Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey

Score:  B+

Directed by Cathy Yan
Starring Margot Robbie, Ewan McGregor, Rosie Perez, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Running time: 109 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  Birds of Prey sees Margot Robbie's villain/hero breakout Harley Quinn get her own feature, and it's both a stylish and well-made effort.  Robbie is great once again as the unique clown princess, and she's joined by an impressive supporting cast of friends.  It's not a total success, but Birds of Prey does some new things for a superhero film to both entertain and even go a little further.  Not for everyone, but it's also not just for superhero fans.  Well recommended.


The longtime villainous duo of the Joker and Harley Quinn (Robbie) have broken up - leaving the jilted Quinn to fend for herself on the dangerous streets of Gotham.  Still cavorting about like the untouchable criminal princess she used to be, Quinn quickly gets herself in trouble, in the crosshairs of another crime boss, Roman Sionis (McGregor).  Having been a thorn in his side with the Joker, Quinn is forced to help Roman recover a diamond containing the secrets to a fortune.  Others become entangled in the plot, which soon focuses the attention of the city's criminals on a young girl who has found the diamond.  With her own life on the line, Quinn is forced to choose a path in her post-Joker world.

Birds of Prey has a large, female-dominated cast that offers a diverse array of personalities.  Margot Robbie reprises her role as Harley Quinn (introduced in 2016's Suicide Squad), and she's even better this time as the lead.  It's truly her movie, the zany, energetic style reflecting Quinn herself.  Robbie seems to fully embrace the role, ostensibly a villain, who is portrayed more as mischievous, even misunderstood, than as truly bad.  Robbie seems to revel in Quinn's stylistic flair, from her hair, makeup and wardrobe variety, to her choice of weapons (from baseball bat to dynamite).  But peel back the surreal surface details and Quinn can also be recognized as a wayward millenial; Robbie makes her character believable both as a drunk partier or lonely apartment homebody.  Whatever she's doing, Robbie's Quinn is almost always the most interesting thing on screen.  Her fellow "birds of prey" are also interesting - good variety among the three, though unevenly developed.  Smollett-Bell's Dinah Lance is best as a side employee of Roman who struggles with whether and how to get involved in the evil she sees; Rosie Perez's cop Montoya is good, too, winningly headstrong.  But other than providing a few chuckles, Winstead's Bertinelli is one character too many.  Finally, at opposite ends are McGregor's villain Roman aka "Black Mask", and young Ella Jay Basco as a pickpocket on the run.  McGregor does well, but it's a bit too similar to the Joker's psychopathic schtick; only his misogyny stands out (thematically-appropriate).  Basco proves herself one of the better child actors, easily playing well with her adult co-stars and showing nice gumption.

Birds of Prey is a nice step forward for DC's superhero films, thanks largely to Robbie and its style, but it also gets in its own way enough to keep it from top-tier status.  While it does have a baddie with a plan like all superhero films, the film refreshingly does not focus on this, and takes its time getting to it.  Instead, Harley herself - and to a lesser extent, her accidental new friendships - takes center stage, a wise choice considering both how different and interesting she is.  The style and tone matches the star intriguingly, letting Quinn begin the film with a voice over introduction that mixes animation and live "snapshots" (like a comic book frame) to provide both exposition and a shot of fun directly to the audience's bloodstream to prepare them.  The first half or more of the film is then presented in a jumbled chronology, perhaps as a reflection of Quinn's own warped mind.  While it does a good job of keeping you off balance, it begins to get overly confusing, particularly as the diamond plot develops.  Again, the main draw and pleasure here is in the characters themselves, and the timing tricks distract from this too much.  Still, it's fun watching Quinn even when you don't know what's going on.  Lance and Montoya fit in perfectly; when the screen shifts away from Quinn, it's good when either of these two are the reason.  It's not overtly a feminist movie, but by choosing and developing the characters it does, there are some powerful yet seamless glimpses of a modern, progressive social viewpoint within this often tradition-bound genre.  There's plenty of genre action fun to be had, too.  Quinn's invasion of a police station using non-lethal but hilarious ammunition is the high point, though there are some other creative moments later.  This all sounds great, and there is plenty to enjoy.  The quality level does ebb and flow a bit, though, and the initial meandering vibe - a good one, not rushing to get to the plot - gives way increasingly to a standard resolution.  I may be asking too much from a film with an eye on mass audience, box office pressures.  But it still delivers more than you'd think.

