The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. -- Take 2

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. was a thoroughly enjoyable read.  Whenever I am surprised by how much I enjoy a book which has sat unread in my collection for so many years, I'm a bit disappointed. It seems sort of silly, but I believe my brain is just wishing that it could have had that reading experience earlier, so that it might have been enjoyed for longer.

Regardless, here I am, finally having finished the first of the Josephine trilogy.  It's a based-on-a-true-story novel told through journal entries of the titular character plus the occasional letter.  I love the format, which so perfectly supports the goal of understanding the "secret sorrows" which Rose (later Josephine) endured.

I don't believe I'm spoiling anything (it's right there in the back cover blurb) to say that Josephine marries Napoleon Bonaparte. But she has a whole other wild, sometimes terrifying, life before she becomes Mrs. B, which is where this book spends its time.  Napoleon makes no appearance at all until the last couple of chapters.

A fun and fascinating read, and one more book to tick off on my way to completing my 2025 Reading Challenge!

What I Read -- The Prospector

I don't know much about Mauritius. I'm certain it has some European colonial history, definitely French and possibly also British.  But I'm going there, so I decided to see what I could pick up from a novel.

I selected The Prospector, by J. M. G. Le Clézio.  I didn't know anything about the author before beginning, and only learned when I got to the "About The Author" page at the end that he's kind of a big deal in his native France.  He lives part time in Mauririus, and it shows in how lovingly he writes about the island.

The Prospector is a tale of sorrow and growth and hope.

We meet our hero as a young boy, running wild through the woods with his childhood friend. We follow him through family tragedy and on his mad crusade to realize his deceased father's dreams.  He finds love, then war, then comes home again.  We follow him as his most important relationships change and are lost to time and circumstance.  We see him cope with those changes, until all that matters to him is gone.

I would not, you might guess from the above description, call this as a happy story.  But it is so beautifully told.  The words and sentences flow effortlessly one after another, expertly conveying the details of place (which, collectively, could rightfully be considered a major character) and the feeling of longing for something which remains just out of reach.

What I'm Reading Now -- The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

While simultaneously trying to catch up on my 2024 Reading Challenge with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I'm hoping not to fall too far behind on my 2025 list by getting going on The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.

This book is one that has been in my collection for years, ever since I bought it for $1.00 at the big book fair in St. Louis that used to happen every spring in the covered parking at West County Mall one year that K and I went together. (Does that book fair still happen? Looks like yes!) 

What I'm Reading Now -- Wolf Hall

This is my second time through Wolf Hall.  Perhaps inexplicably, I am again listening to the audiobook. It was several years ago when I tried this before, and I believe my failure at that time was one of attention.

There's not much I can do differently this time except really try to give the story -- especially the extensive cast of characters -- the focus I should have paid it last time.  I had initially downloaded a cheat sheet of the major players. but now find myself unable to locate it.

Regardless, I'm having far more success this time. I'm 16% into the story (according to my audiobook player) and have a good grip on who's who.  With their names and identities now solidified in the background, I'm able to relax a bit and enjoy the quality of the writing which escaped me previously.

So far, so good!

What I'm Reading Now -- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

You might recall how, for several years now, K and I have had an annual reading challenge. One ot the  books on my 2024 Reading Challenge list which I did not get to during that calemdar year was One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the first novel by Ken Kesey.

I've seen the movie starring Jack Nicholson (and truly, why would you watch another version?), so I have a pretty good fix on the major plot points.

But I decided it's high time I read the book that inspired one of the big screen's greatest lunatics.

What I Read -- City of Buried Ghosts

I picked up City of Buried Ghosts, by Chris Lloyd, in a hotel where S and I recently stayed.  It's a detective mystery, and follows the genre tropes just as one might expect.  So insofar as that goes, it was not particularly clever or creative. 

