Stu’s Reviews – Page 18

Stu’s Reviews- #665- TV Series – “Seaside Hotel”- PBS- 8 Seasons (Danish- Sub-titles)

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A

Notable People: Amalie Dollerup, Lars Ranthe, Anne Louise Hassing, Annette Steffelbaek, Jens Jacob Tythsen, Created by: Hanna Lundblad, Stig Thorsboe

Title: Seaside Hotel

Review: This compelling combined drama and subtle comedy “Badehotellet” in remote, NW Denmark opens for its wealthy guests each summer. We follow the guests and staff at the hotel from 1928 and into the 1940s. What starts out as a lighthearted comedy turns darker with each year as Denmark is overtaken by the Depression and then Fascism and the Nazis. The show becomes overly political out of seemingly nowhere- a fascinating turn of events. The ensemble cast has may of Denmarks’ top actors and is wonderful. This is a place we’d all like to spend our summers. Thankfully, a season nine is in the works.

Stu’s Reviews- #664- Book – “Cinnamon Kiss “- Walter Mosley

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Walter Mosley

Title: Cinnamon Kiss

Review: after a month reading the laborious Pillars of the Earth, I went for down and dirty, reaching back to an old friend, Walter Mosley, who is like a well-worn pair of jeans. Had been a few years since my last dance with the fabled LA private dick, Easy Rawlins (think Denzel) and his mega- dangerous killer associate, Mouse Alexander, but it was like I nave left. Picked up with this gem, set in post Watts LA in 1963, where Easy follows up on some Sam Spade like intrigue, while ruminating on the world’s condition, the purpose of war and especially on racism in America……. all set in La and San Francisco at the dawning of the 60s counterculture. It’s a lot to unpack, but brilliant story by one of the best ever in the genre, and I read the dam things in 3 days. Mosley originally set this series immediately post war with the general, and especially African-American, LA boom of returning GIs and this ones takes us up to the summer of love-written in 2005 and the 10^th in this wonderful series, that the magnificent Mosley is still writing. You Go, Easy!

Stu’s Reviews- #663- Book – “Pillars of the Earth “- Ken Follett

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Ken Follett

Title: Pillars of the Earth

Review: This almost 8 pound, 1000-page hardcover book took me a month to read (some read In between for a break) and gave me forearm cramps juts holding it up (might want to consider this one on kindle). But-its’ a beauty. Follett is a master writer of spy fiction-dating back to the Cold War- but took a break in 1989, defying convention, to write this, the first of three works on medieval history/culture and the building of the giant European cathedrals. This book has it all: love, lust, extreme evil, power brokering rarely seen, extraordinary perseverance, enlightenment, scientific discovery- all around the lives of a group of people in 12^th century Britain, over a 60-year period and amidst the building of a historically designed massive cathedral (without power tools). It is an amazing wok of historical fiction and filled with unique highs and lows in the reading of it. Hard not to love and hate the characters and hard to take the sheer brutality of the lust for power and control, but this is a brilliant piece of work worthy of your time (a lot of it). And, Follett’s circa 2000 updated intro is worth the price of admission

Stu’s Reviews- #662- Film – “Dead Man” – HBO Max, Apple TV, You Tube

Genre: Film

Grade: NR

Notable People: Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Gabriele Byrne, Iggy Pop, Billy Bob Thornton, Robert Mitchum, Ville Virtanen, Sampo Sarkola, Directed by: Jim Jarmusch

Title: Dead Man

Review: Whom Mama, this is possibly the most bizarre film I have ever seen. The back story: was listening to Dwight Yoakum and Lukas Nelson on Sirius XM and they got into a rap about this movie and the improvised Neil Young live soundtrack- describing the unbelievably esoteric 15-minute opening scene on a train without dialog. It all sounded too much to miss- so found it on HBO-and gave a watch. Bizarre dos not quite cover this 1995 all black and white effort. Depp is a dandy from Cleveland on his way to some very Western place for an accounting job-and that is mostly it for the plot. The film is filled with wild cameo appearances with very young Depp, Thornton, Byrne, Glover and a briefly wild Alfred Molina. One of Depp’s first roles and the great Mitchum’s last. The Young soundtrack is an assault of grunge guitar that perfectly matches this surreal film. Impossible to rate- you have to be really curious for this one.

