Going Out of Your Mind? Watch Mindhunter/Netflix

The best series to binge, be forewarned, it may cause some to cringe, is the crime/drama  MINDHUNTER on Netflix.  Based on the non-fiction work "Mindhunter Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by retired FBI agent among the first to develop studies and techniques for profiling serial killers with the intent to solve murder and prevent further victims.  Veteran FBI agent Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and rookie FBI agent Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) become the odd couple that click to form a Holmes & Watson duo venturing into groundbreaking territory trying to unravel the psyche of serial killers (a newly coined terminology).  Their radical methods are not readily appreciated by their exasperated boss at the FBI.  Their authorities & egos are kept in check until they meet with an intelligent & attractive female prof., Dr. Wendy Carr (Anna Torv.)  Dr. Carr believes their unchartered work invaluable (and desirable material for getting published.)   The duo become a tight trio.  Holden & Bill are on the frontlines interviewing infamous, incarcerated mass murderers (a.k.a. serial killers).  The repugnance of cavorting in conversations with these deviant criminals is off-putting & compelling.  You don't have to be Sherlock to see their unorthodox methods are proving beneficial in solving murders and offering insightful indicators of future killers who present specific aberrant behaviors.  This is not by the book interrogational procedures despite attempts at being constrained by Wendy and their boss at a loss.  The series directed by David Fincher is an engrossing crime drama and character study.  It has all the rudimentary elements that make for a spellbinding series.  The dynamics between the FBI agents and their relationships outside the office add complex & captivating characters & storylines.  Holden's girlfriend Debbie (Hanah Gross) a psychology student who goes head to head with Holden is especially enticing. The personal interviews with criminals behind bars are insidiously captivating.  The late 70s & early 80s is smartly captured in style and social context.  MINDHUNTER may require an acquired taste.  But, should you find yourself watching, you'll be shackled to the series.

The Israeli, Arabic Language Film SAND STORM

SAND STORM is an Arabic language film set in the Negev.  The film follows a Bedouin family that is entrenched in an a patriarchal and hierarchal tribal society in which women are subjected to docile property of men.  The film centers on the eldest daughter Layla (Lamis Ammar) and her contentious & loving relationship with both her mother Jalila (Ruba Blal) and father Sulimin (Hitham Omari).  Layla is driving the truck with her father in the passenger seat (while looking down at her cell phone).  A contemporary scenario of a father guiding his daughter in learning to drive and admonishing her to keep her eyes on the road.  Things change as they approach their Bedouin village and father/daughter change seats.  Women are not permitted to drive in this Bedouin culture.  In fact, women are not permitted to do act without permission from their parents which is imperially imposed by the father.  Jalila is busy preparing a wedding celebration with repressed resentment.  The wedding she's hosting is for her husband's  2nd wife.  Polygamy is a common practice within the tribe as are arranged marriages by the father & tribal sheik.  Women wear hajibs and are completely covered outside the home.  Sulimin appears to be a kind & indulgent father. He's teaching Layla to drive, permits her to attend university.   His 3 younger daughters go to school wearing jeans & t-shirts.  There is a cultural & technological clash.  iphones are available but homes are haphazardly strewn together with limited electricity.  Tensions between Layla & her mother combust when Jalila discovers Layla has a boyfriend from the Univ.  She's forbidden to have further contact with him.  Fraternizing with men outside the family is forbidden as is marrying outside one's tribe.  Layla believes she can reason with her father despite seeing how her mother's life is being pushed aside by Sulimin for his new wife.  Sulimin seeming love for his daughter's is not sovereign to his commitment to the archaic tribal customs that keep women subservient.  This turbulent & troubling way of life show the women, Layla and Jalila to be strong, self-sacrificing but shackled to their ordained lives.  Sulimin proves himself cowardly & vain.  This intimate examination of this Bedouin family portrays an impoverished Bedouin tribe and a way of life that is oppressive to women.

Johnny and the Devil's Box-Fiddling and Folk Song

"Johnny and the Devil's Box" is a hoe down show down between a braggart, virtuoso fiddler and the devil himself who wants to take him down a few scales.  The virtuoso fiddling is performed by Douglas Waterbury-Tieman, accompanied on guitar by his father-in-law Dan Fox on guitar and wife Kimberly Fox adding her lovely vocals.  The fiddle that Douglas plays in various styles that mesh Blue Grass, Ole Opry and Folk Songs looks just like a violin.  A fiddle is the colloquial term for a violin.  These string instruments are virtually the same thing. The difference the style of playing.  For the high falootin classical crowd, there's bound to be some converts to a country sound.  Already, a fan of folk song & country, you're going to feel right at home.  The storytelling is loosely structured around Douglas' interspersed narrative.  But the music drives this charming musical fable filled with vigor and melodiousness.  The family that plays together - stays together.  It makes you want to assemble around the piano or grab a guitar with friends & family and have a hollering good times  Unfortunately, during this pandemic that requires social distancing, this is not feasible.  How very generous of the artists to provide free screenings for "Johnny and the Devil's Box" which may unlock the key to future live gatherings playing in harmony.