Where it is challenging is that it's set in Catalonia, which is a region of Spain where a particular dialect of Spanish is spoken. Consequently,  the character names and place names are unusual, making them both difficult to pronounce and a tad harder than normal to remember. (At least that's the experience I have with words and especially languages that are unfamiliar.  I had a similar experience with my recent book on Indonesian history.  Or perhaps that's just me?)

Anywho, I didn't find much special in this book to recommend it over others of its kind, but if you're interested in a moderately sad page turner, this will get the job done.

What I'm Reading Now -- Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity

I have no idea where this book came from; I just found it in my reading app on my phone one day.  Not having any other audiobooks available at the time, I took the "something is better than nothing" approach and decided to give it a go.

Here are a few of the things this book told me before my time ran out and the library took it away:

 - Settlers in America have always been extremely mobile. The goal was to move up, get better economic opportunities, or escape your past.
 - People who moved had a higher-than-average rate of involvement in civic, religious, and community associations. People who stayed put had lower rates of involvement.

 - The rise of zoning laws (in California, primarily as a way to exclude the Chinese and Chinese-owned laundries through the mid- and late-19th century) began the trend of limiting mobility in order to satisfy the desires of the people who already lived in a particular area or neighborhood.
 - Zoning expanded and was further developed in NYC and Flint, Michigan, particularly in response to the first and second great migrations.

At which time, the library reclaimed its free mystery book, so I have nothing further to offer unless and until I finish up listening to it.

A Brief History of Indonesia -- Take 2

A Brief History of Indonesia: Sultans, Spices, and Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of Southeast Asia's Largest Nation is exactly what it purports to be, and I very much appreciate that about it. Specifically, it meets both the expectations set by its title and subtitle, and also in its introduction, which promises a non-academic review of the long and tumultuous history of this portion of the Malay archipelago.

For us westerners, it's easy for a country like Indonesia to be ignored.  It's not one of the world's military superpowers; it's not the exclusive source of any particular product which we Americans must have; its economy overall is pretty much in shambles domestically, not to mention internationally.

But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have a fascinating history of discovery, exploitation, and resistance.  As a nation of islands in southeast Asia, it was perfectly positioned to be central to the spice trade -- together with all the good and bad things that came along with that.  If you want to learn about them, this book is a pretty good introduction.

The Small and The Mighty -- Take 2

The Small and The Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement is a rare combination of quick, entertaining, and informative.  Where I find that it really shines is in finding little-known historical figures who did yoeman's work, often for years or decades, and giving color and depth to the story of their often Herculean efforts.

In the end, it attempts to convey the message that we all have a role to play in potentially changing history.  I'm not quite sure I believe I'm ready to go there.  It seems like a fun idea, but one that may only exist when there are certain circumstances present -- a certain social, cultural, or psychological stew that has been brewing already, some kindling already on the fire, in order for one's actions to light the inferno.

The author shamelessly plugs her own podcast at the end of the book ... but I was interested enough to want to check it out. If you're curious to check it out yourself, it's called "This is Where It Gets Interesting."

What I'm Reading Now -- Misadventures in Nature's Paradise

Further to my study of southeasst Asia, my next read is Misadventures in Nature's Paradise: Australia's Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island During the Dutch Era. 

At the opening, my honest opinion is that this sounds a little dull and esoteric, and frankly I may not get through it.  But as with so much of the world, the current political, economic, and social situations in these places stem from their colonial history.  So, I'm going to give it a whirl and see what I can learn (or how far I make it...).

What I'm Reading Now -- A Brief History of Indonesia

My friend C lent me a copy of his book, A Brief History of Indonesia: Sultans, Spices, Tsunamis: The Incredible Story of Southeast Asia's Largest Nation.  Despite its long name, the introduction indicates that it was written by a non-historian traveler to Indonesia who, many moons ago, was looking for a readable yet reasonably comprehensive history.

When he could find none, he spent decades researching, and wrote his own.  I'll see how he did.

What I'm Reading Now -- The Small and the Mighty

K's next book for our Postal Book Club is The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement.  It got a good review from E, and it sounds like the sort of thing that is right up my alley, so I'm looking forward to it.

