Tonic Recommends: 2 Films & A Series
Positano? Not for us, on these fair shores. While people overseas swarm to beaches in giddy throngs, here, our best friend is a warm bath, a hot coffee and a streaming service subscription. You might not be able to visit Italy’s Amalfi Coast this winter, but you can escape, in a manner, with these bingeworthy offerings.
Luca | Disney +
Before you poo-poo the idea of watching a kids’ movie, let me tell you: you’ll cry. And as a bonus, you’ll also be transported to the Italian Riviera in the 1960s, where this animated movie is set.
At the heart of the story is Luca, a sea monster boy who lives under the sea with his family who don’t understand his curiosity or need for adrenalin-spiked adventure. When he and his friend, Alberto, discover they look like humans when they are on land (just like the Little Mermaid), adventures ensue.
And so, the two of them venture into the town of Portorosso for the summer, hoping to keep their true identities from the townspeople who would otherwise fear them.
This film is for everyone who’s ever felt marginalised, misunderstood and judged (nearly everyone) – or who just loves all things Italian Riviera.
Cruella | Disney +
People, I’ve watched this twice, and this is a long movie: it clocks in at nearly two and a half hours. It’s the origin story of Cruella de Vil, the larger-than-life villain who wants to make coats out of the fur of Dalmatian puppies in 101 Dalmatians.
Emma Stone plays Cruella, who, while still a child finds herself without family or money in London. To survive, she teams up with some young grifters, although her childhood dream is to become a fashion designer.
This film isn’t just about how trauma and darkness can affect your personality, it’s about how a strong woman can’t and won’t be suppressed. Stone roars her way through this fabulous flick, going head-to-head with Emma Thompson, who plays an old-school designer, The Baroness, along the lines of a Chanel or Diana Vreeland.
Set in 1970s London, the rise of Cruella mimics the rise of Vivienne Westwood and her punk fashions at a time when the streets are filled with a sea of hoity-toity epaulet wearers; the results are stunning.
Plus, the soundtrack is a killer, featuring The Doors, Nina Simone, Ike and Tina Turner, Blondie, The Clash and Supertramp. Bet you’ll watch it twice, too.
My Unorthodox Life | Netflix
The title here is a play on Netflix’s drama, Unorthodox, but this is a reality show with similar themes: a woman leaves her religious Jewish community to live an entirely different life.
In this case, it’s Julia Haart, who goes from being a beloved teacher in a school to starting a shoe line, joining La Perla, marrying the boss and then becoming the billionaire wife and girl boss at Elite World Group.
As a Jewish woman, I felt torn by this: it was entirely watchable, but it also painted an unflattering portrait of religious life. By the end, I felt that the message was more nuanced: Julia learnt to become accepting of her children, some of whom were straddling two worlds of the religious and secular, without rejecting her Jewish roots, which she still finds comforting and with similar values to her own.
Throughout it all, she’s larger than life, whether she’s renting out a castle in France when she’s heading to the Louis Vuitton shows or transforming her office into a glamping party for her young son.
I liked her, but I liked her chief operating officer, Robert Brotherton, who over the nine episodes struggles with wanting to learn who his birth mother is, and her ex-husband, Yosef Hendler, a mensch (person) she is still fond of, better.
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