CLEMENCY Starring Alfre Woodward

CLEMENCY is not a movie meant for enjoyment.  It's meant to make you cry out against the inhumane cruelty of capital punishment; premeditated murder.  CLEMENCY stars Alfre Woodward as warden Woods.  As warden she oversees inmates, staff and carries out mandated executions.  Just doing her job.  And, the rest of us are just are not doing enough to end this inhumane, legalized killing. The warden is not able to leave her work behind.  She's shackled to her conscience that will not justify capital punishment.  The majority of states in our nation, 30, allow for capital punishment.  CA Gov. Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on capital punishment March, 2019.   IL Gov. Pat Quinn abolished the death penalty July, 2011 and commuted the death sentences of 15 inmates.  Already burdened with the responsibility of carrying out death sentences, Woods oversees an execution by lethal injection that goes horribly wrong.  Not that there's any humane method for killing someone.  The next prisoner on death row, Anthony (Aldis Hodge) is holding onto hope for clemency and a chance to meet the son he didn't he had.  Richard Schiff plays Marty, Anthony's attorney and lifeline from despair.  There is dignity & respect bestowed between the warden & Anthony.  The unbearable conundrum is the hypocrisy of compassion & respect for an individual cannot be aligned with a humanity that condones the taking of human life.  Woodward, Hodge & Schiff give tour-de-force performances that will leave you stunned.  CLEMENCY is a film everyone must bear witness.  The film cries out to the heart and soul just how barbaric executions are which cannot be justified within  civilized society.  There are no innocent bystanders.

Mother Jones in Heaven - More Like Purgatory

"Mother Jones In Heaven" is an ambitious musical biopic and tribute to one of America's most omnipotent advocates for the working class.  Mother Jones (Vivian Nesbitt) comes to us from Heaven which surprisingly reminds her of a favorite Irish pub.  Accompanying Mother in heaven is John Dillon on guitar, percussions & vocal duets.  Not yet ready to meet her family in heaven (which we will learn about) Mother wants to regale us with her life, tribulations and militant advocacy for the working class.  Born in Ireland inn 1897 she moved with her family to Canada at 14 and then to the US until she died in 1930.  Mother Jones was called the most dangerous women in the US for helping  to organize unions for miners and industry laborers.  She was also annoutspoken advocate for protective child labor laws.  Jones was a mighty force contending with fighting for the poor, standing up against the rich and rallying the masses for justice.  In the production, Mother Jones first notes "Heavens not what you expected."  John D. Rockefeller is not in heaven and there are "No mistakes in Divine Judgement."  The play & musical score is written by composer Si Kahn known for his blue grass style and as a champion for the working class.  Interspersed with song and a whiskey or two, Jones is a raconteur of her arduous life during very bleak eras in our nation's history including the Civil War, the yellow fever plague (which claimed the lives of her husband & 4 children), the Great Chicago Fire and oppressive times for the poor, hardworking labor class.  The acting & and chanties were lusty.  Regrettably, the roundabout raconteur is musty and emotional impact dusty.   "Mother Jones in Heaven" is screening on U-tube though it lingers too long in purgatory.

A SOUTHERN FAIRYTALE by Ty Autry on U-Tube

"A Southern Fairytale" is a one man, one hour play written & acted by Ty Autry.   Autry's production was broadcast live last night from his apartment and available on U-Tube.  It's a glimmering gem and a harbinger of a gifted playwright on the horizon.  Alex, takes us on a sojourn into his upbringing in a tiny, rural home in GA.  Alex draws us into an intimate conversation that is endearing but not always peachy.  Alex confides his attachment into fairytales (Anderson's & Disney's characters alike).  He identifies most with Ariel and Belle.  Ariel who was willing to forego her voice to live in someone's else's world and Belle who found solace from books, felt herself an outsider and yearned for more than her provincial life.   Growing up gay in a Confederate waving, God fearing, homophobic town was the world Alex strived to rise above like the heroines from fairytales he admires.  Alex regales us with his real life fable having to contend with constant derision, conversion therapy, ostracism from his community, church and his own family.  Alex is locked inside a dungeon of suppressed freedom to be his own true self.   Sitting barefoot and comfy on his sofa, Alex shares his inner turmoil without self-pity or pedagogical pandering.  We feel empathetic for Alex's inner torment and incredulous demonizing from family & church. Alex knew his desire to feel accepted & normal while staying true to himself would be a long haul struggle to finding inner peace.  Our likable & relatable hero persevered. As in fairytales, this too has a happy ending.  Alex, though still "feeling "broken" at 28 has found happiness and pride.  "I'm doing more, being more than anyone thought I could."  Alex doesn't know what the future holds but he's no longer a prisoner of having to pretend to be other than who he is.  I foresee a fortuitous future for this burgeoning playwright and engaging actor.  During this incredible time of hardship, let's all practice kindness and support each other.  I encourage you to go to U-tube to watch this bedazzling production.

