Some bags are packed. I will be attending my very last games of golf, fitness classes, etc. over the next three days and then we will leave dark and early on Wednesday morning to start our drive north. Sigh… it will be wonderful to see family and friends again, but the skies will likely be grey and the weather a little chilly. Meanwhile, here are some viewing suggestions for you:
Live on Stage at the Gulfshore Playhouse
She Loves Me by Harnick and Bock. A wonderful revival of the Broadway musical, and our last production at the old theatre before the new theatre opens next Fall. We have booked our Flex passes for next season.
Movie Club
Two for the Road (1 h 51 m) Starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney. Made in 1967, this non-sequential story was way ahead of its time as it traces 10 years in the marriage of this gorgeous couple as they motor around Europe. Beautiful scenery and nostalgic glimpses of an era gone by as telephones are brought to restaurant tables, cigarettes are distributed on airplanes, and cars are driven onto air ferries. Watch for Jaqueline Bisset’s debut as a beautiful choir girl, and be prepared to be moved by the poignancy of this romance as they weather the storms of infidelity, career pressures and parenthood. There is a lush musical score by Henry Mancini that underlies the entire movie. One of my favourite films of all time, and gratifyingly, none of the movie group had seen it before as it wasn’t an unqualified success when it was first released.
AMC
Parish (6 episodes) Follows a taxi driver whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to pick-up a Zimbabwean gangster mostly known for exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports. Stars Giancarlo Esposito, Paula Malcomson, Skeet Ulrich. Looks very noir (from the network that brought you Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul), so far.
Apple
Sugar (8 episodes) Private investigator John Sugar examines the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the granddaughter of a legendary Hollywood producer. Stars Colin Farrell, Amy Ryan, Nate Corddry, James Cromwell, Anna Gunn. Fabulous and spellbinding! Noir to the max!
Palm Royale (10 episodes) An ambitious woman schemes to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society circa 1969. Stars Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, Josh Lucas, Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Carole Burnett. Delightful!
Constellation (8 episodes) Jo returns to earth after a disaster in space and discovers that there are missing pieces in her life, so she sets out to expose the truth about the hidden secrets of space travel and recover what she has lost. Stars Noomi Rapace Jonathan Banks, James D’Arcy. Haunting and mesmerizing.
The New Look (10 episodes) Explores the rise of fashion designer Christian Dior as he dethrones Coco Chanel and helps return spirit and life to the world with his iconic imprint of beauty and influence. Stars Ben Mendelsohn and Juliette Binoche and Maisie Williams. I love this series!!!
Manhunt (7 episodes) The aftermath of the first American presidential assassination and the fight to preserve and protect the ideals that were the foundation of Lincoln’s Reconstruction plans. Tobias Menzies and Anthony Boyle (Masters of the Air) star. Just finished watching this and found it very instructive about the difficulties of Reconstruction.
CBS
FBI, FBI International, FBI Most Wanted (Ok, this is all rather formulaic stuff, but I get a hoot out of the incredibly flat acting of all three series, which I think of as Original, Crispy and Extra Crispy). So amazing that the FBI can solve every case within a 1 hr time period. It is the formula that viewers respond so warmly to on the Mother Ship series Law & Order and all its spin-offs.
Elsbeth (10 episodes) Elsbeth Tascioni,, an unconventional attorney, gives her singular point of view to make observations to catch criminals alongside the NYPD. If you loved Carrie Preston on The Good Wife, The Good Fight, etc., you will love her ditzy persona in this. I love her!!!
CBS News Sunday Morning (since 1979, 827 episodes) This is my Sunday morning mainstay as I find its magazine format extremely soothing featuring interviews with actors, political figures, athletes, musicians costume designers, fashion designers, etc. My moment of Zen.
60 Minutes (since 1968, 2198 episodes) Classic prime time TV Investigative news magazine. The hard version of CBS Sunday Morning.
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert(since 2015). Broadcasts from the Ed Sullivan theatre in New York. I love his monologues!
Comedy Central
The Daily Show (since 1996 with several changes of host and hiatuses) It’s now back with Jon Stewart taking the host duties on Mondays and his regular anchors taking the other nights of the week. Political satire!!
FX
Shogun (10 episodes) When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, Lord Yoshii Toranaga discovers secrets that could tip the scales and devastate his enemies. Stars Cosmo Jarvis. Absorbing!
NBC
Law & Order (892 episodes since 1990) Still solving crimes and bringing criminals to justice!!! Now starring Hugh Dancy and Reid Scott! I never watched this show in its heyday, but now I can’t resist its torn from the headlines plots. Spoiler alert: Sam Waterston has left the show after 30 years in the same role and was replaced by Tony Goldwyn who seems like kind of a snake in his early appearances!!!
Jeopardy (Nightly, 8892 episodes) I just realized that in Naples, this syndicated show appears on NBC! Ken Jennings is back hosting! The Invitational Tournament is now in full swing. Enjoy!!
Netflix
Baby Reindeer (7 episodes) The story follows the writer and performer Richard Gadd’s warped relatiohship with his female stalker and the impact it has on him as he is ultimately forced to face a deep dark buried trauma.
Midsummer Night (5 episodes) Carina brings her family together for a traditional Swedish midsummer, but the happy occasion goes awry when long-held secrets start to come to light. I wonder how the Scandinavians feel about this one which seems to cover every possible cliche about how we see Scandi culture.
The Beautiful Game (2 h 5 m) Advocates to end homelessness, organize an annual tournament for homeless men to compete in a series of football matches known as The Homeless World Cup. Bill Nighy and Valeria Golina star in this very cliche riddled British feel good movie. I couldn’t watch the whole thing.
Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (2 h 2 m) Kora and surviving warriors prepare to defend Veldt, their new home alongside its people against the Realm. The warriors face their pasts, revealing their motivations before the Realm’s forces arrive to crush the growing rebellion. I actually enjoyed Part One very much so I stayed tuned to this whole thing only to be ashamed of myself by the end. So much yelling!!!
PBS
Call the Midwife (returning for their fourteenth season) Chronicles the lives of a group of midwives living in East London from the 1950’s to 1960. Tear jerking!!!
Alice and Jack on Masterpiece (6 episodes) Follows the story of a 16-year relationship between two imperfect lovers and its highs and lows (stars Domhnall Gleeson and Andrea Riseborough) Enjoy!!!
Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office (4 episodes) One of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history where hundreds of innocent sub-postmasters and postmistresses were wrongly accused of theft, fraud and false accounting due to a defective IT system. Stars Toby Jones and Monica Dolan. Great reviews for this one, and I thoroughly enjoyed it so far.
Streaming
12 Angry Men (1 h 36 m) It has been many years since I watched this 1957 classic jury room drama. starring an unbelievable cast that featured Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Martin Balsam, E.G.Marshall, Jack Klugman, Jack Warden, Ed Begley and others. I watched this in tribute to the recently completed jury selection in the first Trump case. The jury in a NYC murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict. Nominated for 3 Oscars in its day, I hope young viewers will give this black and white film a chance as it is now viewed as a masterpiece.
Closing Words
A fond farewell to those of you we sadly say goodbye to in Naples as we head north to Toronto and Thornbury to reconnect with friends and family there. My first golf game is scheduled for May 3, I’m hosting our trivia group on May 21 and I’m hoping to keep up my momentum with fitness activities when we get home. I’ll be converting my discussion group into a movie group and I can’t wait to get together with my Mahjong group. Safe travels to our friends who are also headed home. Have a wonderful summer season wherever you are!
Enjoy the trailer to Two for the Road:
What's Lorraine watching? 