Stu’s Reviews – Page 30

Stu’s Reviews- #554- Book- “The Mothers”- Brit Bennett

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Brit Bennett

Title: ” The Mothers”

Review: I checked out a number of books from the library from last years’ New York Times Best of list. I guess I don’t share the same taste or values, as first two were duds that I gave up on after 50 pages…… then I hit this one. A wonderful first novel by this SoCal writer that traces the heartbreaking story of a motherless African-American girl in San Diego. Started slow- but really grew on me. Intense, colorful, evocative and well captures the experience of a young black woman in a white culture. “The Mothers” refers to the elder woman at the “Upper Room” church to which the protagonist’s marine father is devoutly involved, and each chapter starts with their moving reminiscences before delving into the story. A very touching book that will make you think and feel deeply.

Stu’s Reviews- #553- TV Series – “The Flight Attendant”- HBO Max- 1 Season

Genre: TV Series

Grade: B+

Notable People: Kaley Cuoco, Michiel Huisman, Zozia Mamet, Michele Gomez Created by: Steve Yockey

Title: The Flight Attendant

Review: this show came recommended by two friends…and I initially thought they had lost their mind. They both encouraged me to persevere past the first few episodes….and frankly, the show did become more enticing. But, make no mistake, this is one bizarre story-from a novel by Chris Bohjalian (a Vermont writer know for bizarre). Cuoco is TFA, who is a drunk and a one-night stand queen, which she has with the occupant of 3C on a New York to Bangkok flight. He winds up dead in their hotel bed, she winds up in a crazed world of drug and gum smuggling, fake corporations, alcohol fueled dementia, hit men and woman of all sized and shapes, traitorous colleagues and wacked out FBI agents. Nothing is what it seems, and it’s a bit hard to follow at times, but the cast is good, there is nice underlying senses of dark humor and Cuoco carries the day, nailing an alcoholic coming apart at the seams in every way , but still, cute and funny and likeable. This is a guilty pleasure, though I think one season is enough.

Stu’s Reviews- #552- TV Series – “Luther”- Hulu and HBO Max- 5 Seasons

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-

Notable People: Idris Elba, Ruth Wilson, Dermot Crowley Created by; Neil Cross

Title: Luther

Review: Gritty crime drama set in London with the magnificent Elba (unrecognizable from his drug kingpin role on The Wire) as the tortured detective who gets entwined with one serial killer after another. Wilson is a revelation as the likeable psychopath, Alice, who is becomes Luther’s guardian angel…with a price. The last two seasons were very abbreviated and suffered from some lack of direction, but Elba and Wilson are so good, the show remains a keeper. This one seems like a terminal ending to me, though there is rumor of film version in the works.

Stu’s Reviews- #551- Book- “Euphoria”- Lily King

Genre: Book

Grade: A-

Notable People: Lily King

Title: ” Euphoria”

Review: Fascinating novel about three anthropologists in the New Guinea bush on the 1930s. Loosely based on the life of Margaret Mead, and culled from her autobiographical writings, it paints a picture of 20th century tribal life that is quite striking, and is centered around the early years of cultural anthropology and the development of modern understanding of cultural difference. All this woven into a steamy (it hit in the tropics) love triangle. Well written, taut prose. For some, it may seem too academic at times, but the story captivated me.

Stu’s Reviews- #550- TV Series – “Your Honor”- Showtime- 1 Season

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-

Notable People: Bryan Cranston, Hunter Doohan, Michael Stahlberg, Hope Davis, Isiah Whitlock, Margo Martindale Sophie Rundle Created by; Peter Moffat

Title: Your Honor

Review: Who does stressed- out- to -the – max/intense -beyond – belief like Cranston? Hard to watch his pain and conflict for ten hours of this miniseries, as an honorable New Orleans Judge in over his head with the mob to protect his son. The supporting performances are excellent, especially Whitlock (The Senator from The Wire) and Doohan. Stahlberg’s mob boss is also noteworthy. The show delves deep into the graft and corruption synonymous with New Orleans politics and law enforcement, and shows us all of the city really well along the way. I was enthralled with the show until the last episode, which took a pretty unfeasible leap for me, before rebounding with shocking ending. Filled with neurotic symbolism and enmeshments, Crazy Cranston deserves an award just by showing up on screen- he is a classic piece of work, he is. You got to like complex, and wrought with tension for this one. Unbelievably there are rumors of a second season , similar to the original Israeli show this was based on

