Tag: LGBTQ

Flashback Friday: Hunters (2020-2023)

Alternative history is fascinating. It asks “what if?” while reminding the audience of what was.

Hunters premiered in 2020 on Amazon Prime and ran for two seasons. In 1977 in Brooklyn, Jonah Heidelbaum (Logan Lerman) is a young man living with his grandmother Ruth (Jeannie Berlin). After she is murdered, he is approached by Meyer Hoffman (Al Pacino). Meyer is an old friend who was in the camps with Ruth.

Meyer is the leader of a diverse underground group whose goal is to undermine Operation Paperclip and prevent the Fourth Reich from taking power in the US. Jonah eagerly signs up to avenge his grandmother’s death and protect his country from a potential Nazi takeover.

I enjoyed this series. Produced by Jordan Peele, it feels like a companion piece to Inglorious Basterds. It is bloody, violent, and enjoyable. Though some episodes did drag on a little, it is, overall, an enjoyable series. Pacino’s accent feels authentic without bordering on being a caricature.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Hunters is available for streaming on Netflix.

P.S. There is a Yiddish cover of “Milkshake” that makes me happy beyond reason.

The Rebel Girls of Rome Book Review

The secrets of our forebears past can (depending on the individual) be catnip to the younger generations.

The Rebel Girls of Rome, by Jordyn Taylor, was published last year. Lilah is a college student who recently lost her mother. Her grandfather, who is a survivor, has been mum on his experience during the war. Both are drawn to Rome via an heirloom that was believed to have disappeared decades ago.

In 1943, Bruna comes from a family of Italian Jews whose lives are slowly being squeezed into nothingness by the German invaders. When they receive the expected knock at the door, they notice that her younger brother, Raffa, has vanished into thin air. Her decision to find him leads her to join the underground, fall in love, and fight for what remains of her world.

I enjoyed this book. As she did in her previous novel, Taylor perfectly intertwines the present with the past. It is a reminder that even small acts of resistance can go a long way. The best part was the ending. I won’t give it away, but I will warn that you should have a tissue or two nearby.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Rebel Girls of Rome is available wherever books are sold.

Flashback Friday: The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Envy can send us into dark places.

The 1999 film, The Talented Mr. Ripley, is based on the book of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. Originally published in 1955, it is the first in the Ripley series. Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is on a mission. He has been sent from New York City to Italy to bring the errant ultra-wealthy playboy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) back to the States. But Dickie and Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow), his sophisticated fiancée, are content to stay on their extended vacation.

Tom then turns to extreme measures to get the job done, and while doing so, takes advantage of the luxuries of the 1%.

The film starts off a little slow, and when it picks up, it picks up. Damon was perfectly cast as the titular character, a man who is willing to go to any lengths necessary to get what he wants. Even if it means crossing a few moral boundaries.

Law was equally well cast as Dickie, a spoiled man-child who is content to live on his parents’ dime without taking any real responsibility. Paltrow’s Marge trusts Tom at first, but starts to suspect that he may not be telling the truth.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Talented Mr. Ripley is available to stream on Netflix.

The Emperor of Gladness Book Review

A blood and/or DNA test does not always dictate who we consider to be family.

The Emperor of Gladness, by Ocean Vuong, was published last year. It is the story of an unlikely friendship between a young man named Hai and Grazina, an older woman who is suffering from dementia. After literally talking him off the ledge and preventing him from jumping off a bridge, Grazina invited Hai into her home. He becomes her caretaker and lives with her for a year, creating a bond that forever shapes the rest of their days.

This is another title in which the premise drew me in, and the text pushed me away. I enjoyed this unorthodox friendship, but the tale does not hold up to what it could have been.

Do I recommend it? No.

The Emperor of Gladness is available wherever books are sold.

Throwback Thursday: Someone Great (2019)

As bad as a breakup is, it can also be a new opportunity to start over.

Someone Great was released in 2019. Jenny Young (Gina Rodriguez) is a music journalist who is about to leave NYC for a job in San Francisco. On the heels of her breakup with her long-time boyfriend, Nate Davis (LaKeith Stanfield), Jenny is determined to have one last hurrah with her friends. Blair Helms (Brittany Snow) and Erin Kennedy (DeWanda Wise) are more than up for adventure before they lose Jenny to California.

I liked the idea of this film. It’s more than her relationship with Nate. It’s about the bonds with her besties, even when they are in different time zones. The problem is that the narrative tapered off quickly, and I was no longer interested in the story. Though I did appreciate the diverse cast, which is still too infrequent in our culture.

Do I recommend it? No.

Someone Great is available for streaming on Netflix.

Throwback Thursday: Three Wishes for Cinderella (2021)

This review is based on the 2021 movie. I have not seen its predecessor.

The story of Cinderella is a universal one. Rooting for the underdog to succeed against all odds is (hopefully) human nature.