Plus, I have already taken a peek at the introduction, and the author seems to have a good sense of humor.  I hope that carries throughout the book!

I Am Pilgrim -- Take 2

I finished I Am Pilgrim over a series of nights when I was having trouble sleeping.  Listening to an audiobook is a good thing to do because it requires minimal light and minimal movement, so I'm less likely to keep S awake.  (The one problem that it does create is that, when I eventually fall asleep again, the book continues playing for some amount of time, which means I have to back up the next day to the last thing I remember.  But, such is life.)  Despite my occasionally falling asleep, it was overall an egaging listen, especially -- as was its original purpose -- when I was already awake and doing other things but need a little entertainment.

It is a bit of a sprawling story with multiple plot lines that are left hanging until you get closer to the end.  There was a fair amount of political commentary in the one particular story line that involved a character referred to as the Saracen, but even at that it felt reasonably balanced to me -- some critical, some not.  There was enough nuance to make it feel at least a little bit thoughtful.  There was another line that started with a murder in a New York hotel, which opens the book.  Then it disappears for a long time but it does come back to set the scene for another murder later on.

As with most books that have larger-than-life, I-can-do-miraculous-spy-things-despite-pretending-to-be-a-totally-normal-guy main character, this one required some suspension of disbelief.  "There's no way he would have just guessed at that!"  Just keep going.  "He would never have survived that!"  Doesn't matter, just keep going. But I don't mind that for the sake of entertainment.  Proceed with caution, however, if you do.

In The Gloaming -- Take 2

I like reading short stories for the reasons I already said.  One of the difficulties with short stories, I find, is that you have to remember that (most of the time, anyway) the characters don't carry over from story to story.  They read like chapters in a book, but unlike chapters, you have to completely reset your brain vis a vis setting, plot, and characters with each new beginning.

The exception where, at least in this particular collection, one's brain does not have to be reset is theme.  The jacket notes describe the stories in In the Gloaming as ones that "reveal the ache of adoration and devotion that so poignantly [mark] our inner lives."

And for perhaps the fourth time ever, I don't think the jacket notes are a bunch of hooey.

These really are stories about devotion - between parents and children, between actual or would-be lovers, between siblings, between friends - and all the different ways a person can be wrecked by it.  They are not entirely melancholy; many of the stories have at least moments of joy and levity, and often leave a mixed taste at their conclusion, both bitter and sweet.  Regardless, the theme can get tiring; if you're looking for unmitigated joy, you won't find it here.

As with any collection of stories, some are better than others.  But overall, it was a good collection about love, loss, and the choices we make, even if we don't think about or aren't yet capable of knowing the consequences of those choices.

What I'm Reading Now -- I Am Pilgrim

Recently I needed something to keep me entertained while I did load of things around the house, a whole weekend full of chores, wall to wall. 

I wanted something entertaining and that would give me enough to think about, but not so serious that if I spaced out for a few minutes I would be completely lost.

I ended up with I Am Pilgrim, by Terry Hayes.  So far, it's a pretty entertaining pseudo-spy thriller. There are lots of storylines and it's not yet clear how they'll weave together, but I expect time will tell.

What I'm Reading Now -- In the Gloaming

In the grand tradition of easy-to-read-while-traveling books, my next pick is a short story collection called In The Gloaming, by Alice Elliott Dark. It's another pick from my 2025 Reading Challenge,  so I am moving right along on that!

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLV -- American Stories from Recent Decades

Dazed and Confused follows a bunch of high school stoners through the end of one particular school year in the 1970s. Matthew McConaughey is the best-known star - and this movie is where his "all right, all right, all right" catchphrase comes from - but loads of other recognizable actors are packed in there as well. As for the plot, there isn't much of one; it's just a bunch of kids doing dumb kid things.  But it does capture a specific combination of age and culture in America.

