Change Your Image
seggerman
Reviews
My Mother and Other Strangers (2016)
Dreyfuss in New Canaan - I don't think so
Most of the Connecticut suburbs northwest of New York City up until nearly the end of the 20th century were operating under what was referred to as a gentleman's agreement. Jewish families were kept from moving into certain towns - New Canaan being the WORST of these. No way would a family names Dreyfuss (Jewish, or Jewish sounding) would be shown houses in New Canaan at that time. He would either live in a nearby city, like Stamford, home to one Lieberman family, whose son should have been vice President, or Westport, which alone among its neighbors allowed Jews to live there.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
sucker for gay love stories
Well, so it ends badly. But in all seriousness, Le Carre (who has a small role in the film so he's still alive) once described his book as an exercise in betrayal, which would not make Smiley the main character. The Haydon-Prideaux relationship in the book and TV movie were described as going back to school days - I don't think the movie indicates as much. It does have that glance at the party, just before Haydon seduces Ann Smiley, and the illusion to their night together before Prideaux goes off to Hungary. Interesting that a film would make a character gay that wasn't in the book (Guillam) when in US moves it is always the other way around.
Masterpiece Theatre: The Merchant of Venice (2001)
a triangle - spoiler (does anyone not know the plot, though?)
The Merchant of Venice is not one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. Shakespeare was a man of his time and during his time anti-Semitism was unquestionably accepted as right and moral. Shylock must needs be "have his comeuppance". It was unthinkable even to Shakespeare to have Shylock prevail at the end. Goodman, however, is wonderful. I especially loved one scene where Basanio, Portia and Shylock are fighting each other - the queer, the woman and the Jew going after each other instead of going after straight Christian men who are oppressing them all. Some things don't change. I love David Bamber in everything he does - he still sticks in my head as the oiliest Mr. Collins in the classic 1995 Pride and Prejudice.