Spike Lee’s latest film, Da 5 Bloods, which started streaming last week on Netfix, tells the story of black Vietnam War veterans—a perspective largely lacking from Hollywood's exploration on that conflict. It centers around a group of retirees, still mourning their leader Stormin' Norman (played in flashbacks by Chadwick Boseman), who died in battle. They return to modern-day Vietnam to recover his body and a cache of gold bars he was buried alongside.
While it's an adventurous caper of a movie, Alyssa Rosenberg of the Washington Post says it's about a lot of things. “Racism and imperialism, men's friendships, post-traumatic stress disorder and the greatness of Marvin Gaye, to name a few.” It blends real life events with fictional characters well, but it has no easy answers. She says that's why it's the perfect movie for the moment.
Your Pairing:
A serious film calls for a stiff drink. And the aptly named artillery cocktail is just that. According to Mr. Boston, we owe this classic gin cocktail to the Chatham Artillery, Georgia's oldest military unit. Savannah's bartenders have been mixing up this potent potable since at least the late 1700s. And you've likely got all the ingredients in your home bar already. You do have a bottle of Angostura bitters, don't you?
The Daily Valet. is your cheat sheet to what's happening, what's cool and what's making headlines. It's your secret to being the most interesting man in the room.
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