While MMc may never escape the aforementioned "all right, all right, all right," Tom Cruise will never escape the scene from Risky Business where he slides into frame in his tighty-whities, button down, and socks singing "Old Time Rock and Roll" into various household implements.  And he shouldn't want to escape it, because it's iconic! A Chicago kid whose parents leave him home alone goes dancing around the house to celebrate his freedom? It doesn't get much more American than that.  In fact, two other similar stories spring to mind, and I'm sure there are others.

Okay, enough of Chicago.  Let's go to New York, one of my favorites and the fifth main character in the Sex and the City franchise. Sex and the City: The Movie remains set primarily in NYC and has some really great backdrops: the iconic main branch of the New York Public Library, a beautiful and expansive apartment that no one can actually afford, the Met, MoMA, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Ladies Pavilion in Central Park, and loads of others (this site has a pretty comprehensive list). The story is more of the same from the show, with the added delight of Louise from St. Louis, played by Jennifer Hudson, and her fantastic song "All Dressed in Love."

It's too much to say that Live Free or Die Hard is another New York City movie, but it does involve NYPD stalwart John McClain (Bruce Willis in perhaps his most iconic role) who is out to save America ... yet again. This time, some hacker baddies are taking down computer systems and financial networks all over the country and McClain comes to the rescue yet again, saving his estranged daughter along the way.  And if that's not a classic story of redemption, McClain style, I don't know what is.

Dark Waters is the next in a long line of based-on-a-true-story movies which expose corporate greed and malfeasance.  There was A Civil Action, Erin Brockovich, Flash of Genius, and the list goes on. Dark Waters' hero, played by Mark Ruffalo (who put on some serious weight for the role), turns against his own law firm to go after DuPont for dumping chemicals into groundwater which is killing local livestock and poisoning the people in the nearby town.  What's not American about that story? Sadly, if it weren't so true to life, there wouldn't be nearly so many versions of what is basically the same movie.

I started watching Miracle, and I was about 15 minutes in before I realized I may have seen it before.  Or perhaps I was confusing it with another come-from-behind, everybody-loves-an-underdog sports movie.  No matter, because I love an underdog sports movie, so I watched it (perhaps again) regardless.  And boy is it a good one! Kurt Russell plays Herb, the coach of the 1980 USA men's hockey team that's going to the Olympics which, that year, were in Lake Placid, NY. The kids he's coaching are mostly college players, young guys who don't have a lot of experience playing together (you'll recognize a lot of the actors). Their big rival is the team from the USSR, which is both more experienced and better trained at playing together. You layer all the lingering Cold War animosities on top of that, and it turns out that Herb and his little college players had quite a hill to climb.  But climb it they did. 

What I Read -- Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas

This was one of my 2025 Reading Challenge books. Why did I elect to read it in the summer, despite its subject matter?  Simple, and usually the reason that I'll pick a book our of season: convenience. We have been undertaking -as is common this time of year - some summer travels. This particular little book was perfect. Its attributes in that regard include the following: 

• It's pocket-sized, even for me (as long as I'm wearing pants with cargo pockets, which I usually do for travel). That makes it easy to stow away quickly when the line suddenly begins to move, but equally as easy to pull out again when it comes inexplicably to an abrupt halt a few steps later.

• It's unserious. There are a few moments of serious content, but even they are, for the most part, told in a pretty unserious way. There are one-liners. It's a little bit like reading the script of a stand-up comedian's set, and frankly I found it to be more entertaining if I pretended that's exactly what it was; timing is everything.

• It's made up of vignettes. This is helpful for the same reason that it being pocket-sized is helpful: it's easy to dip in and out quickly. Each story, told in chronological order somewhat in the format of a journal entry, is a stand-alone tale that may be as short as a few sentences. This is perfect for when your attention is regularly pulled elsewhere by the constant streams of people and PA announcements. 

Also, let's not forget that this was actually my June book selection ("something funny"), so I'm not that out of season after all.

