The Reluctant Fundamentalist 2012

     Based on a best seller novel written by Mosin Hamid.  Changez Khan came to America because he thought the playing field would be level in this country.  He was able to attend Princeton on scholarships and a well-known Wall Street firm hired him as a business analyst.  He's on the fast track to fulfill his dreams.  He meets Erica and they become a couple.  She is still morning her previous boyfriend who was killed in a car accident.  Everything changes after the World Trade Center disaster.  Changez doesn't need to choose sides, they are chosen for him because he is seen as an enemy from Pakistan.

     I could tell right away this film was based on a novel.  The characters don't seem real enough even though the events could be real.  Everything seems to remain on the novel pages and they don't come to life on the screen?  There are heavy themes including alienation, discrimination, terrorism or the threat of it, economics and geopolitical strife.  Teens may see it's appeal minimized?  Some edgy and intense content with kidnapping, shootings, demonstrations, moments where violent picture appear.  Some swearing, social drinking, kissing rolling around and naked shoulders.  It is unlike most post 9/11 films since it revolves around a young Pakistani man who dares to live the American dream but he faces a bitter reality check?  2 1/2* (This movie was so-so)

130 min, Drama directed by Mira Nair and written by Javed Akhtar, Ami Boghani, Mohsin Hamid, William Wheeler with Riz Ahmed, Liev Schreiber, Kiefer Sutherland, Kate Hudson, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, Martin Donovan, Nelsan Ellis, Haluk Bilginer, Meesha Sahfi.

Note:  Goodreads gives the novel 3.72 out of 5* with 59,779 ratings and 6,098 reviews, Imdb 6.9 out of 10 with 13,150 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 57% with 98 critics 61% with 5,587 user ratings, Roger Ebert 3* Omer M. Mozaffar, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 119 reviews, Metacritic 54 out of 100 with 28 critic reviews (12 positive, 13 mixed, 3 negative, 8.1 out of 10 with 23 ratings (19 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative), Common Sense Media S. Jhoanna Robeldo, age 17+, 2* positive messages, 3* role models, 3* violence, 3* sex, 3* language, 3* consumerism, 2* drinking, drugs & smoking.

Special Note:  The name Changez is a Pakistani version of Genghis from Genghis Khan.  On the first day of filming in the tea shop,  one of the main actors in the scene refused to say their lines as previously discussed and rehearsed.  There was a frantic rewrite of the script in a race against the shooting schedule.  The actor was not named but it can be assumed that it was Liev Schreiber or Riz Ahmed?

Chef’s Table: Pastry’ Recap: Christina Tosi:

     I am writing about these cakes because I watched this program and I also had slices of two of her cakes.  The vanilla and the chocolate birthday cakes.  Christina is a New York City based chef/restaurateur and she built a trend-setting bakery inspired by her love of a classic American treat, breakfast cereals.  She opened the first Milk Bar in 2008 in New York City and she now operates several locations throughout North America as well as an online business.  She has written three cookbooks and her latest was published in October 2018.  
     Tosi was a picky eater and she had a crazy sweet tooth,  She studied hard and graduated from college with high marks but she didn’t want a standard 9-5 job.  She moved to New York City and she dreamed of being a pastry chef.  Her biggest break came when she started working for Wylie Dufresen at his restaurant wd-50.  She created crack pie and this is now a Milk Bar staple.  After a couple of years she connected with David Chang at Dufresne’s suggestion.  She started out upgrading the food safety plan at Momofuki Noodle Bar.  Chang then hired her to help run the business side and also make her desserts.  
     Tosi came up with a cereal milk pana cotta and Chang was blown away.  It was served for an opening night and he encouraged her to open an entire concept shop centered on cereal milk in a vacant space his company had acquired.  Milk Bar was born.  There was a line out the door on day one and business steady increased.
     Her desserts can be mail ordered and she offers birthday cake, strawberry shortcake cake, chocolate birthday cake and gluten free birthday cake.  They are available in 6” and 10”.  She also makes pies, cookies, birthday cake truffles, corn cookie, perfect 10 cookie, best freaking cookie, SoulCycle cookie, crack pie, compost cookie, confetti cookie, blueberry & cream cookie, chocolate malt cake truffles, chocolate chocolate cookie, cornflake marshmallow cookie, bagel bomb.
     If you are able to order from one of the Milk Bars in person you can get blueberry pie shake, cereal milk jug, birthday cake shake, birthday milk quake, strawberry & corn milk quake, chocolate pretzel dulce milkquake, chocolate malt cake shake, egg and sausage bomb, crunchy cereal shake, the coffee+donut waffle cone, egg and cheddar bomb, spinach artichoke bomb.
     I liked both the birthday cake and the chocolate birthday cake.  I like the chocolate cake best!!  It’s the lightness of the cake, the chocolate and the not too sweet but fluffiness of the frosting!!  These items are what sets these cakes apart.  Plus, they come in 3 layers with the frosting in between and on top.  Also, pressed into the first layer of the frosting are small sugar cookie balls and they are good too.  Multicolored sprinkles are another addition.  I give these cakes 5*!!   
 