Stu’s Reviews- #549- Book- “Boar Island”- Nevada Barr

Grade: B+

Notable People: Nevada Barr

Title: ” Boar Island”

Review: The most recent in Barr’s’ 25 year run of Anna Pidgeon books. Anna, the National Park Service Ranger, finds herself temporarily assigned to Acadia National Park, where all kinds of mayhem ensues. I have liked these books for a long time, but this felt a bit repetitive and the characters did not seem fully developed. Barr, who is really an NPS ranger, again goes back to some of the same characters in many of her books, and her sense of place is always wonderful, but this one seemed a bit over the top for me. Still, who doesn’t want to spend a virtual week musing over the great Maine north woods.

Stu’s Reviews- #548- Film- ” Nomadland”

Genre: Film (Hulu)

Grade: A-

Notable People: Francis McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May Directed by: Chloe Zhao

Title: Nomadland

Review: A formidable, quiet and beautiful film from the brilliant director Zhao, with the incomparable McDormand as the 60ish woman who has lost her husband, job and place……picking up roots and criss crossing the country in her van…. communing with a bunch of similarly situated/minded people. As she says, she’s not homeless, she’s’ houseless. McDormand is a national treasure, and this film only solidifies her legacy…. she says very little, but her soul is ablaze for us all to see. Not much action here, but a serene beauty that will make you think about what the nomadic life in America is like…. which will have some appeal to many of us. The cinematography is spectacular, very nice and subtle score and the acting is superb…mostly from all real life Nomads…not actors. A very soothing film that can be watched commercial free on Hulu or in the theater…. if you’re ready to put your Hazmat suit on, and brave that experience.

Stu’s Reviews- #547- Book- “A Trick of the Light”- Louise Penny

Genre: Book

Grade: A

Notable People: Louise Penny

Title: ” A Trick of the Light”

Review: Penny’s sixth installment in the fabled Gamache series is the best yet. Back to the tiny, magical village of Three Pines- for yet another bizarre murder. But these books are as much philosophy an history as mystery. Personally, I can’t get enough Gamache…an all-time character. And, these booms are not just nice, nice…. they go to very dark human places, before resurfacing. Gamache is a manifestation of the great Maigret of Simenon lore, and Penny pays homage with several references to the beloved Parisian detective in this one. You got to love all things Quebecois right about now.

Stu’s Reviews- #546- TV Series – “Gentleman Jack”- HBO- 1 Season

Genre: TV Series

Grade: A-/ B+

Notable People: Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle Created by; Sally Wainwright

Title: Gentleman Jack

Review: Jones is a Tour de Force in this lush period piece set in 1832 in Halifax, Scotland in the story of Ann Lister’s and her dangerous and remarkable liaisons with other woman in the staid Victoria era. This is classic BBC fare but tackles a tricky subject, for the times, in a thoughtful and, at times, quite witty, manner. Good character development, wonderful cinematography and costumes and captures the essence of the times. Season two is in production and should be out soon.

Stu’s Reviews- #545- Book- “The Last Mile”- David Baldacci

Genre: Book

Grade: B+

Notable People: David Baldacci

Title: “The Last Mile”

Review: The second in Baldacci’s Amos Decker series, in which Memory Man Decker (who has perfect photographic recall as a result of football hit in first NFL game that altered his brain) joins the FBI as special civilian and pursues a forty-year-old case to free a man from being executed. Along the way, it tackles church bombings in Alabama and Mississippi in the late 6os and the general state of racism and politics in the South. Well written book that drifted to un- believability at times, but has very strong characters, led by the eccentric and formidable Decker, who you just wanna give a hug.