Having said all those positive things, this is not destined to become a classic. It feels like the guy had some funny or clever stories he wanted to tell and used the hook of Christmas to string them all together whether that really made sense or not. But if you need a book for an airplane - especially in July - this one does the trick.

What I Read -- Courage Under Fire

Somehow - and right now I can't remember how this happened - Stoic philosophy came into my consciousness recently.  I took a couple of philosophy classes in college but, as a political science minor, they all leaned more towards political philosophy and ethics of governance rather than the management of oneself. 

By chance, I mentioned Stoicism to my very smart friend M, and she right away offered me up some reading material from her personal collection. Among her offerings was Courage Under Fire: Testing Epictetus's Doctrines in a Laboratory of Human Behavior, which is actually more of an essay than a book, but still worth a mention here.

James Bond Stockdale had been a wing commander in Vietnam when his plane was shot down. He spent over seven years as a prisoner of war in various North Vietnamese institutions, often tortured for information. He fell back on his earlier studies of Stoicism to see himself through those hard days. In his speech, he walks the reader through the application of certain Stoic principles to his circumstances to demonstrate how they look in action. 

As a newcomer to the ideas, this was a good introduction to some of the basics of Stoicism in a concrete form. I find that philosophy, broadly speaking, can be a challenging subject because so much of it is only ever discussed in the abstract, never applied.  This is applied.

Chop Fry Watch Learn -- Take 2

Chop Fry Watch Learn was E's latest pick for our Postal Book Club. I am sorry to admit that, prior to reading this, I didn't know much about Chinese food except what we can commonly get here in the U.S., which in so many ways is far from actual Chinese food.

This book served as an education in that regard, including culinary, cultural, social, and political history in the development of the story of Chinese and Taiwanese food in the 20th century.  This was all told through the lens of the life's work of Fu Pei-Mei.  She was a revolutionary home cook who gained notoriety through her popular television program and series of cookbooks which published recipes side by side in both Chinese and English. She was referred to over the course of her career and in the book as the "Chinese Julia Child," though the author makes a point to explain how and why that undersells Fu Pei-Mei's reach and importance. 

If you're interested in food history, Chinese and Taiwanese history, or ideally both - or if you just love eating Chinese food and want to know more about it - this is an enlightening and surprisingly quick read.

Happy Birthday, K!

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLIV -- Great Styling

I'm not actually quite sure "styling" is the right word for what I liked about Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry, because styling seems to me (someone not in the industry) to be more about costume design, set design, props, and that sort of stuff.  The beauty of Look & See was more in the camera work.  The film is an homage to American rural life, farming, and history more than it is a portrait of the poet who wrote about those things, though his poems do provide the audio to the beautiful, slow, sun-kissed landscapes.  And those photos are a nice reminder of what an incredibly stunning country it is that we live in, even as the subject of the film is that it's all being ruined by big ag.

I thought the set design of Devil in a Blue Dress was fantastic. It's a classic noir mystery, and when I'm in the right mood I really enjoy such films.  They're often somewhat predictable, the characters are more caricatures than individual people, and the plot leaves a little something to be desired, but they're fun and don't require much brain power.  S, as a consequence, was bored by this; I thought it was fun. 

If you're looking for a bathed-in-the-era love story, try If Beale Street Could Talk.  It's simultaneously sad and uplifting, but through it all is a beautiful portrait of life and love. Two young people fall in love. She gets pregnant.  He's accused of a crime he didn't commit.  But they continue to love each other and their families mostly support them.  It's not all sunshine and roses, but that's the gist of it; it's a beautiful portrait of life.  And, set in 1970s New York, the city as a backdrop is its own beautiful character and the outfits are nothing to sneeze at either.

The casting of The Sting is excellent, led by Robert Redford and Paul Newman. They play two grifters and con men, trying to make a quick buck by scamming whomever happens to cross their paths. It's set in the 1930s, so the clothing and set design are Depression-era chic.  It's not what one might call the best era in American history, but nonetheless it did have a particular design of its own.