***

Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey is a good start to the year for the superhero genre, a year that looks to feature quite a few similarly female-driven titles.  Quinn has received a mostly positive reception from critics (78% on RT); there's at least broad agreement that this is a step up from both Suicide Squad - DC's first villain-focused movie - and frankly, most of DC's recent efforts overall. Between Robbie's Quinn and Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman, the studio is led by its female stars right now, stars who frankly can stand toe-to-toe with Marvel's more male-driven roster.  DC's attempt to create an MCU-style interwoven universe failed completely, so it's difficult to know what the future holds for these characters.  But I hope the stars will stick around at least a little longer, and help inspire similarly strong stories and characters from others.  I recommend this for a pretty broad audience (it's not a hard R, IMO), and it's certainly a must for any fan of superhero movies.




* By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61802787

1917

Score: B+

Directed by Sam Mendes
Starring George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman
Running time: 119 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  A war now more than one hundred years old gets a technologically up-to-date retelling in 1917.  It's filmed via one loooong, extended shot, and WWI seems the perfect choice for this technique that's been developed in recent years.  Unfortunately, it just doesn't hold up for the length of the film, and things turn not only more generic but ultimately ineffective.  The first third or so is worth it; but then switch to something else.


In the midst of World War I, with both sides literally dug in and fighting a horrifically brutal war of attrition, two British soldiers are called for a special mission.  The Germans have withdrawn their forces from the front line, and some Allied elements are poised to pounce on the apparent opportunity.  Yet this development may in fact be a trap, endangering thousands in a war that has already inflicted appalling casualties on each side.  Thus Lance Corporals Blake (Chapman) and Schofield (MacKay) rush to warn their unwitting comrades of the threat - though they put themselves in grave danger to do so.

1917 essentially has a cast of two, its little-known leads; joining them throughout are much more familiar but fleeting faces.  George MacKay, the older and more experienced actor of the lead pair, does very nice work for much of the film, particularly early on.  Just as he's the veteran actor, MacKay's Schofield has also been on the front longer than Chapman, and he's even already survived perhaps the bloodiest part of the war, the Battle of the Somme.  He's unsurprisingly much more wary of the mission, more cautious, and frankly less inclined to get involved in the first place.  MacKay shows this on his face convincingly, at times hauntingly; at times a blank numbness and at others deeply pained.  Both he and Chapman - to my untrained eyes - also appear to do soldier-y things genuinely, from traversing the trenches to handling their rifles.  Chapman's Blake is clearly a green recruit, providing a nice balance with Schofield.  He speaks of war and their situation sanguinely, if not naively at times.  But there's also an honest good spirit and hopefulness in him that is a needed boost amid the bleak scenery.  Other than passers-by, there are a few small bits played by stars more accustomed to lead roles.  While in some ways it's always nice to see a familiar face, the parts are so brief they're unremarkable.  The lone exception is Andrew Scott's trench lieutenant, who in a few moments conveys just how familiar with the terrain and tactics he is - and just how close he is to a complete mental breakdown.  It's perhaps the most chilling part of the film.

1917 is a very well-produced war film around its central technical premise of a single, extended shot; however, this leads to diminishing returns and some other weak points, too.  The narrative premise is a pretty familiar one in war films: a few soldiers must undertake a risky solo mission to save many lives and/or score a crucial victory.  Of course, the way this story is shown is the main draw: a single take, similar to Birdman and others (also like these, it does "cheat" a few times, but remains visually uninterrupted).  WWI is perhaps the ideal choice for this style, considering its winding, interminable trenches and shorter but shocking stretches of space between front lines - "no man's land".  In fact, the film's presentation of this hellish mini-world is the best part of it, especially the first third or so of the feature.  Our leads pass by countless comrades and fortifications in the trenches; the level of detail is amazing, and I found myself paying more attention to this than to the dialogue.  Their journey through no man's land is unsettling; moon-like in its desolation, it's all mud, rats, razor wire... and the occasional rotting human remain.  A trip through a deserted trench also soon provides the tensest, best set piece of the film.  But, perhaps inevitably, 1917 just can't keep it up.  Around the halfway point, things turn away from the disquieting observation of this particularly horrific war to a more conventional war film style.  Frankly, there are even parts that feel a bit like you're watching a video game being played.  The last half hour is a faster and faster sprint to the finish, with coincidences and unlikelihoods piling up.  Yes, there are still some phenomenal visuals to behold - a devastated city at night lit up spookily by fire, etc. - but the overall effect is just numbing.  You want to rest, like the soldiers on the field, and think back to a better time (for the audience, this being the first part of the movie).

