Love in Film & Fiction: Heart Day 2021

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Happy Valentine’s Day!  It seems appropriate to present a mix of films and fiction that capture different kinds of love.  Romantic love and longing, platonic friendship, and married love.

ON THE SCREEN

Loving (Netflix)

(peoplesworld.com)

This historical film about Richard and Mildred Loving is a testament to love and devotion through hardship and ostracism.   In 1958, Richard, a white man, married Mildred, a Black woman.  Born and raised in a conservative Virginia town, they went to DC to get married.  When they returned, they were soon arrested and sent to jail.  Their steadfast love for one another and their fight for justice are beautifully portrayed in this mostly gentle film.

The Life Ahead (Netflix)

Sophia Loren stars as a Holocaust survivor who takes in abandoned children.  The film chronicles the evolving friendship and care that develop between Madame Rosa and a 12-year-old boy named Momo.  She’s a former prostitute who supports herself as a sort of foster parent, and he’s an immigrant from Senegal.  Out of indifference and disdain come respect and tolerance.  Not a perfect film, but an opportunity to see Loren at the end of her career.

My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

Craig and his octopus (newtimesslo.com)

My Octopus Teacher is a stunningly beautiful film.  And a very moving account of photographer Craig Foster’s strong friendship with an octopus.  Set off the coast of South Africa, it’s a moving story of a year in the life of this intelligent creature and an individual who was detached from his own life.  I think it’s fair to call it a love story too, one of a different kind, but transformative for this man.  The underwater photography is amazing.  Simply excellent!

ON THE PAGE

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd

I had mixed feelings about this novel based on what I’d read about it.  Even though I had enjoyed and admired Kidd’s three previous books, I avoided it.  But quickly, I was transported to Palestine in Jesus’ era and captivated by his fictional wife Ana.  Although Ana is the daughter of a rich father with ties to the ruler, she is limited and frustrated by the options available to her as a female.  She has a scholarly bent and through her writings (done in secret) gives voice to various Biblical women.  She is also Judas’ sister.

Narrowly escaping marriage to a much older widower, she revels in her love for Jesus.  After their marriage, she lives with him and his family in reduced circumstances.  Jesus is presented as mainly human with a calling that takes him away for days, weeks, and sometimes months.  Only later does he become recognized as the divine Messiah.   

Kidd’s depiction of this period is detailed and rooted in research.  Her treatment of Jesus is delicate, and in Ana, she has created a bold, passionate, and learned woman.  (~JWFarrington)

(pinterest.at)

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Tidy Tidbits: Home Viewing

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RECENT VIEWING

Black Politics

One Night in Miami  (Amazon Prime) 

Cast of One Night in Miami (hindustantimes.com)

Set in February 1964, One Night in Miami brings together four Black men on the cusp of fame or notoriety. It’s the early days of the Civil Rights era.  Boxer Cassius Clay has just defeated Sonny Liston, and this gathering of friends is partly a celebration of that victory.  It’s also the day before Clay joins the Nation of Islam and changes his name.  Malcolm X, a leader in the Muslim brotherhood, is the dominant figure.  Present along with Clay and Malcolm X are football great Jim Brown and songwriter Sam Cooke.  These men debate, disagree, and spar over what each one should be doing in the cause of Black freedom.

Based on a play of the same name, the film is quite static with little action and lots of dialogue.  It’s an intense film and a powerful one that has new relevance in light of Black Lives Matter. Recommended. (~jWFarrington)

Archaeological Treasure

The Dig (Netflix)

Mrs. Pretty & Mr. Brown (express.co.uk)

In 1939 in Suffolk, England, the widowed Mrs. Pretty hires an excavator to dig up some mounds on her land.  She has a good feeling about one of them. She is certain there are buried artifacts to be discovered.  Basil Brown is not a professionally trained archaeologist; rather he learned his trade from his father and grandfather. But he has been recommended for his work on other digs.  

