One Life Movie Review

One of my favorite quotes from within my faith is as follows:

For anybody who destroys a single life it is counted as if they destroyed an entire world, and for anybody who preserves a single life it is counted as if they preserved an entire world.

In the days leading up to World War II, Sir Nicholas Winton saved 669 worlds. His story is told in the new movie, One Life. The film starts in 1988. The now-retired Winton (Anthony Hopkins) has been tasked by his wife Grete (Lena Olin) to clean out their house to prepare for their soon-to-be grandchild. Among the pieces he is considering getting rid of is an old leather briefcase.

It then flashes back to 1938. The young Nicky (Johnny Flynn) is a stockbroker living a comfortable life in England with his widowed mother Babi (Helena Bonham Carter). Instead of just resting on his laurels, Nicky decides to do something. Visiting Prague and seeing the substandard living that the refugees are dealing with, he steps up. Working with colleagues Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai) and Trevor Chadwick (Alex Sharp), their goal is to get as many children to safety in England as possible.

Half a century later, Nicky is still dealing with the grief of those whom he could not save when the television show That’s Life! comes calling.

As anyone who has read this blog knows, this topic is not unknown to me. This film blew me away. The performances blew me out of the water. Hopkins and Flynn, as Winton at different ages, are a perfect mirror image of one another.

A fact that I found interesting is that his parents were German Jews who changed their name, their nationality, and their religion. Their fate might have been very different had they made other choices.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

One Life is presently in theaters.

The Tuscan Secret Book Review

By nature, wars create secrets. The older generation who lived through the war may not exactly be open with the younger generations about their experience.

The Tuscan Secret, by Angela Petch, was published in 2022. Raised in England, Anna knows that her recently departed mother was born and lived in Tuscany as a young woman. But that is all she knows. Then she inherits a box of papers that could shed some light on the past.

While visiting a small town, tantalizing clues start to reveal themselves. After joining the resistance during World War II, Ines fell for an injured British soldier who was hiding from the Nazis. But the pieces of the puzzle are still not coming together as Anna expected.

Then Anna meets an old man who knows the truth but refuses to share. What information is he hiding and will he ever open up?

This is a genre and a style of narrative that I know all too well. It is not uncommon to create a story with dueling narratives that eventually come together.

I wanted to like this book. Anna, as a protagonist was easy to follow. But I got bored and unfortunately, had to move on.

Do I recommend it? No.

The Tuscan Secret is available wherever books are sold.

Black Cake Series Review

As much as we think we know our parents, we may not know about the lives they had before we were born. In some families, secrets are sometimes not shared with the next generation.

The new Hulu series, Black Cake, is based on the book, Black Cake: A Novel, by Charmaine Wilkerson. In present-day California, estranged siblings Benny (Adrienne Warren) and Byron (Ashley Thomas) reunite after the death of their mother, Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung). Via a series of recordings, Eleanor tells her story and reveals truths that have remained hidden for decades. She also asks them to share a black cake when the time is right.

Back in the 1960s, Covey (Mia Isaac) was a young woman. The daughter of a black Caribbean-born mother and a Chinese immigrant father, she escapes a forced marriage. After arriving in England, Covey makes certain choices to survive, not knowing what lays head.

I have not read the book yet (it is on my TBR list), so this review is based on the small-screen adaptation.

Wow. The series is amazing. I have binged the episodes that are available for viewing and I am hooked. There is nothing out of place or overdone. If there was a textbook on how to adapt a novel for the screen, this program would be included as an example of how to do it.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

The final episode of Black Cake will be released on December 6th on Hulu.

The Cottage Play Review

There is something delicious about a well-written and acted farce. Forcing aside manners and respectability, it reveals our common human foibles.

The Cottage, written by Sandy Rustin and directed by Jason Alexander, premiered on Broadway last week.