***

1917 is certainly among the better war movies I've seen, but I'm now surprised that it was as close to winning the Best Picture Oscar as it apparently was.  Skimming the critics' reviews, most of them are quite positive, of course, though I did find a handful that seemed to agree with my disappointment with the way the film eventually degenerates.  Not only this, I have to say that the inclusion of the cameo stars seems like a blatant awards push; what other purpose was there?  Still, I tip my cap to the lead actors and to the first part of the film; those elements are good enough to push my overall score for the film decidedly to the positive.  So, while there were nominated films I liked better than Parasite - especially Little Women, Ford v Ferrari, and Marriage Story - I am glad to see that inventive, new-kid-on-the-block entry defeat an overrated war film like 1917.  Stream the first hour or so if you want - and if you're interested in a better WWI film, watch Spielberg's War Horse.





* CC BY 4.0, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63054993

2019 Cinema & Stadium Film Year-in-Review

2019 Cinema & Stadium Film Year-in-Review

I am always excited for this annual opportunity to look back at the previous calendar year in film.  Writing this post allows me to experience these movies again - not just by looking back at my review from the first time around, but trying to call back the way I felt when I saw them.  The passage of time often results in surprises in what stands out in my memory, and I usually have at least a small shift in my overall opinion.  Through almost the entire first half of the year, I was worried that this might be one of the weakest in which I've been doing these reviews.  Fortunately, the second half picked up significantly.  Action/adventure and drama seem to make up an ever-increasing portion of the films I see; partly, few comedies caught my attention and certain other genres (looking at you, horror) may be growing in popularity but I am steering resolutely clear of them.

As a reminder, I count only films that were released in theaters near me (i.e., rural area) in 2019 so you'll find some films here that were in last year's Oscars.  The format of my year-in-review is the same as always, celebrating the good, the bad, and everything in between:

• Top 10 films of the year!
• Most underrated/overrated films
• Most surprising/disappointing films
• Worst film of the year
• List of other films I saw (with links to my reviews)
• Second chance: films I saw on Netflix

Please do also check out my Oscar-style awards for 2019 post here, and all of the films listed below are linked so you can jump to my full reviews if/when you're interested.  Enjoy!


Top 10 Films of 2019

10. (tie) Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (Directed by Quentin Tarantino; starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie)

With his unique and mesmerizing writing and directing, promising premises, and reliable star performances, Tarantino nearly guarantees a slot in my top ten lists.  This is one of his more laid back titles, particularly compared to Basterds, Django, or even the tamer Hateful Eight.  Instead, the auteur indulges in his obvious love for the art and its production, here set in late 60s LA.  It's meandering, but the atmosphere is enjoyable and well-shot, with plenty of standout and hilarious scenes, too (Pitt's stunt guy vs. Bruce Lee; DiCaprio's acting foibles and monologues/dialogues).  With a great part for Leo and a foreboding historical setup that gets turned upside down, this is another winner.

10. (tie) Toy Story 4 (Directed by Josh Cooley; starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Tony Hale, Annie Potts, et. al.)

I admit, I approached this one warily, having felt this legendary Pixar saga concluded in its third outing.  But it turns out there was plenty more joy and even a few new twists to be found in this beloved world.  Yes, the overall sense of wonder from toys on a rescue adventure has lost some of its luster, and several plot mechanics, particularly the "villain", are somewhat recycled.  Still, some new plastic injects needed vitality, via self-destructive newcomer Forky (Hale) and bold, rebellious old friend Bo Peep (Potts).  The action eventually kicks into a good rhythm, with of course plenty of laughs; and the predictable ending is passed over in favor of a bittersweet yet hopeful one.

