Anyone with an even superficial knowledge of history knows that the First Man on the Moon was Neil Armstrong.  For those who know no more than his name, this 60-minute documentary from the PBS show Nova will certainly give you some insights into the background of the man.  However, those familiar with the space race and the flight of Apollo 11, hoping for further revelations, will be sorely disappointed.  The summary on the cover of the DVD describes it as “groundbreaking” and “an intimate portrait”.  Unfortunately it is hardly that.  They do interview Armstrong’s family, friends, and crew mates, but what those people have to say amounts to little more than a few charming anecdotes.

The ultimate irony of this documentary is the picture they have chosen for the cover of the DVD.  Again those who know the story of Apollo 11 will realize that the astronaut saluting the American flag in this picture is not of the first man on the moon, but the second, Buzz Aldrin.  In fact, the most iconic picture from that moonwalk is not of Armstrong, but of Aldrin.  Armstrong appears as only a tiny, distorted reflection in the gold face plate of Aldrin’s helmet.

The “honorable woman” of the title is Nessa Stein (Maggie Gyllenhaal), daughter of Eli Stein, the so-called Sword of Israel, who was a major supplier of weapons to the Israeli Defense Forces.  She and her brother Ephra (Andrew Buchan), want a different legacy for the Stein name and so have created a foundation to build bridges, through the internet, between Israelis and Palestinians.

The underlying problem is that Nessa has a secret that she is willing to do anything to keep; a secret she believes would bring down the Foundation if it were revealed.  Ephra too has a secret, which happens to be the trigger for everything that occurs in this brilliantly written and acted espionage drama.

An important contractor for the Stein Foundation dies under unusual circumstances, so Sir Hugh Hayden-Hoyle (Stephen Rea), of MI6 is assigned to investigate.  His dissipated manner and hang-dog expression belie his determination to close what is to be his last case before retirement (a bit of a cliche, to be sure).

Atika Halabi (Lubna Azabal), is housekeeper and nanny to Ephra Stein’s children.  She is the only person who knows both Nessa’s and Ephra’s secrets, and has one of her own as well.  She is of such a strong and consistent character, that I can say that this series has more than one honorable woman.

My praise is not unalloyed however, due to two glaring weaknesses, one of which undermines the entire premise of the story.  The first is the fact that one of the main characters is continuing to pine over his ex-wife.  I wouldn’t mind if this were somehow relevant, but it’s not.  Each time we are subjected to this pathetic display, everything comes to a screeching halt.

The second weakness is the secret that Nessa Stein has chosen to keep.  In my opinion, her secret is one that need not ever have been kept.  Her rationale for deciding to keep it strains credulity, at least it does mine.  However, if you are willing to overlook the sappy love story and the unlikely premise for this drama, I still recommend it very highly.

A gluten-free diet is absolutely necessary for those diagnosed with celiac disease.  In Canada, that’s about 35,000 people.  Yet over 4 million Canadians are going gluten-free because they believe it’s better for them.  But is it?

Let’s compare a loaf of bread from Udi’s, a gluten-free food company, and a loaf of Wonder bread.  The Udi’s bread is more than twice as expensive, has more calories, more sodium, more sugar, more fat, and less fiber than the Wonder bread, and that’s the white bread.

Udi’s has all kinds of celebrity endorsements and makes vague, but unproven, health claims regarding autism and ADHD.

For the complete story, including the bread comparison, check out this episode of CBC’s Marketplace.