Based on a famous archaeological discovery, the film proceeds at a somewhat leisurely pace. There is pleasure in the budding friendship between the widow and the excavator and in the rapport between her son Robert and Mr. Brown.  And which of the two museums vying for the prize will be the winner? Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes are excellent in the lead roles!  (~JWFarrington)

A BIT OF FUN—DANCING NOSES

Given that we all spend much time these days with our noses covered by masks, I thought you’d enjoy this crazy dance from an opera.  Thanks to the Chief Penguin for sharing it with me.

NACHOS ANYONE?

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday.  The game will be played in Tampa at the Buccaneers’ home stadium.  With Tom Brady on their side, the Bucs have re-discovered their mojo.  Go team!

I won’t be glued to the set, but I will check the score regularly. And, in the spirit of the day, nosh on some nachos.  

Tidy Tidbits: Reading & Watching

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MEMOIRS:  OF GEOGRAPHY AND GENEALOGY

Mill Town:  Reckoning with What Remains by Kerri Arsenault

Kerri Arsenault (twitter.com)

Kerri Arsenault grew up in the small town of Mexico, Maine, adjacent to neighboring Rumford and home to an active paper mill.  Like the river Androscoggin that runs through the region, her memoir meanders along a nonlinear path.  We learn about her immediate family and her grandparents and great grandparents from Acadia. Almost all of these relatives worked in the mill and many died of cancer.

 Arsenault was one of the few of her cohort who left Maine and lived abroad, thanks to her husband’s military career.  Over many years, she sought to discover and document what toxic chemicals from the mill, dioxin being one example, were polluting the environment and leading to early deaths.  This quest for information and certainty (never arrived at) is a recurring thread in her detailed narrative.  

I found the first chapters somewhat overwritten. As I got further along, I appreciated her commentary on Mainers in general and the working class in particular.  Probably of greatest interest to those with Maine connections.  

Inheritance:  A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love by Dani Shapiro

The author with her father (thecut.com)

Dani Shapiro’s beloved father died when she was only twenty-three.  Her mother died some years later, but was also gone when Shapiro sent her DNA for testing.  At age 54, the news that her father was not her biological father turned her world upside down. She felt forced to question many facets of her upbringing and her identity.  Raised an Orthodox Jew, her blonde hair and blue eyes were unlike other family members and drew comments. What she does with the information and how she tries to locate other relatives make for a dramatic story.  

I found her account riveting.  Most families have some secrets; the big secret in her family was overwhelming and initially devastating.  I predict an animated discussion when my book group takes it up next month.

ON THE SCREEN

As counterpoint to the ongoing societal strife, the Chief Penguin and I have been savoring gentler viewing options.

All Creatures Great and Small (PBS Masterpiece)

At the time, we watched the 1978 PBS version of veterinarian James Herriot’s memoirs.  I even read a couple of them.  I wondered if this new series would be engaging enough to hold my interest and was pleased when it did.  The setting is Yorkshire, England in the 1930’s. Newly minted Herriot arrives to become the latest assistant to Siegfried, an established vet with strong opinions.  Add in Siegfried’s hapless nephew Tristan, a housekeeper who nicely keeps everyone in line, sick animals and cantankerous farmers, and you have the makings of a lively drama.  A welcome change of pace!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Netflix)

Published in 2008, the historical novel of the same name was made into a movie in 2018. It’s set on the the island of Guernsey in 1946.  I had previously read the book and seen the film when it was released.  It’s a fun romantic story about a writer, Julia Ashton, who travels to Guernsey to research a local society that existed during the German occupation.  Her visit is prompted by a letter she receives from Dawsey, a local farmer who has a book she previously owned.  Some of the locals are quirky and suspicious of Julia’s motives, but her innate charm endears her to most.  The ending is predictable, the journey heartwarming and delightful.  Lily James sparkles as Julia.