9.  Brittany Runs a Marathon (Directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo; starring Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar)

This isn't the kind of drama that usually gets either my attention or even a spot in my theater, but luckily it got both.  Easily could have been a cliched yawn-fest, but this story of an overweight girl working to turn her life around with the help of both old and unexpected friends is done with great care and skill.  Bell neither begs for sympathy nor pushes you away with obnoxious crudeness.  Instead, she is one of the most real human beings I've seen in a film for a long time; her setbacks are understandable, and her progress well earned.  You can find yourself in her, like it or not.  A snappy script keeps it all humming, and her social world is varied and fascinating.  Give this gem a try.

8.  Joker (Directed by Todd Phillips; starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert de Niro, Zazie Beetz)

One of the most polarizing films in years, I found this engrossing and well done, though I get the concerns.  Superheroes, beware: this is a dark, dark film.  However, Phoenix is incredible as Arthur, a mentally disturbed man with a heap of other problems besides.  His creepy, uncontrollable laughing tic and growing list of grievances against a world that has no patience for him build the tension of his inevitable fate as the Joker villain.  Still, it's the too-ordinary acts and facts of the meaner parts of our world that trigger his downfall.  I personally found this an interesting origin story and commentary on the perils, ultimately, of a world with simply too little love.  Proceed with caution, but it's worth it.

7.  Knives Out (Directed by Rian Johnson; starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, et al.)

One of the most fun films of the year, this whodunnit toys with a familiar formula in clever ways.  First of all, the lead is not the "CSI: KFC" version of Poirot, played with relish by Daniel Craig.  Instead it is the quiet, sweet family nurse who gives the audience a surrogate with whom to feel each twist of the plot deep in the gut (hopefully, viewers will not literally wretch like their heroine).  Family secrets get spilled early, but are of little help; the quaint town and proud family are not just any but very much set in our present.  It's funny - thanks largely to a scene-stealing Chris Evans - and has a nice balance of leading clues yet an unfathomable solution.  Even better watching it twice.

6.  Fighting With My Family (Directed by Stephen Merchant; starring Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn)

Sports movies are much less entertaining to me than the real thing, and wrestling itself even less so; somehow, though, this film clicked with me like few other this year.  Written and directed by comedy vet Stephen Merchant, this based-on-a-true story has its share of chuckles but it draws breath from its quirky, rough but lovable family and the unremitting young woman at its center.  The wrestling itself is actually kind of interesting, too, particularly the contrast in the two systems Pugh's contender must bridge to succeed.  Vaughn is a good, cranky mentor here, and her family, from wild but adoring parents to her closely connected brother, are great, too.  Didn't even need the Rock!

5.  Marriage Story (Directed by Noah Baumbach; starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern)

I debated whether or not to include this Netflix-only movie, but it's just too good to leave out.  Taking place during the end of a marriage, there is a constant tension, whether underlying or tangible.  But the film doesn't wallow in conflict; rather, it shows right off the bat why they loved each other in the first place and then explores how that bond broke down in spite of it.  Johansson and Driver are both spectacular here, two impressive actors who are better than ever.  Baumbach allows each extended showcases of their character by themselves, but the dynamic when they are together is something to behold.  It's also ultimately not a downer, so don't worry and just dive in to this great work.

4.  Ford v Ferrari (Directed by James Mangold; starring Christian Bale, Matt Damon, Caitriona Balfe)

A second sports movie in my top ten (!), this may not be the most original work but it is done to near perfection.  Ostensibly about Ford Motor Company's underdog effort to defeat the reigning race car champion Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it's really about the odd but brilliant couple of Bale and Damon's motorheads (if anything, critique of Ford and its arrogant heir piles up satisfyingly throughout).  The leads are like chocolate and peanut butter; Bale turns in another transformative performance as the wily, intense racer and Damon is just so damn likable and funnier than ever.  Oh, yeah, and it's got some awesome racing scenes, too.  This zooms by with an exhilarating flourish.

3.  Little Women (Directed by Greta Gerwig; starring Saiorse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothee Chalamet)

Here is the least likely of them all, a remake of a classic tale I wasn't even particularly familiar with.  The power of the story, the grace of the performers and the vision of the director swept me into this period piece with a modern feel.  The quartet of actors playing the March sisters developed an infectious bond, and frivolous scenes of their younger days create an abiding warmth.  Among her many contributions, Gerwig's decision to jump between this happy period and a more strained, difficult future is brilliant.  This keeps the level of intrigue high throughout, as you work out how both the plot and (more importantly) characters are evolving; yet it's done smoothly to avoid tonal whiplash.  Organically celebrating the bonds of sisterhood, it fits Gerwig's style perfectly.

