Book Review: "I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer" by Michelle McNamara

Since its publication earlier this year, some have asked whether Michelle McNamara's utterly engrossing true crime book, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, would be as popular if McNamara, the wife of comedian and actor Patton Oswalt, hadn't died suddenly while writing the book in 2016. While that tragedy certainly raised the book's profile, the fact is, this is a tremendously well-written and compelling book, worthy of every bit of acclaim it's gotten. It's just sad McNamara isn't around to appreciate the response to her years of hard work.

"Violent men unknown to me have occupied my mind all my adult life—long before 2007, when I first learned of the offender I would eventually dub the Golden State Killer. The part of the brain reserved for sports statistics or dessert recipes or Shakespeare quotes is, for me, a gallery of harrowing aftermaths: a boy's BMX bike, its wheels still spinning, abandoned in a ditch along a country road; a tuft of microscopic green fibers collected from the small of a dead girl's back. To say I'd like to stop dwelling is beside the point."

Unsolved crimes—particularly murders—were an obsession of McNamara's from when she was 14 years old. Growing up the youngest of six children in Oak Park, Illinois, in the mid-1980s, a young woman from her neighborhood was murdered one night while jogging. Even though some boys she knew might very well have seen the murderer shortly after he committed his crime, the murder was never solved, and from that act of senseless violence, a fascination which turned into an obsession and a career was borne.

"I was a hoarder of ominous and puzzling details. I developed a Pavlovian response to the word 'mystery.' My library record was a bibliography of the macabre and true. When I meet people and hear where they're from I orient them in my mind by the nearest unsolved crime."

McNamara created the true crime website TrueCrimeDiary.com, where she enjoyed rehashing unsolved cases with the police and others originally involved in them, as well as other armchair detectives. But nothing gripped her like the havoc wreaked by the man she dubbed the "Golden State Killer," a man who terrorized Northern California for more than 10 years in the 1970s and 1980s, committing 50 sexual assaults and 10 brutal murders, before disappearing without ever being caught.

In I'll Be Gone in the Dark, McNamara laid out the grisly, disturbing trail this killer and rapist left behind. Buoyed by painstaking research, she provides stories about his victims and those who got away lucky, the dogged police officers and detectives tasked with hunting down this criminal mastermind. It's fascinating but frustrating, in that without the technology used today in solving crimes, without the kind of knowledge about serial killers and serial criminals that exists today, this criminal was able to escape.

While that in and of itself makes for an interesting read, McNamara wasn't afraid to talk about herself as well, and how this obsession affected her life. Reading this book brought you closer to the mind of a fascinating woman, one who will never be able to tell her own story in greater detail, nor will she be able to see how people reacted to her book. She was a great writer, and her research and interpretation was top-notch. There was a reason that police detectives were willing to talk with her and rehash the crimes they couldn't solve—because they knew she got them.

In his blurb for the book, Stephen King said it best: "What readers need to know—what makes this book so special—is that it deals with two obsessions, one light and one dark. The Golden State Killer is the dark half; Michelle McNamara is the light half. It’s a journey into two minds, one sick and disordered, the other intelligent and determined. I loved this book." Yep.

Movie Review: "Lion"

Lion is billed as a "feel-good movie." While it's certainly more upbeat than many of the movies released this holiday season, it certainly manipulates your emotions on the way there, although that's not entirely a bad thing.

Saroo (a fantastic and adorable Sunny Pawar) is a five-year-old boy living in a small rural, impoverished village in India. He is raised by his mother, an uneducated woman who makes her living carrying rocks. Saroo helps his older brother Guddu, whom he idolizes, with the odd jobs he does to make money for the family. For a young boy, Saroo is tough and strong, and wants to help make whatever difference he can for his family, plus he likes being in the middle of the action when he gets to accompany Guddu.

One night, he convinces Guddu to take him along when he goes looking for nighttime work at the train station. He leaves Saroo to wait for him at the station while he goes to look for the foreman; bored with waiting, Saroo explores one of the empty trains and falls asleep. The next thing he knows, he is stuck on the train for several days, forced to forage for whatever trash he can find, until it lets him off in Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. Not speaking the same dialect as those in Calcutta, unable to communicate who he is or where he is from, he fends for himself for a while until he is taken to an orphanage.

While the orphanage tries to search for Saroo's family with the limited information they have, they are unsuccessful, so ultimately Saroo is adopted by an Australian couple, Sue and John Brierley (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham), and he is taken to Australia to live with them. A year later, the couple adopts a troubled young boy from the orphanage as well.