The problem with Risky Business is that it's mostly known for its one scene; you know the one.  And, let's be clear, it's a great scene.  The reason it's a bummer is because there's so much other good stuff -- besides just pantsless dancing -- in the movie in terms of style. This gem is set in early 1980s Chicago, and the clothes, hair, and cars are everything you could hope for from that time.  The plot is entirely ridiculous, basically a rich kid behaving badly, but if you can suffer through one bad decision after another, it'll take you unapologetically back to 1983.

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLIII -- War or War-Adjacent Stories

The Zookeeper's Wife follows a Warsaw couple through WWII as they use their zoo to guide Jews fleeing the Nazi occupation of Poland, while also trying to care for the animals who remain.  The couple's faith is tested as Jan leaves his wife at the zoo to join the Warsaw uprising.  I found the actors' accents distracting at times as they came in and out, but it was also nice that some of the cast were German or Polish, which mitigated that in some scenes.

I stumbled upon The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare on an airplane (I saw someone else watching it and had to figure out what it was!) and boy, was it a trip - and based on a true story! It's a little bit hard to comprehend something described as an "action comedy war film," until you realize that it's also a Guy Ritchie film; then somehow it all makes sense. A group of undercover renegade British soldiers aboard a fishing boat set about planning and executing an attack on a German resupply base.  Chaos ensues.  I didn't recognize a lot of the cast, but thought they were well-selected for their roles.

The critical reviews for All Quiet on the Western Front were what got my attention.  I had read the book a couple of times and may not have bothered with the movie if it had not been so well received.  (I have not seen either of the other two film adaptations, done in 1930 and 1979.)  The story more or less follows the book: a young, idealistic German boy signs up to fight for the fatherland. He quickly realizes that war is not what he imagined.  It's a dark, sad story; WWI may have been the worst kind of hell.  I would recommend steering clear of this one if you find yourself lacking the stomach for gore; "visceral" is a good word to describe it.  But other than that  I'll leave it to you to decide whether it stands up to the hype.

As you know, I adore Matt Damon.  The Good Shepherd is one of those sprawling spy stories (in this case, mostly fictionalized) that covers decades of someone's life - in part because the things that happened to them all those years ago shaped who they are and how they got here, and in part because the art of good spycraft often unfolds over years or decades. Matt Damon plays Edward Wilson, and we follow him all the way from his days at Yale to his ascension to the highest rungs of the CIA.  It's a long, slow, character-builder, but I was entertained the whole time not only by Matt's lovely face, but also by the historical clothes and styling, as well as the scenes set in England. If I ever thought, though, that I wanted to be in the CIA, this movie is a good reminder that it would be a terrifying way to live.

Ahh, what a classic G.I. Jane has become for me.  When I want to watch something that's not a war movie but has heavy military presence, it's always fun to watch Demi Moore become the world's most badass lady. And, though I didn't begin to like Viggo Mortensen until he transformed himself into Aragorn (which is really the version of him that I like most), he does a nice turn as Master Chief in this film.

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLII -- Tough Watches

The characters in Green Book were not what I expected, in a good way (though perhaps not a surprising way).  I expected more of a white savior narrative from big Hollywood.  While some of that is baked into the historical plot (the white guy went along as a bodyguard, so sometimes was literally, physically, the savior), the emotion in the movie to me felt very much equalized, perhaps even reversed.  In the end, it's a beautiful portrait of an unlikely friendship forged during a drive through the Southern states while segregation was still strong.  There are some light, funny moments despite the weight of the circumstances.  It stars one of my faves, Viggo Mortensen, as the driver and Mahershala Ali as the phenomenal pianist Dr. Don Shirley.  In a supporting role, the always lovable Linda Cardellini brings it home.

