Pleasantly Melting Your Brain
Four fun things to watch, a satisfying Mediterranean read, and an influencer you won't hate.
Hello there,
We’re heading into one of the laziest weeks of the year when a large number of people are quarantining or are in need of distraction, so I thought I’d do one more edition this year.
Watch
Since they just came out on streaming and I’ve been using the Christmas break to gently melt my brain, I watched Don’t Look Up (Netflix) and Encanto (Disney+).
Don’t Look Up made me laugh a lot more than I expected, but as a whole was pretty bleak and seemed like a really expensive, A-lister-heavy way for a famous director to work out his Trump-related trauma. (And as a metaphor for climate change, I’m not sure it was effective.) While not a must see, I will say I did manage to get through the more than two-hour run time without constantly checking my phone, so there’s that.
Encanto was one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve seen in awhile, and I am a little obsessed with the lush, gorgeous design. The movie itself, sadly, was a little meh for me, since the plot and especially the music were a bit of a letdown. (The movie is set in Colombia - every song should be a banger. But the only song I really liked was the sole Carlos Vives tune.) But if you want to feel physically transported, it ticks that box.
After watching Encanto, I was curious if LMM’s other semi-recent movie had better music and so I watched Vivo (Netflix). Some of the music was more memorable, and it had a kind of silly plot that nevertheless had me in tears. So as pleasant distractions go, it works.
All that said, my actual recommendation this week is Ziwe (Showtime). I’m very late to this show, but definitely better late than never. Ziwe is a comedian who turned hilarious Instagram interviews into an incredibly funny sketch/talk show that needed far more than the mere six episodes the network gave her. I didn’t just laugh — some of the show made me scream-laugh. Some interviews are deliberately cringe-inducing (for good reason), but the best part is seeing how people react to uncomfortable questions they really don’t want to answer. Also, while the intention is comedy, Ziwe is just a really skilled interviewer and it makes me want to see her grill more people in power.
Read
The Island of Missing Trees is a beautiful novel that takes place in Cyprus and the UK, and covers a lot of ground: war, exile, climate change, star-crossed love, grief, and reconciliation. And one of the most fascinating parts is about trees, and you will think about them differently after you read this book as more than just plants. (It will also make you really hungry for Greek and Turkish food, so much so that I’ve been researching cookbooks.)
See the full list of recommendations of things to watch and read.
Follow
I have very little patience for TikTok influencers, with a few exceptions, and Emily Mariko is one of them. I follow her on Instagram, and for reasons I cannot explain, I find her videos mesmerizing. They mostly consist of her cooking beautiful, healthy meals, and a few involve cleaning. The videos are just the right length for my limited attention span and make me feel more inspired to cook. Interestingly, she doesn’t post the recipes directly on social, but instead sends them in a weekly newsletter.
Do
It’s the last week of the year, and we’re in the midst of yet another virus surge. Your goal should be to do as little as humanly possible.
Until next time,
Rachel