The Code Season 1 2014, Episode 5 & 6:

      Ned and Jesse uncover the truth about the Physanto truck’s cargo.  Niko takes Hani captive and he sends a picture of her with a plastic bag over her head to Jesse.  He will exchange Hani for the decrypted files.  Ned and Jesse don’t want to hand over the files but they really don’t have a choice if they want to save Hani.  Jesse and Ned are after Niko Gaelle about the decrypted files but there is a glitch in their plan.  Sophie engineers an elaborate snare to trap the master puppeteer behind Physanto and the files. 

     There is a LOT of drama in these two episodes since they are the last two of Season One.  Jesse and Ned had struck a deal with the government for Jesse’s freedom from the hacking charges.  But now they are involved again with the encrypted files.  Andy King killed a woman working at Physanto when she refused to give him more information about the company.  King is the one that has tied up Hani’s Iranian parents and kidnapped Hani.  He is desperate to save his faltering black-market deal for the files.  If the files go onto the black market, any county with the resources can build nuclear weapons.  
        
60 min each episode, created and written by Shelley Birse, Blake Ashford, Justin Monjo and directed by Shawn Seet with Dan Spielman, Ashley Zukerman, Adele Persovic, Adam Garcia, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Paul Tassone, Dan Wylie, Luch Lawless, Aden Yound, David Wenham.

 

Note:  Imdb Episode Five 8.1* out of 10* with 125 reviews, Episode 6 8.2* out of 10* with 120 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 56% audience score with 9 ratings, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 5 critic reviews (1 positive 4 mixed 0 negative), Amazon 3 1/2* out of 4* with 113 reviews. 

The Code Season 1 2014, Episode Three & Four

     Two Canberra based brothers, Ned and Jesse become entangled in a cover up that involves a remote outback community and key members of the Australian Government.  Big Money - Top Secret and they learn there are people who are being harmed and/or silenced along the way.  Clarence is nearly drowned by someone involved with the truck accident incident.  Jesse meets Hani Parande and he really likes her.  Ned believes that Hani has an ulterior motive for hanging out with Jesse?  She came from Iran with her parents and they have visas that could be revoked by the Australian Government?

     I’m still not sure the truck was carrying that got two Australian teens in trouble, one killed and another almost drowned?  Sophie Walsh has tried to do searches on the office computer but she gets the notices that she doesn’t have clearance for the information?  3 1/2* (I liked this series)

       
60 min each episode, created and written by Shelley Birse, Blake Ashford, Justin Monjo and directed by Shawn Seet with Dan Spielman, Ashley Zukerman, Adele Persovic, Adam Garcia, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Paul Tassone, Dan Wylie, Luch Lawless, Aden Yound, David Wenham.

     Note:  Imdb Episode 3, 8* out of 10* with 39 reviews, Episode 4 8* out of 10* with 123 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 56% audience score with 9 ratings, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 5 critic reviews (1 positive 4 Mixed 0 negative). 

 
Special Note:  Canberra is the capital city of Australia.  It is known for the parliament buildings, the Parliamentary Triangle, fantastic festivals and a celebration of the city’s many spring blooms.  It is an expensive city because the average weekly income is the highest in the country, $1,803.01 before taxes.  Shelley Birse was nominated for a 2015 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Award in the Betty Roland Prize for script writing category for The Code Episode #1.1. Blake Ayshford, Shelley Birse & Justin Monjo won a 2015 Australian Writers Guild Award in the Major Award Winner category for The Code 2014. 

The Code Season 1 2014, Episode One & Two

      Ned and Jesse face political pressure after publishing a video of an accident involving two teens and a truck from a top secret research facility.  Ned was driving and he accidentally tapped the back of the  truck.  For some reason Jesse was pushed over a cliff in the car and she died.  Why would a bloodied Ned be left on the road and Jesse killed?  There must be something in the truck that no one is supposed to know about?  Ned travels to probe details about the truck accident in Lindara.  This is a fictional town filmed in Broken Hill, Silverton, New South Wales and Cockburn Australia  Jesse is kidnapped and held blindfolded in an empty holding cell?  Ned doesn’t know what is happening to Jesse, he only thinks that Jesse isn’t home and he’s not answering calls.  Ned is very worried because he knows there is something very wrong about what they found on the internet.  

