NORTH CAROLINA
In celebration of Black History month, local speakers presented talks about remnants of the Underground Railroad in this state and a Raleigh park devoted to Black resilience and the quest for freedom. Heather Leah, self-dubbed the Hidden Historian, shared information on the freedom roads, tunnels, and other means of escape used by enslaved people in North Carolina. Her new book, Lost Towns of North Carolina, was released this month.
Khadija McNair, Park Manager, introduced us to the relatively new (opened August 2023), North Carolina Freedom Park in downtown Raleigh. It’s “a tribute to the spirit of the African American struggle for freedom and universal ideals of liberty, resilience, and equality.” Reddish orange panels bear quotes from notable African Americans in North Carolina’s history, and in the center of the park is a 45 ft. flame, the Beacon of Freedom.
The park is part of the North Carolina African American Heritage Commission and one of a number of historic sites, including the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro. The C. P. and I visited the impressive Greensboro center some years ago, but still newish residents, we need to explore other historical sites.
EATING OUT: LAOTIAN REPRISE
Saap (Downtown Cary)
Dinner at Saap the other evening reminded us why we like this place so much. It’s a short walk away located on the back side of the Cary Downtown Park, and the food is always tasty. For this meal, we ordered the special shrimp and pork dumplings which were superb and the tiger shrimps on skewers, also excellent. Both came with appropriate dipping sauces with some heat.
We also shared the basil and garlic stir fry with crispy chicken. The garlic was definitely present, but there could have been more basil leaves. There’s a choice of shrimp, tofu, or chicken. We thought the chicken would have been better either less battered or not fried at all. It came with white rice.
A wide selection of drinks includes beer on draft and in cans, wines by the glass or bottle, classic cocktails and specialty ones, along with some zero alcohol offerings. To end the meal, our waitress brought us a saucer with tempting little chocolates topped with a bit of pomegranate.