You'd have to be living under a rock to have neither read, seen, nor heard about Killers of the Flower Moon in the last decade.  But since we're talking about movies here, I'll save my commentary about the book for another time (or never). The basic story is the same: oil is discovered under land owned by the Osage Nation, whose members begin dying mysteriously. Though they nominally become wealthy, the Osage are considered incompetent in the eyes of the law and white guardians are appointed to look after their money.  Meanwhile, the deaths continue.  Eventually they draw the attention of the Bureau of Investigation (which would become the FBI).  The movie was perhaps most discussed for the heavy consultation with members of the Osage Nation during the making of the film.  Of course it was not without the "white savior" criticism (see, Green Book) and others, but no movie about a controversial topic is going to be. 

Oof, It Ends With Us was a tough one.  Two young, beautiful people - Lily and Ryle - fall in love.  The relationship gets a little bit dangerous, a little bit controlling ... was that violent?  Or an accident?  It's all complicated by flashbacks to Lily's younger self and the violence that existed in her family.  It's nuanced, complicated, and ambiguous.  The ending was a little bit candy-coated; however, after the doubt, confusion, and violence running through most of the film, it was a nice palate cleanser.  I have never been shy about my adoration of Blake Lively, who carries this movie on her lovely shoulders.  I also have a new crush on Brandon Sklenar, though time will tell whether it's a crush on him or a crush on his character in this movie, Atlas Corrigan.  (Irony of ironies: both Blake Lively and the former publicist of the leading man have filed suit against him alleging sexual harassment, hostile work environment, retaliatory behavior, orchestrating a smear campaign, and other things.  He counter-sued, and both suits are ongoing and schedule for trial in March 2026.)

Monster's Ball is an old one.  It stars Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton as troubled souls who find comfort in each other, against all odds and and against logic. I'm not sure you can call them themes, but the movie touches on racism, crime and capital punishment, suicide, economic struggles, and related issues.  There is so much tragedy in this movie.  One thing I really enjoyed was that there were all sorts of little quirks that were never explained, like why Billy Bob Thornton's character always at his chocolate ice cream with a plastic spoon; they were hints that there was a lot more to these characters than the viewer ever saw.

I wasn't sure whether or not to include The Gift in this category, as it's a much more traditional suspense-thriller than seems like would befit the theme. But when I think back on the movie, I'm still creeped out by Joel Edgerton's character and the chaos he produces in the lives of and relationship between the other leads. These sorts of stories, full of psychological attacks and gaslighting that cause one to question their own sanity, coupled with the sort of terror felt mostly (though not exclusively) by women, disturb me in the most primordial parts of my brain.  They get into my psyche in a way that blood-and-gore horror simply does not do.  Then there are the questions of coercive control within the relationship, which is a whole other issue.  So I can't say I recommend this one, exactly, but it sure does accomplish its goal and -- as far as this category is concerned -- remind me about the evil that can be out there.

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XLI -- Foreign Stories

If you like Mexico, try Book of Love.  Let me be clear, this is not a particularly good movie.  The plot is that a completely unsuccessful British writer is a surprise hit in Mexico; he goes on a book tour only to discover that his book has been completely rewritten in translation by a lovely Mexican woman with her own struggles and frustrations.  The expected story follows.  Despite not being a good film, there are a lot of beautiful shots of Mexico (though, interestingly, it was originally scheduled to be filmed in the Canary Islands but was forced to relocate during COVID).  It leaves behind the beaches and drug trafficking, and instead is a love letter to Mexican culture, geography, and people, which is perhaps not surprising considering it has a Mexican director.

I could say the same thing about Made in Italy as about Book of Love.  The story here is that a father-son pair who do not get along particularly well are force to examine their relationship when they inherit a house in Italy.  The father and son are played by real-life father-son pair Liam and Micheal Neeson.  The villa they had inherited has stunning views of the sweeping Italian countryside, which is enough to make anyone want to pack up and buy a place there. 

Brooklyn is only half-set in another country -- this time, Ireland -- but the central geographic tension in the story is about longing for home, whether it be there or in Brooklyn. Eilis (played by ) left her small town in Ireland in search of a better life in Brooklyn.  She misses home desperately, but when she goes back to visit her old-fashioned town in County Wexford, finds herself missing her new home and new life in the more modern New York.  The cinematography is stunning; pay special attention to the use of color depending on location and mood.  Who better to play Eilis than Saoirse Ronan, who was born in New York to Irish parents, but taken back to Ireland at age three to grow up?

