The Mouse of Williamsburg

Ein Einbruch im ultraorthodoxen Viertel Williamsburg in New York entpuppt sich als echte Herausforderung für The Mouse, den Detektiv vor Ort. Von JUDITH GILBERT

ADVANCED US AUDIO

keeping pets inside the home is another matter. As the wife of Rabbi Lev Weissmann, Rivka Weissmann and the rest of the family are, like any rabbi’s family, under scrutiny. Lev Weissmann is known to be a fair and moderate man, but not farfrumt.

Rebbetzin Weissmann looked uncomfortable with the question.

“No,” she said, “we don’t keep pets here. Of course not! What would my husband say?”

“Could you explain the saucer then?” Shmuli asked.

Rebbetzin Weissmann looked as if the Nazis had come to interrogate her.

“We don’t have pets! She’s not a pet! I promise. My husband won’t let her in the house!”

She challenged us with her eyes, assuming — falsely, once again — that Shmuli and I were somehow accusing her of keeping a pet. Just then, a tiny cat, prob ably a kitten, mewed and crawled out of the hedge.

“Hello,” I said, as the little orange feline rubbed itself against my legs. It couldn’t have been more than six months old, and looked a bit worse for wear.

Shmuli and I glanced at each other, our silent suspicions confirmed. I went over to the hedge, reached in, and felt around for what I thought might be there.

“Rebbetzin Weissmann, I believe we’ve found your, uh, cat burglar,” I said, giving her the watch.

“But … the cat? My little one!” she said, bending down to talk to it.

“My wife insists we keep a cat, to keep the mice away,” I told her. “She’s very attached to it. You know, the ticking of a watch can sound like a heartbeat to a motherless kitten. It calms them. That and a hotwater bottle.”

Rivka Weissmann looked at the pitiful kitten, which was now purring and enjoying the attention.

“She needs her mother,” she said. “I think I’ll call her Diamond. What a little gem she is.”

So, that was the case of Rebbetzin Weissmann’s stolen watch. We retrieved the missing item for her, let her know it was OK to care for her little friend, and assured her that Diamond’s tenancy with the Weissmanns would remain our secret. She rewarded us with tea and some of her homemade rugelach. No murder, no violence, no crime.

Today, all is good in the world, at least in Williamsburg. This time, The Mouse got the cat. Mirtseshem.

Graham Swift’s stories have won prizes and been made into films. His subjects, however, are very English and, as a result, his work is not well known outside the UK. His latest novel, Here We Are, is set in Brighton after the Second Word War but moves around, presenting characters in earlier and later episodes. The book is light and there are only three main characters: a singer and actor called Jack, Ronnie the magician and Evie, his assistant. The three become close when they spend a summer performing on Brighton Pier. Despite this thin structure, Swift manages to pull out his favourite topics, like rabbits from a hat: the role of memory, the need for lies and the necessity of illusions. But maybe that’s what all good literature is about. Simon & Schuster UK, €18.10.

Director Christopher Nolan is famous for making blockbuster films with a non-mainstream feel. One reason for his success is the subject matter. Morality in times of conflict and the concept of causality always touch a nerve, especially when combined with Nolan’s love of natural lighting and settings. Nolan uses hand-held cameras and this helps to create a naturalistic effect.

After Dunkirk, the director returns to screens with Tenet. Nolan believes in showmanship and surprise, so little is known about the story. What we do know is that Tenet is set in the world of international espionage and uses an elaborate form of time travel to help the hero, played by African-american newcomer John David Washington, prevent the Third World War. Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema is back behind the camera to recreate the dark urban landscapes of Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. “Don’t try to understand it, feel it,” says one character, and perhaps this is why we keep coming back for more of Nolan’s work. His complex stories speak to rationality and emotion, and present a vision of individuals struggling with morality and mortality. That’s something we can all relate to. Starts 16 July.

An option for home viewing is the series The English Game. Co-written and produced for Netflix by Julian Fellowes (who also co-wrote and created Downton Abbey), the six-part series follows the lives of two teams fighting for a different vision of English football in the late 19th century. The Old Etonians are upper-class young men with time and money on their hands. Darwen FC players are mostly workers from industrial mills in Lancashire. These are themes that Fellowes has covered before: the importance of social class, attention to appearance and the presence of a few good people. Here, the subject is historically interesting and perhaps now is the time to support the underdog.