2.  The Upside (Directed by Neil Burger; starring Kevin Hart, Bryan Cranston, Nicole Kidman)

This unsung drama, which seems to standout only through the oddness of its pair of leads, actually turned into the most well-rounded drama of the year for me.  A remake of a French hit, Hart's ex-convict and Cranston's rich quadriplegic find each other at their respective low points.  Lesser actors could have made this ugly, but the stars here are spectacular.  Hart impresses with his nuanced dramatic work, eschewing his usual comic routine, and Cranston easily inhabits his physically and emotionally frustrated philanthropist.  Both stars are naturally quite likable, but they aren't afraid to show their characters' prickliness, flaws and vulnerabilities.  And the chemistry they have is pure movie magic.  Kidman's assistant also deserves a nod, always in the midst of this burgeoning friendship that lifts them all up.  You'll hear Aretha's opera in your heart for days after.

1.  Avengers: Endgame (Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo; starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Josh Brolin, et. al.)

Surprise, surprise, right?  I did write a massive blog post just last spring in which I reviewed every Marvel movie after first re-watching each of them.  But you can thus imagine just how high my expectations for the grand finale, Endgame, were.  And it met them, and then some.  It's clear that, given how spectacularly successful the Russo brothers had been with Captain America: Winter Soldier, Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War, Marvel freed them to shape this finale however they wished.  And there was a lot that went against convention.  It has a three-plus hour running time, an eternity in today's tweeting, memeing culture.  It kills off the bad guy (sort of) in the first twenty minutes.  It has loads of references, some subtle and others not, to the earlier films.  It doesn't even have any significant action scenes for the first two hours!  But it works.  The film quickly dispatches with the easy solution to Thanos's "snapture", which killed half of all living beings (heroes included) at the end of Infinity War.  Instead, it focuses on resolving the characters themselves, particularly the "OG" - Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor, and it both makes them work hard to get there and patiently takes its time to do so.  Time travel, while often an easy fallback gimmick, is a perfect tribute to some defining earlier adventures and clever springboard to fixing the problem at hand.  And right about when you start feeling antsy for some Hammer, Shield and Iron time, good ol' Grimace comes back to throw down the gauntlet in a bone-rattling, electrifying, exhilarating two-part final melee to end all melees.  Then after all of that, there's still time and energy for a denouement that matches LotR: Return of the King for the poignancy and power of its send off for some of our favorite characters.

So, yeah.  Avengers: Endgame SMASHES (TM-The Hulk) all comers for the title of Movie of 2019.  And, as an extension of its kin going back to 2008, probably my movie of the decade.

Honorable Mentions: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; Parasite; Spider-Man: Far From Home


Most Overrated Film of the Year:  Ad Astra (runner-up: Uncut Gems)
Honorable mention here goes to Green Book, which was an outrageous Best Picture winner choice, but at least better than the other two overall.  I could even see someone liking Uncut Gems, if they happened to enjoy movies with constant yelling and unpleasantness; it at least feels real, and is done effectively.  This is Adam Sandler's wheelhouse.  It's also not the spot I want to be in the theater.
Ad Astra definitely takes the s*** cake this year.  A faux-Serious sci-fi film featuring the most ridiculous and pretentious of Brad Pitt's performances this year, I'm not sure how so many critics were hoodwinked by this one.  Deadly go-karting with Moon Bandits?  Ambush face-eating space monkeys?  Indiana Jones-style stowaways on rocket ships?  What the hell?  If this comes up on your streaming service, skip past it with all due haste.

Most Underrated Film of the Year:  The Upside (runner-up: Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker)
Critics mostly got it right this year with the movies that were on the positive end.  Star Wars is a bit of a cheat, because I was also a bit disappointed by it and its Rotten Tomatoes score isn't that bad.  But it was still an incredibly entertaining film, and it got the important parts right (Rey and Kylo Ren).  Sure, I wish it was better, too... but that's a topic for another post.
The one significantly underrated film this year was The Upside, my #2 film of the year, with just a 40% Rotten Tomatoes score.  What?!?  "Preachy, manipulative, and frustratingly cliched" - no, no, and no.  I think they saw that this is a remake (critics tend to hate them), watched the trailer, and made assumptions.  See my summary above or full review for more details.  I'll note that audiences definitely agreed with me, with an 82% Audience Score, $108 million made overall in the dead of January, which was a ridiculously good 5x multiplier (indicating excellent word of mouth) on its opening weekend.  So there!