EMMA with Anya Taylor Joy is Exceptional

Jane Austen's classic EMMA set in the English countryside in the early 19th C is a beloved novel which has received numerous adaptions to the screen.  The release of the this year's EMMA starring Anya Taylor Joy is perfection.  Our heroine Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor Joy) at nearly 21 has had very little in her life to have vexed her.  Born into a family of wealth and doted upon by her widowed father (Bill Nighy) she's permitted to act as mistress of the estate and allotted more liberties than most unmarried women during this era.  The film is a romantic comedy of social protocols, hierarchies, snobbery and marital imperatives.  Despite Emma's privileges she is a kindhearted, well intentioned young lady whose favorite pastime comes from manipulating the romantic attachments of others.  Even Emma with her seemingly benevolent behaviors does overstep proprietary boundaries for which she is smartly admonished by Mr. Knightly (Johnny Flynn).  This sumptuous production is a joyful venture into the quotidian lifestyle of polite, arid conversation over tea and the excitement & glamor of balls with their formalities.  The sumptuous cinematography captures the profound beauty in the seasonal landscapes, evenings by candlelight and days awash in sunlight.  The costuming and hairstyles are exquisite.  The film captures more than the fine frippery of dressing & polite conversation.  The mesmerizing performances of Emma and Mr. Knightly bestow a heartfelt empathy & keen perception of ethos despite living flagrantly excessive lifestyles.  Their fledgling romantic undercurrents appear visceral watching them while elegantly dancing together.   The entire ensemble is superb.  Ironically, Austen did not expect Emma to be a likable heroine being so self-indulgent.  Nonetheless, Emma is a very beguiling character, strong willed yet sensible and kind.  It's impossible not to be drawn in by her many charming qualities.  Em MA - "MA" the letters of the alphabet that define perfection.  EMMA is a totally enchanting & flawless film directed by Autumn de Wilde with phenomenal performances from Anya Taylor Joy and Johnny Flynn  

What to do While Feeling Blue and Stuck Inside?

There are old fashioned ideas such as reading a book, calling a friend on the phone, do a jig saw puzzle, or you might even try the obsolescence of writing someone a letter.
Okay, many of you still have better things to do - especially you who are working from home
But, for you younger, hip people who hopefully are feeling well and managing through this financial crisis as well as health crisis - To lighten things up you might try:

Binging on

The Derry Girls
Sex Education
Ramy

or Binging on some Sidney Poitier films you probably never saw but should:

A Patch of Blue
Lillies of the Field
Guess Whose Coming to Dinner (with Spencer Tracy & Katherine Hepburn)
In the Heat of the Night (with Rod Steiger)
The Defiant Ones
They Call Me Mr. Tibbs

Use your iPhones & iPads to:

Play scrabble
Play Cribbage

Or you could always take up knitting, needle point, or clean-up around the place.
You get the point!

REVERSO Jazz Trio Performs Jazzy Chamber Music in Healdsburg BRAVO!

REVERSO is a jazz trio that  performs jazz chamber music.  The talented trio of musicians & composers consist of American trombonist Ryan Keberle, French pianist Frank Woeste and French cellist Vincent Courtois.  The variegated classical influence of composers such as Ravel & Stravinsky could be felt underlying an improvisational jazz sound.  The trombone, atypical in a small jazz combo added glissandos mostly discerned from vocals or keys.   Keberle's virtuoso playing seemed to offset tempo structures with a singularity in bluesy rhythms that fell away then combined melodies in unison with piano & cello.  All 3 artists maintained an equilibrium to their original compositions.  Solo riffs were rare.  More importantly, the explorative melodies with the absence of drums or bass were rich in tonal assertions.  While clearly falling within a modern jazz genre, the unique classical sound elevated the music into an original and appealing style.  The program maintained a consistent sound throughout.  There were no differing ballads or upbeat tempo changes.  The distinctive, sophisticated jazz sound was neither mellow or syncopated.  REVERSO Trio performance was an extraordinary explorative foray into nouveau jazz that incorporates classical underpinnings.  I was totally mesmerized. BRAVO!