In a country cottage in 1920’s England, Sylvia (Laura Bell Bundy) and Beau (Eric McCormack) are having an affair. So are Marjorie (Lilli Cooper) and Clarke (Alex Moffatt). Add in Richard (Nehal Joshi) and Diedre (Dana Steingold) to the mix and you have a raunchy comedy of manners that is gut-bustlingly funny.

I laughed so hard that I got an ab workout. This cast is brilliant and hilarious. It is one of the funniest plays that I have seen in a long time. I walked out of the theater with the biggest smile on my face. This is one show that I would be happily willing to see more than once.

There is also a girl power ending that was the cherry on top of this marvelous play.

Do I recommend it? Without a doubt.

The Cottage is playing at the Helen Hayes Theater in New York City until October 29th, 2023. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.

Mothering Sunday Movie Review

One of the more common fairy tale tropes is a Cinderella-type narrative. Usually, it is a young lady from the wrong side of the tracks who ends up with a spouse whose status and bank account are more substantial than hers.

The 2021 movie, Mothering Sunday, is based on the romance novel, Mothering Sunday: A Romance by Graham Swift. In post-World War I England, Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) is a housemaid employed in the home of Godfrey and Clarrie Niven (Colin Firth and Olivia Coleman). For the last few years, she has been secretly involved with Paul Sheringham (Josh O’Connor).

Paul is about to marry a woman of his own class. Jane wants to meet up with him one more time before he says “I do”.

There were a number of reasons that the film seemed appealing: the time period, the forbidden romance, the remarkable cast, etc. But I just couldn’t get into it. I should have been easily and quickly hooked. But I was not grabbed fast enough to make me want to finish it.

Do I recommend it? No.

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding Book Review

A royal wedding is something to celebrate. Its fairy tale-esque atmosphere gives us hope when all seems lost.

Jennifer Robson‘s 2018 novel, The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding, takes place in London in 1947. Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin are survivors in their own right. The only family Ann has left is her sister-in-law. Her brother died in service to his country and her parents passed before the war. Miriam was the only member of her family to survive the Holocaust.

While working for fashion designer Norman Hartnell, they are tasked with helping to create the wedding gown of the future Queen Elizabeth II. Becoming fast friends, they become each other’s support system as they navigate this new post-war world.

In 2016, Toronto-born Heather Mackenzie has just lost her beloved grandmother. Knowing nothing of her grandmother’s life in England, she sets out on a journey to discover a past Heather knew nothing about.

I have become a fan of Robson. Her writing is fantastic. Blending historical detail with incredible characters, she takes the reader on an incredible journey. I was instantly swept up and could not put the book down.

The only (minor) downside is that I was able to figure out who Heather’s grandmother was. It’s not a huge thing, but sometimes I need the mystery to play out a bit longer.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding is available wherever books are sold.

Secret Invasion Mini-Series Review

The beauty of comic books (or any genre) is that when you think all of the stories have been told, there is always more waiting in the wings.

The new MCU/DisneyPlus miniseries Secret Invasion takes place between the narratives of Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) are the only ones who can stop the Skrulls from taking over Earth. Standing in their way is Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). Having broken away from the larger Skrull community, his perspective is that the only way to help his kind is to plunder the resources that Earth offers its inhabitants.

In addition to Gravik, G’iah (Emilia Clarke) and Sonya Falsworth (Olivia Coleman) are also creating trouble for Fury and Talos. G’iah believes that Fury has not fulfilled the promises he made. Sonya is an MI6 operative whose ultimate goal is to protect England. That does mean, however, she is entirely on the side of our heroes.

While the first episode is entertaining, I am not completely hooked. But I am not bored or confused. It has enough to keep going for at least the next episode.

What I like is that Fury is neither unlikable nor likable. He has his flaws, his past, and more than a few who would like to take him down for good. Talos, for his part, is playing a political game. He wants to keep the remnants of his people together. But there are internal and external forces that have the power to tear them apart.