CATCHING UP

The lifelong learning series we usually attend in the winter are virtual only and being offered for free.  This past week we watched three of the Global Affairs lectures, two given by former U. S. ambassadors.  One was on affairs in the Middle East, another on the issues facing President Biden, and the third about Covid-19—the vaccine effort, the international organizations playing a role in combatting it, and some insights behind the lack of preparation in this country. All were informative.

Movies, Mystery & More

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WHAT A WONDERFUL WEEK!

The inauguration of Joe Biden as U.S. President and Kamala Harris as Vice-President was marvelous and memorable in so many ways. A reset in tone, a return to competence, a series of firsts, and the beginning of an administration more representative in gender, race, background, and experience than the previous one. Hooray!

ON THE SCREEN

SPACE EXPLORATION MEETS EARTH’S FRAGILITY

The Midnight Sky (Netflix)

Iris & Augustine (commonsensemedia.org)

George Clooney both directs and stars in this film about Augustine, a terminally ill scientist holed up at an Arctic Circle outpost. Simultaneously, a team in space is trying to return from an exoplanet, but there’s been a catastrophe on earth.   

There’s another story within the story about the young Augustine and a failed relationship that overlaps the present when a little girl is inadvertently left behind with him.  The visual effects are amazing, the space station elaborate, and the sense of hurtling through the universe quite real.

Given the risks faced by the astronauts, it’s surprisingly unsuspenseful and too slow moving.  Nonetheless, we watched it to the end and were rewarded with a slight twist which brings everything together.  Overall okay, not great.

HEAVY METAL VS. DISTORTED SOUND

Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime)

Riz Ahmed (apnews.com)

This film about a drummer in a heavy metal band who is losing his hearing can be painful, painful for the ears.  The entire film is captioned (for good reasons) and, the soundtrack sometimes is distorted and muffled as it conveys how Ruben experiences the world around him.  Initially refusing to accept his situation, but nudged by his girlfriend Lou, Ruben reluctantly agrees to become a resident of a deaf community.  I found this portion of the film with all of the sign language fascinating and an insightful look at how deaf culture can work.  Riz Ahmed, a British Pakistani actor, is superb taking on the challenging role of Ruben.  Recommended! 

ON THE PAGE

MYSTERY FUELED BY PODCAST

Conviction by Denise Mina

This was my first exposure to this author. I selected it for my book group because it was touted as one of the year’s best mysteries by the Washington Post, NYT Book Review, and Publishers Weekly.  It’s a quirky book and much of the way, I didn’t much like it.  But several in the group loved it.

Anna McDonald’s husband leaves her for her best friend.  Devastated, she becomes obsessed with a true crime podcast that concerns a man, Leon Parker, whom she once knew slightly. Leon died when a yacht he and his family were on exploded.  Convinced that not all is true or right with the podcast, Anna goes on a quest to find answers.  She is joined by her neighbor Fin, a failed musician and her friend’s husband.  

They fly hither and thither across Europe checking out stories and interviewing possible relatives and suspects. All the while Fin is creating podcasts in response to the original one.  Anna is not who she has claimed to be, and her multiple identities unravel as they get deeper into their research.  

IN THE PAN

RECIPE REVIEW

Saucy Chicken Puttanesca

A plate of food Description automatically generated with medium confidence

(bonappetit.com)

Since the start of the pandemic, the Chief Penguin and I have eaten many more meals at home.  That’s meant a reprise of favorite entrees from the past plus trotting out new dishes to try.  Most recently, I cooked this chicken puttanesca from the February 2021 issue of Bon Appetit.  

It’s fairly straightforward in that chicken legs or thighs (I used boneless thighs) are browned on the stove and then transferred in a skillet to the oven.  It combines some of my favorite ingredients: olives (black ones for us), capers, lemon zest, and tomato, with garlic and anchovies, to make a dish that’s greater than the sum of its parts.  The flavor is robustly bold and deeply satisfying.  I served it over egg noodles dressed with a bit of butter and some truffle oil.  A definite keeper, I will make it again.  Bon appetit!

Note: Header photo of Kamala Harris taking the oath of office from wionews.com