Most Disappointing Film of the Year:  A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (runner-up: The Lego Movie 2)
I saw quite a few sequels this year; it was kind of hard to avoid them, and many of them were follow-ups to excellent original films, perhaps none better than 2014's Lego Movie.  Not only was LM2 worse than almost all the other sequels this year, that difference in expectation was particularly crushing.  The writing was so much worse... even though it was the same guys! (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller).  Sigh... at least we'll always have the first to return to.
I hate saying this about a Mr. Rogers movie, but it's true.  With Tom Hanks (!) playing Fred, and a great new talent, Marielle Heller (2018's Can You Ever Forgive Me?) directing, this had tons of potential.  And there are glimpses of it, particularly when Hanks is onscreen.  But while I also approve of the decision to make Rogers a supporting character and use a surrogate as the lead, the main character and his story are a debacle.  Note to critics: this is where your "preachy, manipulative and frustratingly cliched" descriptors belong.  Just because this is a Mr. Rogers movie doesn't mean the audience can't handle complexity or subtlety.  Please try again.

Most Surprisingly Good Film of the Year:  Fighting With My Family (runner-up: Jumanji 2)
Again, not a lot of surprises in the positive direction (i.e. most just met or moderately exceeded expectations).  I wanted to give the Jumanji sequel a shot, primarily for the reasons listed for Lego Movie 2.  Also, it was a nice change of pace amidst Oscar contenders.  But this sequel was actually not just a cash grab after the original hit.  It helps that the core cast - Johnson, Hart, Gillan, and Black - all returned.  But they squeezed in enough laughs and new stuff to make it worth the trip.
Fighting With My Family was praised by critics (93% RT score), which is what drew me to it.  Frankly, I hadn't even heard of it before.  Then there's the deceptive advertising, prominently featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson despite his five minutes or so of screentime (good ones, granted).  Add my sports movie skepticism, and I wasn't expecting much.  Well, I think I've said all I need to about how good it is above, so I'll just refer you to its spot on my top 10 list.

Worst Film of the Year:  Hobbs & Shaw (runner-up: Ad Astra)
Honorable mention also gets the dubious distinction of Year's Worst Sequel: Men In Black: International.  At least it proved just how valuable and great Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones were in the original (I liked MIB 3's new duo, too, but it just didn't work).
I only have myself to blame for seeing the movie that ended up in last for me.  I saw the original Fast and Furious movie and thought it was OK.  Then, the sequels started to get really popular, and I saw the fifth one; while there was Michael Bay-style sheer adrenaline, it was bad and I vowed to steer away from the franchise.  But for some reason, I saw another one (can't even remember which one), and it was even worse.  Now, I enjoy Dwayne Johnson, so for some reason I decided to give this spin off a try - hey, at least it doesn't have Vin Diesel!  It was better than the last FF movie I saw, but then I read about the franchise stars' ridiculous behind-the-scenes macho competition.  I say once more - never again!!!
I already wrote about Ad Astra above, nothing more to say!


Other Films I Saw in Theaters in 2019 (click for full reviews):

• The Favourite (B+)
• John Wick Chapter Three: Parabellum (B)
• Zombieland: Double Tap (B)
• 21 Bridges (B-)
• X-Men: Dark Phoenix (B-)
• Late Night (B-)
• Green Book (B-)
• Captain Marvel (C+)
• Shazam! (C+)
• Men In Black: International (C)

Netflix Summary:

Well, I didn't go back and watch much of anything at home that I missed in theaters.  Partly there were few flicks that I was dying to see that I didn't get to see in the theater; partly by the time they became available on streaming, I just wasn't interested any more.  We'll see how I feel in 2020.

• Yesterday (B).  I had to see this at some point since I'm such a huge fan of The Beatles.  I was a bit nervous that it would be a poor film or - worse - insult the legacy of the best pop act of all time, but fortunately it was fine.  Not great, but it's at least original, and probably even more enjoyable for people who are more casual fans of the band.
• Long Shot (???).  I only watched about half of this, and turned it off.  It wasn't bad, just very "meh".  Maybe I'll finish it some day... but probably not.