It is also nice to see a side character given the spotlight. It adds value to the overall MCU narrative and gives the audience someone to root for.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

New episodes of Secret Invasion are released every Wednesday on DisneyPlus.

Coronation Year: A Novel Book Review

One of the things I find fascinating about history is how the ordinary person is affected by larger events.

Coronation Year: A Novel, by Jennifer Robson, was published in April. In 1953, the future Queen Elizabeth II is months away from coronation day. Though it is a momentous event for England and the world, Edwina, “Edie” Howard” is not exactly feeling the joy.

Edie’s family has owned and operated the Blue Lion in London since the 16th century. The last of her line, she is unmarried, orphaned, and without children. With her finances dangerously in the red, there is a strong chance that she will have to sell the inn and force her employees to find another job. If she can fill the empty rooms with tourists eager to see the young Queen pass by on the way to the coronation, then the Blue Lion will be saved.

Her fate is changed by two new borders: Stella Donati is an Italian Holocaust survivor and a photographer who accepts a job at a local magazine. As her professional world expands, so does her personal life. James Geddes is an artist and the son of a Scottish father and Indian mother. Being biracial and inheriting his mother’s dark complexion has skewed his perspective on life and relationships.

As they face individual problems, they must also deal with an unknown threat that could take the one home they all share.

I enjoyed this book. Robson weaves a tale that is engrossing, entertaining, and very easy to get into. Each of the main characters takes the reader on an emotional journey that both fits the time and is universal.

As an MOT, I appreciated Robson’s approach to Stella’s specific narrative and how she is able to find a reason to live again.

The only issue I had was that the romances (and one to be specific) felt like it was unnecessary.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

Coronation Year: A Novel is available wherever books are sold.

When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe’s Life in England Book Review

Sometimes, the making of a film is just as interesting as the final product.

When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe’s Life in England, by Michelle Morgan, was published last year. In 1956, Marilyn Monroe was the biggest movie star in the world. That year, she and her new husband, playwright Arthur Miller flew to England. She was scheduled to shoot The Prince and the Showgirl (1957). Her on-screen love interest was Sir Laurence Olivier.

The plan was simple. Arthur was going to write and Marilyn was going to make the film during the day. At night, they would relax and enjoy being newlyweds. But as we all know, when we plan, our creator laughs.

She was being hounded by the press. Though Monroe and Olivier did their best to be professional, their mutual dislike was obvious. While across the pond, Monroe became interested in Queen Elizabeth II and eventually met her before returning to the States.

I enjoyed the book. Morgan bring the narrative and her subjects to life in a way that made me feel like I was with them during the experience. What she does exceptionally well is revealing the real women beneath Monroe’s Hollywood facade. Though she was strong and smarter than many thought she was, she was also beset by her troubled past and low self-esteem.

The only issue I have is the title. I feel like it does not mesh well with the story. If it was me, I would have emphasized the making of the film in addition to meeting the Queen.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

When Marilyn Met the Queen: Marilyn Monroe’s Life in England is available wherever books are sold.

RIP Queen Elizabeth

There is a myth about women and power. We are weak and emotional. We cannot take the heat, it’s too difficult, etc. The truth is that we only need the opportunity to prove ourselves.

Queen Elizabeth II died earlier today. She was 96 and on the throne for more than seventy years.

Who could have expected that the young woman who accepted the crown all of those years ago would have become the longest reigning monarch in British history? In an era in which many women kept to the traditional roles of wife and mother, the late Queen stepped into a role that was meant for a man. In doing so, she became an icon and proof that male genitals are not a prerequisite for authority.

She was more than her title. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and public servant. Her life was given to her country and her family.

I remember watching her on television decades ago. My first thought was that she looked like she could be anyone’s grandmother. There was an air about her that made her seem like she was an ordinary woman first and a Queen second.

I hope that is how she will be remembered. May her memory be a blessing. Z”L.