NOMI'S PICS

Hoffman weaves together elements from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter (1850) with a fresh narrative in which Hawthorne himself becomes a character and a love interest through the intriguing concept of time travel.

Since my teenage years, Bob Marley has had an undeniably strong effect on my mood. His songs make me think and feel deeply, sing loudly, and dance joyously. Most importantly, they remind me of good times, travel, and people I love. 

A journey back in time to the rise of French fashion after WW2 in Paris. It portrays the parallel journeys of survival and sacrifice that Christian Dior and Coco Chanel navigated during the Nazi occupation of France and the different moral pathways they took to survive the war. 

Rostov forges profound relationships and heartwarming bonds within the hotel's confines. There are nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout, but the one that lingers and serves as the core message is: “A man must master his circumstances or otherwise be mastered by them.”

I love that this novel begins with the ending scene. It was not a spoiler for me because the beauty was in the telling of what transpired in the lives of the main characters between when they first met and when they meet again. 

This is a lyrical novel of contrasts, with moments of pure passion and others of excruciating truth. It opened up an inner dialogue that forced me to examine my relationships and those of my parents and grandparents.

Dianne Whelan's journey is not just about personal accomplishments but about the connections she makes with people, the land, and herself. Her love for Canada and its people is contagious, and her story will leave you with a renewed sense of hope in the goodness of others and the kindness of strangers.

It will have you feeling all the feels - sadness, frustration, irritation, amusement, and love, as the story unfolds. I can imagine The Holdovers becoming a holiday classic for those who tire of the steady stream of Hallmark movies.

With beautiful ballads or groovy, danceable tunes, he is surprising, not least because he is covered in tattoos, piercings, and other physical embellishments that are unexpected from someone singing about desperate love. 

I was completely unaware of Bernstein’s personality or personal life. Maestro reveals the many layers of the brilliant composer, conductor, musician, and American cultural icon in ways that are heartfelt, honest, and breathtaking.

When watching, it is necessary for the viewer to suspend realistic expectations and go with the show’s cosmic flow. It is a beautiful adventure, filled with the raw power of brotherly love, that will make you laugh, cry, cringe, and smile.

This evocative film allows the audience to move through childhood, friendship, family, the displacement of moving far away from everything you know, new beginnings, and thoughts of what might have been. It is honest and delicate, and it opens up a dialogue within ourselves. 

If any of you are a British crime drama enthusiast, you will likely recognize the actor playing Judith Burkett (Joanna Lumley). Let me just say that she got me going! I was talking to her from my recliner in ways that were not so nice!

If I could go back and ask my 20-year-old self what I thought about Willie Nelson and country music, I would have made a face like I’d just sucked on a sour lemon. Well, here I am at the age of 56, with a deep appreciation for the music legends who have stood the test of time, no matter what the genre. 

Normal Lear's genius was his ability to appeal to a vast cross-section of viewers no matter where they fell on the political spectrum and allow people to see that change isn’t scary if we can maintain a sense of humor. 

The show seamlessly weaves together drama, humor, and social commentary, creating a narrative that is gut-wrenching, funny, heart-warming, and thought-provoking in equal measure.

Set in 1880s New York City, it tells the story of America’s industrial boom and the wealth that sprung from it. During this age of expansion after the Civil War ended, banking, railways, and steel manufacturing made millionaires out of common folk. 

Not only does this show deal with workplace ethics and cultures of complicity, but it also focuses on the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and the storming of the US Capitol building, from the viewpoint of a media news outlet. 

This film takes its viewers on an emotional rollercoaster of laughter and empathy, sharing the dark side of corporations and shady death insurance policies and how they prey on the weak and the vulnerable, as well as the bright side of family and community and the importance of humour. 

By the end of the second episode, with a few plot twists, I was hooked! In addition to the cute, angsty teen stuff, it deals with overt and ingrained racism, sexual identity, the repercussions of divorce, and the dark deeds people can sometimes be forced into when faced with no alternative. 

Lands of Lost Borders chronicles Harris’ journey of breaking free from the limits we impose on ourselves. It’s about confronting the restrictions that borders place on both nature and humanity.