Page & Screen – January 2015

Collective Effort: Great Shows, Fine Books, and Food Underline Fruits of Collaboration

reviews by Sharon L. Shervington

Boardwalk Empire closes out a lengthy run with Season 5, which is being released on Blu-ray and DVD later this month.

This last season is a chance to watch some fine actors, Steve Buscemi, Michael Kenneth Williams, and, briefly, Jeffrey Wright, reprise their roles in one of HBO’s most popular dramas. Besides excellent acting the show is also known for tight scripts and solid directing, both on display here.

This time around the action is set during the Great Depression rather than the salad days of Prohibition, and it picks up six years after the events of season four. Nucky Thompson is preparing to sell liquor again, this time legally, once the Volsted Act is repealed.

Historical figures such as Al Capone, Meyer Lansky, and Lucky Luciano return while a speculative dramatization of the origins of Joseph Kennedy’s fortune provide an interesting diversion amid the bloodletting and other darkness.

The ensemble cast is strong, but the Steve Buscemi character, Nucky, is the pivot around which everything revolves, as it should. Here, the character has become more world-weary, and in insightful flashbacks he is played by two other actors, as child and young man. In all cases he is ambitious and troubled, and in this final season we see the origins of his dogged, if understated, ferocity.

The workings of his alcoholic family are scrutinized, along with other influences that went into making this character a different breed of gangster. It also shows his early relationship with his sister and brother Eli. These seemed to have added to his compassion and perhaps to his attitude of greater respect toward women, something uncommon among his peers.

The denouement of the story arc involving Chalky White, Nucky’s longtime black collaborator and friend, however, was unsatisfying. That is largely because this storyline, prominent in the other seasons, gets little screen time here. It would also have been great to see more of ruthless—exceptionally so even in a show full of violent characters—Dr. Narcisse, played by the ever-suave Jeffrey Wright as a Harlem kingpin.

But overall Boardwalk Empire deserves kudos for the fact that it has not shirked from portraying the apartheid-like conditions of the time and juxtaposing that with America’s common democratic land-of-the free rhetoric. It also has done well in this series with its effort to portray a range of color and class in its black characters. And that extends to the sequences in season five that are set in Cuba.

The locales are beautiful, the performances are nuanced and the period music is top notch. Those are the reasons viewers will want to buy this series and share it with friends. (Boardwalk Empire; 8 hours; $59.99)

Another period drama that has grabbed viewers’ attention and easily hung on to it is Downton Abbey. This is a great time to view seasons 1-4, in a recently released boxed set, prior to the release of Season 5 on disk and its airing on PBS later this month.

To hold the attention of a fickle public after four seasons is no mean feat, and I was a bit surprised at how engrossed I became when I recently viewed the series for the second time. Like Boardwalk Empire it has the recipe just right: lots of great performances from fine actors; great locales and settings; beautiful costumes and automobiles; fine writing; ensembles and star turns.

The whole production has become a veritable cottage industry,y and this 12-disk set is a great way to begin your collection, or to give as a gift. (PBS Direct; about 30 hours; $79.99)

Among the most interesting current documentaries from PBS Direct is The Manners of Downton Abbey, a fun nonfiction accompaniment to the series. Also notable is Rise of the Black Pharaohs, about a little-known chapter of Egyptian history that has been largely erased from the historical record. And for science fans there is Bigger Than T. Rex, about a dinosaur that may have been the largest predator ever on earth. (Each one hour, $19.99)

For fans of Mr. Selfridge, which returns later this year, I recommend The Paradise series two, which is unfortunately its last. This is a valentine to romance and the glamor of retailing. Underpinned by an ongoing love triangle and belle-époque froth, the series never seemed to fully hit its stride. Still the fine performances and close look at discrimination against women in the workplace and in the home make for a gripping tale that is well worth owning. (BBC Worldwide; eight hours; $29.99)

A real benchmark in the political drama is Borgen, from Denmark, which first came to the U.S. in 2013. Now, series one through three are available in a boxed set with over 30 hours of content. Birgitte Nyborg is the political natural who almost by accident becomes Denmark’s first female prime minister. The workload and responsibilities are beyond anything she or her husband could have imagined, and the series focuses in roughly equal measure on her professional and private lives. Will they divorce, or won’t they? And their daughter’s mental breakdown doesn’t help matters. Is it ripped from the headlines? Yes, but with lots of class.

Other key characters are her spin doctor, Kasper Juul; her husband, Philip, an international business executive and several journalists, including Katrine, whose relationship with Kasper makes for problems in the prime minister’s office. If you look closely you will see actors from European series like The Inspector and the Sea and The Eagle, both of which have been previously reviewed here. (Borgen; MHz Networks; 30 hours; $79.99)

Also highly recommended are the second and third series of The Eagle, an ensemble police drama about Detective Halgrim Halgrimsson, who is as quirky and troubled in his private life as he is focused and brilliant at solving crimes. (Also MHz; nine hours each)

From Page to Bouche

The sheer number of cookbooks still astonishes me, probably because I had hardly ever entered a kitchen with intent to cook until a few short years ago. Well, here’s to making up for lost time and the best of 2014.

My favorite cookbook this year is Gusto: the Very Best of Italian Food and Cuisine, from multiple authors. It is oversized and encyclopedic with gorgeous photographs that focus on the best and freshest ingredients—prepared simply—to let the natural flavors shine. There are whole sections on fruits and vegetables from arugula to artichokes and wild boar to zucchini. Oils, herbs, spices, and meats are all covered in lovely detail. The sections on cheeses and smoked meats are especially exhaustive. (Abbeville; 367 pages; $75)

Also at the top of my list is The Pollan Family Table: the Best Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious Healthy Family Meals. Actress Tracy Pollan and her husband Michael J. Fox are arguably the most famous members of a storied foodie family. But of course, the other Michael in this family—Michael Pollan—is among the era’s most celebrated food writers. Those are good recommendations and are reflected in the best of the fresh pastas, vegetables and salads that are featured prominently here. Another plus is that the food is unfussy and fast; many recipes are novice friendly. (Scribner; $30; 334 pages)

Because of the sheer luxury and convenience of her food, the “Barefoot Contessa,” aka Ina Garten, has legions of devoted followers all over the world. Already a bestseller, her latest, Make It Ahead, is no exception. She is a classic chef with a modern twist and her recipes are not necessarily expensive to make. And some recipes, like peas and pancetta, even incorporate simple ingredients like frozen Birdseye peas. There are many dramatic and easy standouts here. (Potter; $35; 272 pages)

Bonne Année et Bon Appetit!