Claire-Dee Lim

writer, teacher, traveler, and lazy gardener

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Marie Dompnier as Detective Sandra Winckler

“Witnesses”: What To Watch When You’re Recovering

May 9, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Food poisoning. Ugh. If you haven’t suffered the misfortune, it goes like this. You eat something with bacteria, your brain signals, “Danger, danger, remove, remove,” then your body violently tries to turn itself inside out, via your esophagus, to expel the cooties. The next day or so you feel like a truck ran over you. But this isn’t a post specifically about bodily functions … while recovering on the couch I had just enough energy to binge-watch this new fantastic French TV series.

All is not what it seems

All is not what it seems

Witnesses (Les Témoins) is a 6-part, crime series set in the northern coastal town of Le Tréport. A big hit in France when it debuted in March, the series follows a chain of creepy events, which freak out the community and cops. Graverobbers have placed corpses inside model homes to create a “model family.” Who’s doing this? What does it mean? Are the bodies related? It’s up to Detective Sandra Winckler, following in the Scandi-noir footsteps of The Bridge’s Saga Noren and to a degree Prime Suspect’s Jane Tennison, to figure it all out and unearth the many hidden secrets of the case and apprehend the perps. While negotiating her duties she must handle the politics of dealing with the former police chief played by acclaimed actor Thierry Lhermitte, who is somehow implicated in all the weird goings-on.

Besides being a gripping crime story, the series has lots of delightful elements which make it so wonderfully French. Detective Sandra is not only smart, intuitive and resourceful, she sports effortlessly tied scarves and has that casual chic French beauty that is just so aggravating and enviable. There’s the obligatory chocolate-eating scene, several espresso-drinking scenes and my personal favorite: eating-pastries-while talking-about-said-pastries scene. Sure there’s lots of gun play, mad dashes, twists and turns, and Sandra’s personal relationship stuff thrown in to make Witnesses one satisfying series. If you’re recovering from illness or just feel like getting lost in a good story in a foreign land, check it out.

Catch it on Netflix streaming. Let me know what you think.

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Agony and Ecstasy in the Desert

May 1, 2015 /

“Don’t touch the cactus.” The woman’s cautious tone bounced off the granite walls of Wonderland of Rocks. “Don’t touch the cactus!” she said, this time louder for she was quickly drowned out by the sound of high-pitched children’s laughter and babbling.

Four of us were sitting high up on a boulder contemplating the geological formations surrounding us as the group of three adults and several small children—ages 4 to 8—came into view. We had just finished our hike and had paused to take in the sunshine and marvel at the geological “miracle” at play.

Located in Joshua Tree National Monument, Wonderland of Rocks is an incredible network of jumbled granite formations. It’s a destination for avid hikers, rock climbers and geology enthusiasts. I had always thought of myself as more of an ocean person rather than a desert person. I grew up near it, love water activities and the ocean’s restorative properties. But when I spend any time in the desert I take to it instantly. There’s something so calming about the arid landscape. Yet it also has this weirdly sinister vibe that I find intoxicating and scary. No doubt because the desert can easily kill you.

The lively family rounded a bend and disappeared. We heard their chatter continue. It sounded like they’d found a place to stop and picnic for the adults gave instructions to the kids to help spread out a blanket.

“Don’t touch the cactus!” the woman, presumably one of the mothers, repeated. There was a brief moment of silence. Then suddenly, a shriek followed by agonized crying. My group shared a chuckle. That’s the thing about the desert, sometimes … you just have to touch the cactus.

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Circus Disco Meets Funkytown

April 16, 2015 / / 0 Comments

Circus Disco, a bastion of Latino gay nightlife in Hollywood for 40 years, is facing demolition to make way for a ginormous multi-use development complex called the Lexington Project. The 6-acre site will include 695 residential units and double the parking spaces. But activists and environmentalists are crying foul, and the proposal is currently under review.

So when I heard that Lipps Inc. would be performing (Won’t you take me to … Funkytown?) I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to pay homage to what might possibly be the last days of Circus Disco.

Dressed to kill at the disco

Dressed to kill at the disco

The first thing you’re taken with upon entering the complex is the enormity of the club. It’s the size of an airplane hangar with multiple dance floors. This Saturday night the main floor was easily filled. To my surprise, the gays didn’t turn out for this event, but a well-dressed predominantly straight Latino crowd: age range roughly early 30s to 60s. Glamorous women with totally done hair and makeup were poured into microscopic dresses. They swayed to the beats on towering heels while men in suits and ties danced alongside them. That’s right, suits! All these clothing restrictions didn’t stop the crowd from boogieing down to song after song.

My  disco aficionado friend, Rob, and I planted ourselves next to a raised platform, about 4-feet high. As we danced to our favorite hits—Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”—and marveled at the exuberant crowd, a diminutive, 40-something Latino man stepped up to the platform. He donned a set of gloves with colored bulbs on the fingertips and proceeded to dance his heart out. He took up every bit of space on the platform, waving his lit hand props for maximum, swirly effect.

Heels of dancing glory

Heels of dancing glory

After 30 minutes of his flash dancing, management must’ve determined a change of scenery was in order. Two burly guys barked at the lone dancer to get off the platform. Reluctantly, he descended the steps. The guys then led two lovely women in super tight dresses and ridiculously high stilettos up to the platform. At first lone dancer seemed dejected, but he soon found a clear space on the dance floor and waved his hands in the air—like he really didn’t care.

Cynthia Johnson of Lipps Inc.

When the time came, Lipps Inc. vocalist Cynthia Johnson took the stage. She was minus a band and sang to a track. Two attractive women in red tube dresses shimmied next to her. Her voice was clear and strong. As she sang “Funkytown” …

Well, I talk about it, talk about it
Talk about it, talk about it
Talk about, talk about
Talk about movin’
Gotta move on

… she transported us there.

After her set, the place started to clear out. The beats continued, and we stayed. It’s not often you get to go to Funkytown; we weren’t ready to move on.

 

Photos courtesy of Rob Mello.

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