March 2022
John's Picks
The Bridge by Sting (2021)
The fifteenth studio album by Sting and his first solo collection of new material in over five years. Written during the pandemic and over a period of personal reflection, the album explores themes such as loss and turmoil while containing the classic sound that made Sting the superstar he is today. Hard to believe the man is seventy years old. You wouldn't know by listening to his still resonant voice.
Nobody (2021)
An action thriller film directed by Ilya Naishuller and starring the unlikely choice of Bob Odenkirk as the title character. The film tells the story of Hutch Mansell, a former government auditor who runs afoul of the local Russian mob and decides to fight back after years of quiet family life. Known primarily for his more comedic roles such as the eponymous Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, Odenkirk defies expectations in this movie to become a serious action star.
Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2014)
Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, this dark dramedy stars Michael Keaton as Riggan Thomson, a once famous film actor trying to stage a comeback in theater (no pun intended). It is an ironic role considering Keaton's real-life tenure as Batman some thirty years prior. With an impressive cast including Emma Stone and Edward Norton, this Oscar-winning film is best remembered for seeming like one continuous take throughout (minus the beginning and ending); something seen before in film, but none so ambitious as this particular one.
Laura's Pick
Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman
This cleverly plotted Regency mystery, second in the Lily Adler series, begins with a courtesy visit to the new wife of Lily's semi-estranged father's friend. Appearances can be deceptive, however, and when the newly married man is found dead, the house is in uproar, the widow is in hysterics, and Lily is convinced it was murder. But can she persuade her disbelieving father to accept the truth of his friend's death and uncover the murderer before it's too late?