So you wanna watch something…
A Hero: Set in the Iranian city of Shiraz, Oscar-winning director Asghar Farhadi’s latest offering grapples with the question of what makes a person ‘good’. The story focuses on Rahim—a man who relies on his charm and loving family to get himself out of trouble—and a jail sentence. The Guardian has the details of this somewhat convoluted tale and calls it “an engaging and even intriguing film,” despite its glaring plot holes. The trailer captured our interest—and we plan to give it a shot. Catch it on Amazon Prime today.
Munich: The Edge of War: This is a fictional account of the Munich Conference of 1938—the event that marked the appeasement of Adolf Hitler by England and France, and opened the door for his invasion of Czechoslovakia. Based on a novel by Robert Harris, it follows two men—one English and one German—who come together in an attempt to stop Hitler. Washington Post calls the movie “a smart and entertaining thriller that suffers from just one thing: We all know how it ends.” Variety agrees and calls it a “handsome but muted” film that is “immersively crafted but never emotionally involving.” This is one for those who love very English films set in that World War era. Premiers today on Netflix.
As We See It: This is the story of three young adults with autism—Jack, who is always cranky, Violet who finds herself craving for love and Harrison, who is afraid to even leave home. The three navigate adult life as roommates in an apartment in Los Angeles, where they are supported by their behavioral aide Mandy. Unlike most movies that reduce autism to a cliche, this eight-part series gives each of the characters their own identities and story arcs. Hollywood Reporter calls it a “fundamentally big-hearted show” that pushes all the right emotional buttons—and will make you both laugh and cry. Drops on Amazon Prime today,
My Father’s Violin: Directed by Andaç Hazedaroğlu, this Turkish film follows a familiar arc: a self-absorbed single relative suddenly entrusted with the care of a young child. In this case, it is Mehmet—a successful violin virtuoso—who has to care for his 8-year-old niece while his brother is dying. While there are no reviews, the trailer looks promising. Drops on Netflix on January 22.
A list of good reads
- Nautilus has a must-read on the attack of “zombie science”: “It goes through the motions of scientific research without a real research question to answer, it follows all the correct methodology, but it doesn’t aspire to contribute to advance knowledge in the field."
- This one is for everyone who once loved director Joss Whedon: Vulture on his undoing and fall from grace.
- To be frank, we are not big fans of Sagarika Ghose’s writing. But this column on the relationship between ex PM Vajpayee and his partner is worth a read.
- BBC Future has a very good deep dive into India’s fossil wealth—unknown to most Indians.
- The Guardian has one more reason you should rethink fish oil supplements—which carry a hidden price: severe overfishing and environmental damage with, at best, open-to-debate health benefits.
- Also in The Guardian: A thought-provoking excerpt on the history of treating menopause—and how results of hormone replacement therapy were misreported.
- Bloomberg News has an excellent report on the prep for India’s largest ever IPO—of Life Insurance Corporation.
- A lovely read for cricket fans: Karthikeya Manchala in Scroll on the yorker paradox in T20s—and the secret of a good death over.
- Kuwait was once one of the wealthiest and most attractive destinations for expats. Now it is unlivable. Bloomberg News via NDTV explains what happened.
- Vittles examines that great question that afflicts all status-conscious human beings: What is “great taste”—and how does one Brit contest judge it?