Three Wishes for Cinderella (2021) is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name. Our titular heroine, known as Askepott (Astrid Smeplass), lives in a snowy kingdom and is under the thumb of her stepmother (Ellen Dorrit Petersen). Three magical hazelnuts (given to her by the family coachman) open the door to possible freedom and an opportunity to go to the ball. She has no idea that her fate will be changed when she meets the Prince (Cengiz Al).

I like the variation in the details of the narrative. There is just enough for it to stand out from the pack while still being true to the basic tale that we all know. I also appreciated that this Cinderella is not just waiting to be rescued. She takes fate into her own hands.

Though it is a bit cartoonish at times, it is grounded in reality insofar as the Prince must grow up a little before he is worthy of his other half (a la Ever After). If nothing else, the cinematography is stunning. The scenes in the mountains with the snow sparkling in the background are breathtaking.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Three Wishes for Cinderella is available for streaming on YouTube.

Goodbye June Movie Review

Human bodies are fragile, especially as we get older. Bones break, organs fail, and the mind starts to fade.

Goodbye June was just released on Netflix. Written by Joe Anders and directed by Kate Winslet, the film follows four siblings and their father as they grapple with the failing health of their mother/wife, June (Helen Mirren). Bernie (Timothy Spall) rarely leaves June’s side. Their offspring, Connor (Johnny Flynn), Julia (Winslet), Molly (Andrea Riseborough), and Helen (Toni Collette) are dealing with the impending loss of their maternal parent as best they can.

The best thing about Goodbye June is how human the story is. No one wants to see their parent age and die. It is a fact of life that is unavoidable. Anders (Winslet’s son) wrote a terrific script. It was absolutely riveting in a way that is both unexpected and is thankfully devoid of the over-the-top schmaltz that often accompanies this genre.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Goodbye June is available for streaming on Netflix.

The Life She Wanted Book Review

Just because we want certain things out of life does not mean we will get them.

The Life She Wanted, by Anita Abriel, was published in 2023. In the 1920s, Pandora Carmichael had two goals: to become a fashion designer and marry her crush. Living inches from the 1%, she has had a taste of what her future could be. When she finally gets what she wants (the career and the marriage), it all comes tumbling down in a scandal. Then the Great Depression hit, forcing Pandora to take a look at what she has (and does not have) with new eyes.

I liked this title. It’s about accepting change and that sometimes, the road ahead is not what you expected it to be. But somehow, it is believing that everything will work out in the end.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Life She Wanted is available wherever books are sold.

Throwback Thursday: The Stranger (2020)

We all have secrets. Whether they are ours to keep or someone else’s to share is another story.

In the 2020 Netflix Mini-Series, The Stranger (based on the book of the same name by Harlan Coben) was released. Adam Price (Richard Armitage) has it all. A happy marriage, two healthy children, and a solid career. It all shatters when a strange woman (Hannah John-Kamen) tells him a heartbreaking secret about his wife.

While he is grappling with what he has been told, DS Johanna Griffin (Siobhan Finneran) is on her latest case. What starts out as a simple case soon blooms into something much deeper and far more extended than anyone realizes.

Full disclosure: I have never read the book, so this review is based on the small screen adaptation. Although the ending is a bit confusing, it remains an exciting ride. The revelations are expertly timed, forcing hard truths into the light.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Stranger is available for streaming on Netflix.

Baazar Girls Book Review

When others have expectations of us, the simpler path is to give in to those ideas. When we choose to go with our gut, the reactions may not be so positive.

Baazar Girls is the 3rd book in the Townsend Harbor series by Kerrigan Byrne and Cynthia St. Aubin. It was published in 2023. Gemini “Gemma” McKendrick is as civically minded as one can get. On top of owning the local yarn and craft store, she is involved with local governance, and has a list of hobbies as long as one’s arm.

Gabe Kelly is as typical a bad boy as one can get. He has serious tattoos, a criminal record, and a way with cars. This Boston native hopes that settling in Townsend Harbor will be his chance to start anew. The only job he can take in this small town is to buy the vintage mechanic shop from its now-retiring owner.

He meets Gemma when her car breaks down. As luck would have it, he needs a place to stay. She also needs an extra boost of income (and has a basement waiting for a tenant) when the books for her store start to show a loss. When they come together, the explosion is figuratively earth-shattering. But is it enough to make the relationship last?

This is another lovely notch in the series. It is well written, sexy, and an enjoyable read.

I also loved the older gay couple (which I finally figured out after finishing 3/5 titles in the IP). It gives this world a grounding outside of the page and makes it stand out from the Hallmark-esque narrative it could have been.

My only issue is that Gabe refers to some of the women as “beauties”. There are only a few phrases that I dislike with a passion. If I had my way, this descriptor would be forced into limited use if not banned altogether (except in limited situations). The idea that a female should be first and foremost (if not solely) defined by her looks is an idea that should have been kicked to the curb permanently.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Bazaar Girls is available wherever books are sold.

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