Some 20 years later, while in graduate school, Saroo (now played by Dev Patel) begins thinking about his natural family, and whether they still think and wonder what became of him. He decides he must try and find them, although that task is like finding a needle in a haystack, since he never could figure out the correct name of the village he came from, or even how to find people so far off the grid, if they even were still there (or alive, for that matter).

Encouraged by his girlfriend (Rooney Mara), trying to find the train station where he was first taken from becomes an obsessive task, one which threatens his studies, his job, and his relationships with his parents (especially his emotionally fragile mother) and his girlfriend. But how can he not do everything in his power to find his real family? And if he does, what will that do to John and Sue?

This film is based on a true story, but I knew nothing about it, so it was as much a mystery/thriller for me as it was a drama. It really raises a lot of interesting questions, though. What happens to lost children in poor and developing countries, and what dangers do they face? How can a poor, uneducated family marshal any available resources to find a lost child? What leads people to adopt children from another country, another culture, and remain positive in the face of emotional difficulties suffered by the children?

Lion is essentially a film in two parts, one chronicling young Saroo's harrowing journey and one following Saroo's quest to find his family. At the center of the film are the two Saroos, Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel. Pawar, in his film debut, is pitch-perfect. He is adorable, feisty, brave, and vulnerable. Patel is utterly magnificent as well, and his performance shows an emotional depth that his previous performances in more feel-good movies like Slumdog Millionaire and the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel series only hinted at. This is the crowning performance of Patel's career to date, and it is one worthy of at least an Oscar nomination, if not the award itself.

Kidman doesn't have a very large role but it is a quietly powerful and emotional one. She continues to transform herself physically and emotionally for her roles, and you both admire the sacrifices she has made yet feel for her powerlessness in the face of both of her sons. She appears vulnerable and yet her quiet strength is fascinating. Mara's role doesn't really transcend that of the supporting girlfriend, but she does well with what she is given. Both Abhishek Bharate and Priyanka Bose, who play Saroo's brother and mother, respectively, bring heart and emotion to their small but crucial roles.

Incredibly, this is Director Garth Davis' first full-length film; to date he has only directed two television shows, a documentary, and a short film, although he is renowned for his commercials. Yet he showed immense talent and restraint in his work on Lion; in another's hands, this film could have become melodramatic, mawkish, even heavy-handed in its messaging, but Davis has created a film that sneaks up on you, one which makes you cry as it makes you think. I wouldn't be surprised to see it among the Best Picture nominees later this month, and believe it is definitely one of the best films of 2016 I've seen.

Book Review: "Being Miss America: Behind the Rhinestone Curtain" by Kate Shindle

When Kate Shindle was crowned Miss America 1998 in September 1997, she became one of the most polarizing Miss Americas in some time. Some thought she was the clear winner the moment she stepped onstage; some said she only won because the pageant was fixed. Some loved her talent; some hated it. Some thought her swimsuit was fun and unique; others HATED it. But most of her detractors couldn't deny the intelligence and passion with which she spoke about her platform issue or cause, awareness and prevention of HIV and AIDS.

"I have been called courageous, a trailblazer, the first socially relevant Miss America ever, fat, thin, beautiful, handsome, ugly, talented, untalented, inspiring, infuriating, deserving, undeserving."

I've always been a fan of Shindle's, as I feel she is never afraid to tell it like it is. In Being Miss America she speaks candidly both about what it's like to be Miss America—the good and the bad—and the triumphs and challenges the Miss America Organization has dealt with historically, and those it is facing currently.

"Most of the young women who strive to become Miss America see it as the public sees it: as a dream, a wish fulfillment that guarantees one will be respected, praised, and lifted up as an example of all that is right about young American women. Little do they know what they're actually getting into if they win. Decades of stereotypes, expectations, scandal, myths, media scrutiny, public skepticism, and questionable leadership choices have made actually being Miss America nearly impossible."

Those of you that know me are probably aware that I've been a volunteer with the Miss America Organization for more than 10 years. I've been tremendously fortunate to watch some dynamic young women compete in this system, and watch the amazing things they've done with their lives and for their communities, partially as a result of the skills they've burnished through competition, and partially thanks to the scholarships they receive. I've also had the tremendous opportunity to meet a number of immensely dedicated volunteers, who are the lifeblood of this organization. Their love for the system, despite its flaws, and the incredible amount of work and sweat and tears and money they put in (most of the time for no personal gain) is both inspiring and humbling.