Stu’s Reviews- #661- TV Series – “Hotel Portofino”- PBS- 1 Season

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-/B+

Notable People: Natascha McElhone, Louisa Binder, Oliver Dench, Mark Umbers, Created by: Mark Baker

Title: Hotel Portofino

Review: This six-part first season mini-series is about an expat Brit family running a fabulous hotel on the coast of Italy. The cinematography of the area is worth price of admission. What starts out a a quirky story of a complex family that is light and airy- turns dark with the emergence of fascism and hate in late 30s Italy as Mussolini becomes entrenched. Great ensemble cast of VERY British characters and a few ugly Americans. Kind of sneaks up on you. Second season sounds likely.

Stu’s Reviews- #660- Film – “Bordertown: The Mural Murders” -on Netflix now

Genre: Film

Grade: B+/A-

Notable People: Ville Virtanen, Sampo Sarkola, Directed by: Jusso Syrja

Title: Virtanen resumes his masterful role as eccentric, disturbed, brilliant, detective Kari Sorjonen in the long form continuation of the series set on the Finnish/Russian border, that ran on Netflix for three memorable seasons. A bloody mural, a deadly social media poll and an infamous serial killer force Sorjonen to confront the most difficult case of his career., with Sarkola returning as his uber-evil arch nemesis (think Hannibal Lecter). Gripping drama with all the regulars returning from the original show and shot darkly in the frozen tundra of the border. Two hours fly by with this drama, and Kari is so far out as to provide some unexpected comic relief

Stu’s Reviews- #659- Film – “Operation Mincemeat” -on Netflix now

Genre: Film

Grade: A

Notable People: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, Directed by: John Madden

Title: this film was recommended to me by my ENT, who is a very picky guy. He was right. I loved everything about this true story of the greatest deception in the history of war; the last ditch attempt by Churchill and the Brits to avert disaster with the Sicily invasion of 1943 (that ultimately turned the tide of the war and may have saved the world as we know it), by creating this absolutely incredible red herring that made Das Boot think the invasion was going to secretly happen in Greece. The film is moving, the narrative and dialog wonderful, very heady, very emotional. There is an all-star cast of veteran British TV and film folks, but the principle four actors-led by the great Colin Firth, are impeccable. An amazing story, partly narrated by a very young solder named Ian Fleming, who went on from this spy escapade to create James Bond…really wonderful film.

Stu’s Reviews- #658- Book – “Women With Men “- Richard Ford

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Richard Ford

Title: Woman with Men

Review: Ford has been called America’s best living writer, by some. I’m not sure about that. For one, he is not very prolific and he is also a bit Hemingway-esque, which is not for everyone. But, he is really, really good and this 1997 collection of short fiction fully embodies his style and texture. One of the modern masters of short fiction, these three novellas are set in Chicago, Montana and Paris (hmmmmm? Who does that sound like.? Exceedingly well written and engaging, you get the feel of these places while entering the tortured souls of the principles. Ford will never be accused of being Pollyanna- ish. Dark, intense, often gripping tales of struggles of the soul take you deep inside. Might be a good thing they are short. This is an essential author, whom I’m glad to reconnect with.

Stu’s Reviews- #657- Book – “The Odessa File “- Frederick Forsyth

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Frederick Forsyth

Title: The Odessa File

Review: got back to Vermont and discovered I had left the books I wanted to read back in Ohio and the ones I ordered from library here not in yet………so had to hit the shelves of the home library to check out the benefactress’ collection, which was more soft- smut than not. But, came up with this gem from 1972 that I knew of, had seen the film, but never read. Mistake corrected! Wonderful follow up novel (with a lot of real historical facts and characters) to Forsyth’s international bestseller “The Day of the Jackal”. Set in Germany at the height of the cold war, when a young German reporter finds a diary on the body of a suicide victim on the night of the JFK assassination. The diary reveals the story of the top secret Odessa, whose only mission is to protect and prosper former Nazi SS leaders. A wild goose chase across Germany follows. Filled with adrenaline, drama and insight into the post war collective guilt, it is a fascinating and hard hitting tale. I’d challenge the idiot deniers to read this one. A bit dated, but well worth the read.

Stu’s Reviews- #656- TV Series – “Muhammad Ali”- PBS Documentary

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A

Notable People: Ken Burns and Lynn Novak

Title: Muhammad Ali

Review: The Greatest does The Greatest. If you haven’t made time for this yet, you should. A brilliant primer on the life and times of Time’s Man of the Century, from his humble beginnings in Louisville, to his three world heavyweight titles to his ultimate role as a world leader on challenging race relations in this country and around the world. Incredibly complicated portrait of an incredibly complicated man; once maybe the most reviled figure in the US to become an absolutely beloved part of our collective conscience. Brilliantly told, as always, by the Master, Burns, and friends, this four-part series (around 7-8 hours) will leave you laughing, riled up and weeping- a major chronicle of the times. Wonderful.