Page 22 - The Jewish Voice - June '24

Page 22, The Jewish Voice

Arts & Entertainment from page 20 “The sense of communion was palpable as the two adult crane operator, liked
females – one vertebrate, one invertebrate; one marine, what he had just seen
The tentacle arose again from the water and touched my the other terrestrial – stared into each other’s eyes across a on TV and decided that
hand. She was tasting me, right down to my bloodstream. chasm of half a billion years of evolution. “It stole me in a it would be fun to sign
I passed the test – and I was there with her friend, Sy way I’ve never felt with a human or an animal before,” says up for the next year’s
the author. So slowly and gently her tentacle, sucker by Janicki. “It was an honor and incredible. I’ll never forget British Open.
sucker, encircled my wrist, feeling like wet velvet, and how powerful it was.” This British film,
stayed there as we looked at each other. You would do well to read both of Sy Montgomery’s which was released
Soon, realizing that here was a creature as different octopus books to derive the most benefit. If you consider them in the United States
from me as would be an alien from outer space – yet at as cameras from which to view the lives of these creatures, in 2022 and may still
least as intelligent as myself and greeting me in the only Secrets of the Octopus will provide a rich panoramic view of be streaming now on
way she could – I began to speak silently to her, choking their truly superhuman combination of intelligence and range Netflix, is based on the
back tears with every word: “Do you realize what’s of physical capabilities, as well as today’s broad diversity of unlikely but true and
happening?” “Do you know you’re dying?” “You want species in this 300-million-year inheritance. heartwarming story
to protect your babies, I know.” “I wish I could help, The Soul of an of Flitcroft’s path to a
but there is nothing I can do.” Finally, the official from Octopus, a deeply world golfing record and international fame!
the aquarium said it was time to go. I said my goodbye, satisfying and emotional Completely naïve about such matters, Flitcroft applied
uncoiled the tentacle and left. read, will be your close- to enter the 1976 competition but had no answer when
For many months after, I could not discuss what was up lens from which to asked, for example, the name of the private club to which
one of the most emotional experiences of my life without view how two of this he belonged … or his handicap, a word that confusedly
bursting into tears. It’s also why I fully related to Canadian world’s creatures, so meant something entirely different to him. He overcame
scuba diver Krystal Janicki’s description in this new book alien in every way from such problems by returning with a set of documents he
of her own experience on one dive – an encounter with one another – author Sy had prepared with the help of his sweet and devoted wife,
a giant Pacific octopus, which reads in part, “I forgot Montgomery and the Jean (portrayed by Sally Hawkins)—completely false but
everything else existed … One arm is up and over my several octopuses she so impressive that the tournament officials considered him
cheek and holding my head against her mantle. We’re studied – were able to qualified!
completely off the ground. We’re floating. She’s holding form close relationships The difficult to believe fact that Flitcroft was accepted
me with two arms. I’m feeling her breathe …” as evidence of the into the 1976 British Open—then showed his lack of skill
cognitive and intelligence by topping, slicing, hooking his way through 18 holes to
abilities now known to be a record-breaking score of 121, the highest in the event’s
a part of the lives of these history—makes it important for you to remember that this
undersea geniuses. is based on a true story!
But the best is yet to come! And while I don’t want to
Film Review give away too many spoilers here, perhaps it will suffice to
note that, in his very failure to perform at a championship
Phantom of the Open level the spectators lining the course applauded him at
every hole and golfers around the world came to love
By Nils A. Shapiro Maurice Flitcroft as an average guy– “one of their own.”
In 1975, Tom Watson won the British Open Golf An American country club set up a golf tournament and
Championship. One of the millions of people who was trophy in his name … and, as we learn later in the film,
watching television in England that day and happened after practicing his skills and much improved playing he
to see the adulation pouring onto the winner was a man, entered a half-dozen more British Opens under different
Maurice Flitcroft, who had never played a hole of golf in names and using various disguises!
his entire life. What a kick to have him in your foursome. For now,
But Flitcroft, a father of three grown sons who was meet him on film. (Mark Rylance in the role of Flitcroft
getting on in years and tired of his job as a construction deserved every award possible for his performance.)

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