Israeli Film FLAWLESS - Stars Stav Strashko

FLAWLESS is a film about teen peer pressure for physical perfection.  For one new transfer student Eden (a flawless Stave's Strashko) her need to feel accepted is especially taxing.  Eden is trying to blend in with female friends while discreetly transitioning from male to female.   Strashoko is a transgender Israeli model/actress.  Her stirring and intelligent portrayal of a transgender teen amongst a cesspool of cruelty earned her an Ophir Award nomination for best actress.  The film is much more poignant & disturbing than your typical coming of age - mean girl/bully story.  The film uncovers the disturbing prey on teens' seeking physical perfection.  The heinous business of cropping organs is uncovered.  High school girls are entrapped into selling their kidneys for profit & plastic surgery.  Eden is drawn into the illicit & barbaric bargain by 2 girls in her class, Keshet & Keren.  Both Keshet & Keren sense Eden's coveting breast enhancement and conspire to lure her into a joint Faustian pact.  The susceptible young women are ensnared via the internet.  Israeli directors Sharon Maymom and Tal Granit exposes the ubiquitous filming & sharing on the internet that leads teens to shaming and self-aggrandizing.  It appears every event warrants selfies, self-promotion & grandstanding.  It's no wonder young people feel an overwhelming burden to look spectacular.  Eden experiences misunderstanding, rejection, shaming & violence as a transgender youth.  The film depicts detestable & racial prejudices.  Nevertheless, compassion, empathy and friendship are rendered in uplifting measure.  FLAWLESS is more a sensitive & thoughtful film concerned with serious subjects than flippant, troubled adolescents.

LOVE BITES! Raven Short Play Fest

Raven Short Play Fest featuring one act plays was short on things to praise.  But, FAMILIAR by Robert J. LeBlanc gets a rave review.  Lou (an affecting Craig Peoples) an elder gentleman is engaged in conversation with a younger man Jon (Conor O'Shaugnessy).   Lou tells Jon he looks familiar but his memory isn't what it used to be.  Jon listens patiently to Lou's meandering memories of his marriage to his high school sweetheart, his service in Viet Nam, 40 years working the same job and his son he raised as a single parent.  Jon proves a companionable listener to Lou's oral history.  Jon gladly answers Lou's questions and gently prods him when he forgets what he was just talking about.  There's no surprising revelation that Lou suffers from dementia.  Lou's earnest stroll down memory lane is poignant as well as Jon's attentiveness and engagement with Lou. LeBlanc's skill with dialogue and the potent acting by both actors created a moving relationship between a son & ailing father.  It's too bad Jon called Lou dad after escorted away by a nurse.  Ending on an obvious note was the only misstep in a sensitive and heartfelt production.

Sex Education on Netflix - Watch It

Netflix has a phenomenal hit with 2 seasons of "Sex Education."  Created & written by Laurie Nunn, there's more to this comedy/drama about sexual awakenings in teens.  The series centers on an awkward 16 year old, Otis (Asa Butterfield) as he maneuvers amongst the growing social pressures of his peers.  Otis is not alone on the lower rungs of high school notoriety.  Erick (Mcuti Gatwa) his gay, childhood friend is alongside biking to & from school while figuring how best to fit in amongst friends & foes.  Otis' mother  Jean (Gillian Anderson) is a sex therapist who grossly oversteps parental boundaries.  Maeve (Emma Mackey) is the supercool, unattainable loner, way out of Otis' league.  Maeve seeks out Otis to set up a lucrative partnership wherein he offers sexual counsel to classmates while she manages the books.  Maeve intuits Otis may have gleaned wisdom having a professional sex therapist for a mother.  Otis finds he not only likes giving advice to classmates, he seems to be esteemed for his counsel.  This vastly exceptional series finds an intelligent balance between serious & jocular considerations of sexual taboos & teens' fears of being abnormal or left out.  Hyper crazed sexual obsessions are buoyed by unexpected friendships, star-crossed lovers, and family dynamics that are atypical or typically overlooked.  Numerous race, ethnicity & sexual orientations are so prevalent as to be rendered non-discriminatory.  Serious topics of bullying, drug addiction, physical & sexual abuse and suicide all measure in with sensitivity and wit. "Sex Education" may come off as ribald but it has the balls to address teen angst head-on.  The acting by the entire cast goes straight to the head of the class.  Special mention much be given its 3 leads Otis, Erick and Maeve and fellow students Jackson (Kedar Williams-Sterling), Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) and Adam (Connor Swindells).  The friendship between Otis and Erick and blossoming affection between Otis and Maeve are wonderful to behold.  Maeve's character is multi-dimensional and profoundly moving. "Sex Education" is a safe place to embrace sexuality with an open mind and a pounding heart.  To thine own self be true - truly, this is one of the finest series to have come along in a lifetime.