     This series is set in Australia and there are six episodes.  Jesse is autistic and he has difficulties interacting with people.  He is a computer wiz, he was arrested once and put in jail for hacking.  Ned works press briefings in the federal building and he is also a newspaperman for an online news company.  There is a Season 2 of The Code.  I recently watched another series with Lucy Lawless titled My Life is Murder.  Lucy is totally different in this film.  3 1/2* (I liked this episode)

60 min each episode, created and written by Shelley Birse, Blake Ashford, Justin Monjo and directed by Shawn Seet with Dan Spielman, Ashley Zukerman, Adele Persovic, Adam Garcia, Chelsie Preston Crayford, Paul Tassone, Dan Wylie, Luch Lawless, Aden Yound, David Wenham.
     
Note:  Imdb Episode One 7.9* out of 10* with 195 reviews, Episode Two 8* out of 10* with 154 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 56% audience score with 9 ratings, Metacritic 56 out of 100 with 5 critic reviews (1 positive 4 mixed 0 negative).

Vera Season 9 of 2019: Episode Two, Cukoo

      An unidentified teenage boy is found murdered in the coastal town of Peyton-by-the-Sea at a boat shipyard.  It is far away from his home town and an investigation shows he has been reported as a missing person.  He left the home of his support worker and he has a younger brother still living at this home?  CC TV footage from a train station gives his picture and the time he left the train.  Missing Persons shows he has been missing for six weeks and his name is Caden Lennon.  Vera learns that this quiet community has been plagued by a serious drug problem.  Supposedly, the only known dealer in the area has turned his back on crime?  Another person my have stepped into this drug market?  There is a wall of silence surrounding the death of this teen boy and a new drug dealer may be the explanation?

     Vera is sharp and so is her team.  They start right away with interviews and gathering important information.  The coroner states that Caden was killed by stab wounds and one severed an artery.  There were also traces of drugs in his system.  A local police officer is under suspicion and he is cautioned more than once not to delve into information about the case.  This isn’t his case, it’s Vera’s case and her department!!  This seemingly peaceful town seems sleepy and peaceful but it has a dark underbelly!!   5* (I really liked this episode.  (I really like this series)   

89 min, Crime directed by Paul Gay and written by Ann Cleevses (characters) and Paul Logue with Brenda Blethyn, Denny Doughty, Jon Morrison, Ibinabo Jack, Riley Jones, Paul Kaye, Peter Davison, Adrian Lukis, Jodie McNee, Amira Ghazalla, Seeta Indraini, Andrew Readman, Faith Alabi.

Note:  Imdb 8 out of 10 with 286 reviews, Amazon 4 1/2* with 148 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 100% with 1 critic rating and 6 user ratings, The Telegraph 2* out of 5* Michael Hogan, inews.co.uk 3* Jeff Robson.

Vera Season 9 of 2019, Episode One: Blind Spot:

     Vera investigates the murder of a 26 year old trainee forensic psychologist.  Joanne Caswell is found dead on a Northumberland landfill site.  There is an unpleasant smell at the rubbish area and it is blamed on methane gas.  This can’t be true because methane is an odorless gas although it is a commonly held belief that there is a smell attributed to methane.  Joanne works for the prison service and she is newly qualified.   She has been looking at a possible error in the case of a football coach who confessed to the murder of a teenager.  

     Vera is hardworking, she adds all the pieces together one at a time.  She does have help from her team, they delve into all the relevant information and people involved in the case.  There are LOT of twists and turns in this mystery!!  The earlier case adds additional background to the events of this murder.  It is possible that Joanne was getting close to sensitive information that someone wanted to remain hidden.  Is it damaging enough to result in a murder.  There are many suspects to sift through.  One of the pluses to this series is the scenes of the Northumberland countryside.  Her preferred travel vehicle is a battered Land Rover.  5* (I really like this series)   

89 min, Crime directed by Paul Gay and written by Ann Cleevses (characters) and Paul Logue with Brenda Blethyn, Denny Doughty, Jon Morrison, Ibinabo Jack, Riley Jones, Paul Kaye, Peter Davison, Adrian Lukis, Jodie McNee, Amira Ghazalla, Seeta Indraini, Andrew Readman, Faith Alabi.

Note:  Imdb 8 out of 10 with 286 reviews, Amazon 4 1/2* with 148 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 100% with 1 critic rating and 6 user ratings, The Telegraph 2* out of 5* Michael Hogan, inews.co.uk 3* Jeff Robson.