While we're on the subject of the relationship between the Emerald Isle and America, you might check out The Problem With People.  Brooklyn is the better of the two films, but if you want something more comedic, you can watch two estranged cousins (played by Paul Reiser and Colm Meaney) try to mend fences, their dying patriarch's final wish.  Things seem to be going well, until they aren't. Lovely scenery and good music, of course!

Anatomy of a Fall is set in the French Alps.  When a man is found dead outside his home by his visually-impaired son, the investigation begins.  Was he pushed from the balcony by his frustrated wife?  Did he fall accidentally?  Was it a suicidal leap?  The only person who may know the truth is the son, but what can he really be relied on to "know," impressionable as he is due to his age and disability?  I love an unreliable narrator, and this movie has them in spades. 

I'm including Transsiberian here despite the fact that the main characters are American.  My exception is because the film takes place on and near a train from Beijing to Moscow, which is a most Eur-Asian method of travel.  Under the influence of some mysterious fellow travelers (including Kate Mara, whom I adore), the Americans get tied up in criminal behavior they never intended.  It's a classic mystery, carried on the shoulders of Emily Mortimer, one of the Americans (who, in actuality, is English).

Movies -- A Recap -- Part XL -- Kids Movies (or are they?)

Is it the case that movies for kids are just better than movies for adults, or is my chosen selection of kids movies better, and there are some really bad ones out there that I'm just not seeing.  Open to your thoughts.

My recent viewing of E.T. was a little extra (ha)!  It was one of the SLSO play-along shows, where the score of the movie is played live by the symphony while the movie runs on the projection screen.  I forgot what a sweet and simple movie this is, and it was wonderful to see it again.  I learned a few fun facts about the score from the materials in the program, including that John Williams was having a really hard time conducting the orchestra so that the music in the finale would match the action in the film.  Steven Spielberg, understanding the importance of the music, turned off the film and allowed Williams to conduct the orchestra according to the needs of the music, then re-cut the conclusion of the film to fit the music.  Their understanding and appreciation of the other led to a lifelong partnership of film- and music-making.)

Inside Out is fantastic, and also a total tearjerker.  The main character is a little girl whose family moves, but the perspectives in the film come from her five main emotions: Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith).  As Riley navigates her new home and school, her emotions do battle in her head over how to best manage the changes in her life.  And, even as adults, who can't relate to that experience?

The new Barbie really isn't a movie for kiddos, but since it's based on a toy, I'm including it here.  It stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. This movie is loaded with subjects for analysis, and frankly requires a re-watch.  There is commentary about feminism, gender roles, patriarchy (and matriarchy, though with somewhat less criticism), capitalism, self-discovery, and more.  I'm not sure if I liked it, because I'm not sure what I think of it yet.  More consideration required. 

Y'all remember Labyrinth, right?  Well, I can confidently say that it is at least as weird as you remember it being, if not weirder.  As a kid I remember thinking that the music was the strange part of the whole experience; as an adult, it felt very much the other way around.  (Fun fact:it was directed by Jim Henson.  Yes, that Jim Henson.)

I watched The Secret Lives of Pets 2 on a plane.  As with many sequels, I did not enjoy it as much as the original, but it was still sufficiently entertaining to accomplish the goal of passing the time.  Even if I had viewed it elsewhere, I expect I would have found it amusing. (Aside: Pop Culture Happy Hour, my favorite pop culture podcast, did an episode about the best movies to watch on an airplane.  One of the panelists recommended kids' movies, which is a recommendation I can get behind: bright colors which show up well on that tiny screen, the plot is easy to understand despite distractions and stuff going on around you, and there will be no embarrassing sex scenes.)

Next up: Inside Out 2.