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The Pianist


“Unblinking” is one of the accolades often used to describe Roman Polanski’s 2002 movie about the Holocaust, The Pianist. The hero, played by Adrien Brody, fights a heartbreaking, humiliating, and miraculous battle to survive the Nazi occupation, all of it shown in unsparing detail, without Hollywood sentimentality. The Pianist was based on the autobiography of Władysław Szpilman, a Jewish concert pianist, who survived the occupation by hiding alone in the ruins of Warsaw. The film won three Academy Awards in 2003, including best director. Polanski, who fled Hollywood in 1977 to escape prosecution for a statutory-rape charge, came under fire during the #MeToo movement for other accusations made by French actresses. At 90, the Polish-born director remains a pariah in the United States. The Pianist, now newly restored, is nonetheless a masterpiece that is ideally suited to a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise. (from $11, filmforum.org) —Alessandra Stanley

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Among Friends


The titans who presided over publishing’s golden age, a time before BookTok and Sally Rooney merch, are the subject of Among Friends, a collectible-edition coffee-table book comprising essays, archival photos, and vintage book jackets all about the 20th century book industry. Edited by Buz Teacher and Janet Bukovinsky Teacher, it features text by Morgan Entrekin, president and publisher of Grove Atlantic and the go-to editor for 1980s New York’s literary Brat Pack; Nan Talese, the longtime Doubleday editor, wife of the writer Gay Talese, and inspiration for The Godfather’s Kay Adams; Bob Gottlieb, the Simon & Schuster, Knopf, and New Yorker editor who worked with everyone from John le Carré to Toni Morrison to Robert Caro; and Michael Korda, the writer and Simon & Schuster editor who presided over the publication of Jacqueline Susann’s controversial 1966 novel, Valley of the Dolls. ($200, amazon.com) —Julia Vitale

Organize

KRB


Time spent in New York City rental apartments feels like dog years. On paper, I’ve lived in the same West Village apartment for almost six years, but it’s really felt more like 40, and over those past 40 years I’ve acquired a lot of stuff. At best, I’m a collector. At worst, I’m a hoarder. I have so many throw pillows that, some days, I can barely find a place to sit on my couch. I’m probably the only person under the age of 65 who has more than five regular print-magazine subscriptions. Drawers almost overflow with random papers. Things can quickly appear disorganized, so if you’ve lived in an apartment as long as I have, you simply need a tray from Kate Rheinstein Brodsky’s Upper East Side shop to get things in order. They’re finished in a high-gloss lacquer, and the design is inspired by Villa Bologna, in Malta. They’ll fool any and all visitors into thinking you have it all under control. ($370, krbnyc.com) —Michael Pescuma

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Ripple


The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in the Gulf of Mexico, was the largest such leak in human history and, naturally, the top news story that summer. And then, come fall, it was over—the leak was plugged up, beaches were cleaned up, and BP pleaded guilty to 14 criminal charges and paid $4 billion in fines and penalties. But that wasn’t the whole story. In the new podcast Ripple, Dan Leone travels to the Gulf Coast to speak with those who experienced the leak firsthand, many of whom are still suffering its consequences. The lies he uncovers are shocking. “Blood was coming out of my nose … my ears. I was bleeding from everywhere,” one man tells him. And it’s not over, a cascade of voices add. (spotify.com) —Clara Molot

Stay

Sha Mexico


Cancún might not conjure up images of health and clarity, but that could change thanks to the new destination spa from Sha Wellness, just a 20-minute drive from the land of spring break in Costa Mujeres. A visit to Sha begins with a detailed diagnosis of body mass, muscle mass, bone mass—all the masses—cognitive capacity, and coronary health. In other words, it’s thorough. From there, each guest receives a personalized program of workouts, health counseling, and an array of treatments designed to improve strength, reduce stress, and enhance happiness (as long as happiness doesn’t include alcohol, coffee, meat, sugar, dairy, or processed food). Each room in the modern, skinny building has a private balcony and a view of the sea. Just fly to Cancún and dash as quickly as possible toward enlightenment. (from $5,500 for a four-day stay; shawellness.com) —Linda Wells

SPARKLE

Diane Kordas


In the sickeningly sweet Valentine’s Day economy, a heart-stoppingly good gift can be elusive. Fortunately, jewelry designer Diane Kordas has nailed it with her Heartbeat Necklace. Made of 18-karat rose gold and black diamonds—it also comes in white diamonds and multicolored sapphires—it works just as well on its own as it does layered with other chains, lariats, and beads. It’s suggestive of love but slightly subversive, and therefore is the kind of piece we can imagine never taking off. ($1,534; dianekordasjewellery.com) —Ashley Baker

Issue No. 237
January 27, 2024
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Issue No. 237
January 27, 2024