Page 6 August 10, 2017 EL SEGUNDO HERALD Entertainment Check It Out Film Review The Undoing of St. Silvanus By Beth Moore Review by Roz Templin Library Assistant, El Segundo Public Library The Undoing of St. Silvanus had been on my “to read” list for many months, but got buried at the end as so many new books started flooding our library shelves. Luckily, I was roaming in the stacks and caught sight of it and remembered that I had been intrigued by the subject matter. Although it took a few pages, I soon was immersed in the story and deliberately slowed down my reading so I could stretch out my enjoyment. Author Beth Moore constructs several layers of mystery surrounding a boarding house in New Orleans that was formerly a church. Olivia Fontaine is the crotchety older woman who owns the house and presides over an eccentric selection of characters who live in the building. Her outspoken and combustible manager, Adella, decides to notify Olivia’s estranged granddaughter of her father Rafe’s death (Olivia is Rafe’s mother). Jillian travels from California to Louisiana and is met with culture shock and questions about her Southern heritage. Though she has faint memories of her father, she can’t remember much about her relationship with him and other relatives. She also finds that her grandmother is a formidable woman who has many secrets. Will Jillian be successful in breaking Olivia’s icy reserve and finding some answers to questions like was her father’s death a result of chronic alcoholism or was it retribution for a perceived slight? Who has been leaving odd items at the doorstep and what do they mean? Is the Fontaine family cursed? Not only is the story a family secrets tale, The Undoing of St. Silvanus weaves interlocked character studies into subplots and undercurrents of suspense. The people of St. Sans and its neighborhood jump off the page as real folks in situations that are relatable and absorbing. The twists and turns are riveting as well as believable. Adella, the building manager, is entertainingly comical and steals the show whenever she appears. The tenants of St. Silvanus form a deep bond and work together to assist Jillian as she navigates the murky trail she finds herself following, sometimes putting them all in danger. Unexpectedly, there is a much deeper spiritual element to the book. Not preachy, but definitely faith-affirming in its tone. Beth Moore is the founder of Living Proof Ministries and has written much Christian nonfiction. This is her first novel. Even though I was slowly savoring the text, it did finally come to an end and I found myself wishing there was more! I highly recommend this book and hope that you visit the library for more opportunities to learn and be entertained by items in our collection. Our staff is ready to help you find just the right match. • Ingrid Goes West is a #nofilter Look at Superficiality in the Digital Age By Morgan Rojas for www.cinemacy.com We’ve all done it (well, most of us). Late night social media stalking of it--girls and pseudo-celebrities that keep us up way past our bedtime, dreaming of what life would be like if we could live a day in their shoes. In a time when studies have proven that an unhealthy attachment to social media can lead to depression and a false sense of reality, the award-winning Sundance film Ingrid Goes West is a #nofilter look at modern day superficiality in the digital age, perpetuated by one of Elizabeth Olsen and Aubrey Plaza in Ingrid Goes West. Courtesy of NEON. social media’s most popular apps: Instagram. For our interview with Aubrey Plaza, Billy Magnussen, Matt Spicer and more, visit www. cinemacy.com. Directed by L.A. transplant Matt Spicer, this dark comedy is centered around a mentally unstable 20-something, Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza), a social media stalker who confuses “likes” for authentic relationships. Reaching out to a Venice Beach-dwelling “influencer,” Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), after she responded to one of Ingrid’s comments, Ingrid sets her sights on becoming Taylor’s best friend IRL (in real life). Ingrid moves to California and, after having tracked Taylor’s every move, fashion choice and food preference, she finally meets her idol and is determined to become her new BFF. Because of “coincidental” shared interests and hobbies, Taylor quickly invites Ingrid into her world with trips to Joshua Tree as well as tripping on acid, and to her inner circle as she meets Taylor’s hippy boyfriend Ezra (Wyatt Russell) and her eccentric brother Nicky (Billy Magnussen). This quickly solidifies the relationship between the two girls. However, like all things fake and phony, both of their true colors start to seep through their heavily filtered exteriors, proving that no one is as perfect or flawless as they claim to be on Instagram. Ingrid goes crazy in Ingrid Goes West and Aubrey Plaza’s performance is a delicately tactile force with which to be reckoned. Best known for her lack of empathy and deadpan emotion in films such as The Little Hours and the TV hit Parks & Rec, here Plaza leaves the emo at the door and fully checks into the looney bin. She balances Ingrid’s mental illness with both sympathy and vulnerability so as not to come across as cartoonish or unrelatable, and we can’t get enough. The rest of the cast successfully adds to the film’s humor and appeal. Ingrid’s neighbor/ Batman-obsessed boyfriend Dan (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) is the dependable comedic relief in every scene, due in large part to the fact that he is the only one seemingly grounded in reality. Elizabeth Olsen transforms into the wellness advocate and avocado toast-eating enthusiast you love to hate. Every Los Angeles stereotype you can think of--the good, the bad and the ugly--are on satirical display and we laugh at them until we realize we either a) know someone just like them, or b) recognize some of their qualities in ourselves. And that is the genius of Ingrid Goes West. Director Matt Spicer definitely has something special here. Together with screenwriter David Branson Smith, they have created what may be the most relevant film for millennials in 2017. While the actual events may be contemporary and generational, the message behind Ingrid Goes West could very well stand as a timeless folklore for future generations. Ingrid Goes West is rated R for language throughout, drug use, some sexual content and disturbing behavior. 97 minutes. Opening this Friday at ArcLight Hollywood, nationwide August 25. • The Undoing of St. Silvanus by Beth Moore. Roz Templin. I live alone Saving a life from a potential catastrophe EVERY 10 MINUTES! but I’’I’m m never alone. I have Life Alert.® One touch of a button sends help fast, 24/7, can’t • medical • fall • fi re • invasion • CO gas emergencies. For a FREE brochure call: Medical Alert Medical Alert Industry Leader Industry Leader Since 1987 Since 1987 No landline? No problem! FREE SHIPPING! even when you can’’t reach a phone for: AS SEEN ON TV 1-866-591-7844 City Council from page 4 Mainly due to the aforementioned rising pension costs, the City’s multi-year budget forecast does not bode well after next year— with annual deficits projected to grow until reaching $5.6 million in the red by 2022/23. The numbers may be even worse if a major recession hits—and a downturn is already overdue according to Boyles, who asked Lillio to prepare a “worst case scenario” forecast should the economy falter. In any case, the Council will have to make strategic decisions to close future budget gaps. Future revenue-generating options brought up on Tuesday included whether to consider putting any tax increases on the ballot. For instance, a 0.25 percent local sales tax hike would yield about $3 million per year. It’s possible the County itself may look to increase the sales tax (the cap is 10 percent), but if the City beats it to the punch with a ballot measure, the extra monies (e.g. the 0.25 percent) would go into El Segundo’s coffers instead of the County’s. The Council could also explore revising the utility user tax (UUT), with each one percent increase adding $1.8 million a year. The City currently only assesses UUTs on businesses and not residents. Each one percent UUT assessed on residents would garner about $625,000 annually. El Segundo is the only area city with a UUT where residents don’t pay that tax. Meanwhile, a business license tax revision could potentially generate $1 million to $1.5 million in additional yearly revenues going forward. Other ideas include a fee study to recover more City costs for various services, passing the credit card convenience charge to the end user, and reducing the sales tax credit certain businesses qualify for from 40 percent down to 10 percent. While amenable to considering a parking tax for out-of-towners who visit El Segundo (an item See City Council, page 12
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