So in the most recent Israeli elections, Netanyahu's party came to power again. I kept hoping that his coalition would fall apart and he wouldn't be prime minister again, but no such luck. I just don't understand why they didn't try him on corruption charges while he was out of power. Now he's sworn in and the government is going to be so far right.
I guess it's like how in Texas, the AG has been indicted for years, with no action taken. He and Abbott got reelected again. It's so disheartening.
In preparation to cancelling Netflix again, I checked for any other shows/movies I wanted to see, and I discovered the Canadian movie Indian Horse, based on a novel. At first it seems like it's going to be a hockey movie, about an indigenous player becoming a sports hero like Jim Thorpe or Duke Kahanamoku, but it's really a drama about the horrific boarding schools traumatizing Native kids, generation after generation, until the 1990s. (And this didn't just happen in Canada. It happened in the United States and in Australia; white society sought to assimilate indigenous people by destroying their native culture and converting them to Christianity.) Saul's family reflects this divide. His grandmother remembers ancestral lands and traditions, but his parents who went to boarding schools have forgotten old ways. Even though Saul's older brother died due to illness at the school, the parents still want to return to a priest to have him blessed; as if the Christian god did any good to that boy in life.
Saul ends up alone and is also sent to a Catholic boarding school to be indoctrinated. He witnesses other kids suffering the cruelty of the nuns and priests. It's kind of senseless how they punish the kids for such minor things, regarding it as a sin to speak Ojibwe, and repeatedly locking a little girl in cage in the basement, like an animal. A new priest Father Gaston arrives and seems reform-minded and less strict. He acts nice and sets up a hockey rink to let the boys play on a team. He seems supportive to Saul, but he still looks the other way as children continue to be severely traumatized in sadistic ways. Two girls even kill themselves out of despair. Saul uses hockey as an escape from this misery, and his talent helps him leave the boarding school as a teen to join a team called the Moose.
Saul does well with his foster family, but his team faces racist taunts and brutal violence from the white teams they play. Eventually Saul is scouted to join a white team, as a step toward playing on a professional NHL team. The racism is even worse there, also coming from insensitive fans who do mock war chants and throw Indian toys at him. Becoming a sports star is not worth this shit, so he quits and descends into alcoholism. The movie is really about Saul needing to deal with the deep trauma he has suppressed and ignored for years. It's about trying to find peace and family to help you heal.
There's a new teaser trailer for the Barbie movie! Very intriguing so far, though I hope to see more from the rest of the cast. I highly anticipate this, along with the Chevalier movie which apparently is releasing in April 2023.
Anyway, I watched the Murderville Christmas special. At first I couldn't find it, because Netflix listed it separately from the rest of the Murderville episodes. I liked the surprise return of Marshawn Lynch and the fact that he recognized Jason Bateman as "the Ozark dude" instead of knowing his connection to Will Arnett. Maya Rudolph was also fun doing improv, but the last minute trainee they added was really pointless, arriving at the very end. Because he didn't participate in any investigation, and only heard a random summary of the plot, he had to basically guess the killer out of the blue. Myself, I had already figured out the killer as soon as I noticed the nametag clue, but was thrown off by the idea of the accomplice and what other clues I'd need to look for. Maybe I'll rewatch it one more time just to check for missed clues. Arnett definitely made the most of the opportunity to tease Bateman as well as do an homage to Die Hard.
I read cozy mysteries in general, but I was looking for more Asian protagonists lately, so I tried some new recommended authors. I really like Ovidia Yu's series starring Chen Su Lin in 1930s Singapore. It starts with the Frangipani Tree Mystery, and goes on with other trees from there. The main character is less wacky and comic than in her Aunty Lee mysteries, and I really like the more serious tone. Su Lin is also rather young, a sixteen-year-old trying to cope with her family's expectations and the complex rules of society within the British colony. Orphaned and debilitated by polio, she is considered unlucky, but she fiercely wants to be independent. She wants to become a lady reporter, but lucks into assisting a British inspector solve a murder. There's no romance there; it's more of a paternal, protective relationship.
I also started a historical Korean mystery by June Hur. Red Palace takes place in 1758 around the capital. It concerns a palace nurse investigating a murder with a rogue police inspector. They are both very young and have to contend with issues like palace intrigue and a conspiracy of silence. Hyeon is also the illegitimate daughter of a lord, longing for approval and love. She risks everything to clear the name of her mentor nurse, who is accused of a bloody massacre. It's engrossing so far, and when I finish I'll continue with the Tree series.