That's why as much as I enjoyed this book, it saddened me to get a more in-depth understanding of the problems the organization has, and get Shindle's perspectives on both the causes and the potential solutions. Being a volunteer, even in my own small way, I'm aware of some of these issues, and I also understand them as a person who has worked in the nonprofit association management field for nearly my entire career. Sure, some would say these are only Shindle's perspectives, and she has an axe to grind, and maybe not everything she says is entirely accurate, but I hope this book serves as somewhat of a wake-up call to those with the power to make change happen. Think what you must about the Miss America system, it has made a tremendous difference in millions of women's lives, and still can.

Shindle writes as I'd imagine she speaks, and I found this book really compelling. I read it in just a little more than a day. My only criticism is that the book could have used some more judicious fact-checking: in a few instances, former Miss Americas are referenced by incorrect years, and one recent Miss America's last name is spelled quite wrong throughout the book. But that's the savant in me—many people might not even notice that.

If you have an interest in the Miss America Organization or what it's like to be Miss America, you'll find this book tremendously interesting. If you love the system and/or have given any time to being a part of it, you may feel as I do. But if all you've ever thought about Miss America is she's nothing more than a crown-wearing bimbo who doesn't do anything, I'd encourage you to read this. You may not change your mind, but you should.

Movie Review: "Argo"

If you had told me during the height of the "Bennifer" craze that Ben Affleck would transform into one of the best directors currently working, and a strong actor to boot, I probably wouldn't have believed you. (Did you see Gigli?) But after marveling at his direction of Gone Baby Gone and The Town, and now the spectacular Argo—not to mention his strong performances in the latter two movies—I'd say you're absolutely right.

I was nearly 10 years old in 1979 when angry Iranian citizens stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and took 52 Americans hostage. While I was generally aware this occurred, and the continuing crisis remained in the back of my mind (although I'll admit at the time I knew more about what was happening behind the scenes on The Love Boat or Three's Company more than current events), like many, I had no idea that six Embassy employees had escaped and eventually made it back to the U.S. So as the events in Argo unfolded, for the most part, it was like I was finding things out for the first time.

The movie begins with a brief narration of the history and events that led up to the animosity Iran felt toward the U.S. back in 1979. Watching the angry mob work up the strength to storm the embassy and overrun its staff, it felt as if I was there in the middle of what was happening. Affleck's direction here was superb—the tension and emotions on both sides was truly palpable. You felt the anxiety of the Embassy employees as they decided their only recourse was to flee the dangers that awaited them.

Affleck, complete with shaggy 70s hair and beard, plays CIA exfiltration expert Tony Mendez, pressed into service by the agency to help extract the six employees who were hiding at the residence of the Canadian ambassador (Victor Garber). He comes up with an unlikely scenario—he and the "houseguests" (as they are referred to throughout the movie) will pretend to be a Canadian film crew scouting locations for a science fiction movie, and after looking around Tehran, will fly to Switzerland. To give the scenario the authenticity it will need in order to succeed with suspicious Iranians, Mendez flies to Hollywood where he enlists the help of makeup artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and legendary producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin, who gets to spout the best lines in the film), finds a script, and starts building the necessary publicity buzz in Hollywood. (I'm not gonna lie—I was psyched to see Adrienne Barbeau in the movie, because I'm still a child of the 70s and 80s, what do you want from me?)

Finally getting the go ahead from the U.S. government, Mendez flies first to Istanbul and then Tehran to begin the extraction operation. Of course, he has to gain the trust of the houseguests (not an easy feat) and overcome suspicion and very close investigation of the Iranian secret police, not to mention the changing plans of his own government.

It takes an excellent director to make a movie compelling when you know what is ultimately going to happen, but that is exactly what happens with Argo. Affleck's direction and the performances are top-notch, and the plot is so tightly wound, that you find yourself wondering whether the story will divert from the path you expect it to take, much like Apollo 13.

There doesn't seem to be a false note in this movie—even the toys in Mendez's son's room are authentic to the time period. The few moments of humor don't truly distract you from the story at hand, although Arkin's show-stealing performance would certainly justify your being distracted. Affleck brings a quiet power and vulnerability to his role, and the actors who play the houseguests—particularly Scoot McNairy as the one hardest to convince—bring tension and fear to their performances. And Affleck doesn't simply make the Iranians one-dimensional stereotypes; in particular, Farshad Farahat, as the airport guard who isn't quite sure whether to believe the scenario Mendez has woven, gives a simmering portrayal.

I truly hope that this movie and Affleck get the recognition they deserve come Oscar time. I felt as if The Town was definitely worthy of a Best Picture nomination two years ago but it was passed over, and I hope that doesn't happen again. But regardless of the awards this film receives, it serves as one more powerful notice that Ben Affleck is one of the most talented directors of this generation, and I look forward to continuing to enjoy his contributions to film.