-----

I don't want to end my year-in-review blog post on a down note, so here's a brief wrap up.  I hope that you were able to enjoy some of the films in my top 10 already, and of course I highly recommend that you check at least a few more of them out if/when you get the chance.

Compared to 2019, my expectations for 2020 are quite modest.  Last year had the final chapters (well, final is a relative word here...) for three of my favorite fictional worlds:  the MCU, Game of Thrones (TV, but it became practically a cinematic experience), and the new Star Wars trilogy.  That ended up a mixed bag, to my overall disappointment, so here's hoping for great things from the new year.  Off the top of my head, I know I'm excited for a new James Bond, two interesting new MCU (the first in the new "saga") films, Wonder Woman (the best thing DC has going right now), two original Pixar projects, and - best of all? - a new Christopher Nolan film.

Come out to the theater when you can in 2020, and I hope you enjoy what you see!

* Source:  https://static01.nyt.com/images/2019/04/23/arts/23avengers-hp-promo/23avengers-hp-promo-superJumbo-v3.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp

2019 Cinema & Stadium Film Awards

2019 Cinema & Stadium Film Awards

While I generally like to write about whole movies, I also like to take the opportunity each year to recognize what I thought were the most outstanding individual accomplishments (plus, like many people, I like to share where I think the Oscars got it right - and wrong).  As in previous years, there are two "rules" which make my awards a bit different from what you'll see at the Oscars:

1. Only films released widely in 2019 are eligible (this is getting murkier each year, so another way to put it: whichever year it came out in my theater is the year I'm sticking it, so certain films often have to "wait" a year), and 
2. Only films that I've actually seen are eligible.  

I'll note who the Academy Award nominees are for each category, too, and when there are differences it's often because of one or both of those rules.

Please also check out my companion post, where I count down my top 10 films of the year and pick my biggest surprises, disappointments, and more.  I hope you enjoy, and please feel free to let me know your own opinions!

Winners in bold
Runners-up underlined


Best Actress
Ana de Armas (Knives Out)
Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story)
Florence Pugh (Fighting With My Family)
Saoirse Ronan (Little Women)
Emma Stone (The Favourite)

Oscar nominees not listed: Cynthia Erivo (Harriet), Charlize Theron (Bombshell), Renee Zellwegger (Judy) - didn't see films

Although not quite as strong as last year's brilliant roster, 2019 still featured tremendous performances in a wide variety of roles (and once again, three Oscar nominees didn't even meet my eligibility).  Ana de Armas and Florence Pugh carried their more popular titles, and Jillian Bell just missed the cut in her understated part in the little-noticed Brittany Runs a Marathon.  Pugh, a rapidly rising star in Hollywood, nailed her hard-scrabble working class wrestler, both believable and very sympathetic in the underdog part.  de Armas was surrounded by much better known co-stars, yet I'd argue she outshined all of them; she made her every-woman compelling and fun, a difficult feat amidst such colorful companions.  Emma Stone is perhaps worthy of the win here; she's that good in the bizarre period piece The Favourite; unfortunately, having seen it twelve months ago, it's no longer fresh in my mind.  Both her naive introduction and her ruthless conclusion, however, still stand out.  Saoirse Ronan, with Stone, is the gold standard of the younger generation of actors in Hollywood.  She again flourishes with director Gerwig in Little Women, as relative rogue March sister Jo.  Ronan leads the ensemble, setting the tone by displaying equal mastery of both traditional and modern touches.  Johansson got the biggest, juiciest role of her peers this year, in Marriage Story, and took full advantage.  Playing an actor, she could easily have made it, well, overdramatic, but she is simply a remarkably real, raw, tenacious yet vulnerable human here.  Bold, yet restrained, too.  Excellent performances all around.


Best Actor
Christian Bale (Ford v Ferrari)
Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time...)
Adam Driver (Marriage Story)
Kevin Hart (The Upside)
Joaquin Phoenix (Joker)

Oscar nominees not listed: Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory), Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) - didn't see the films

Another strong year for leading men, with both veteran and unexpected names in the list.  Before that, shout-outs to two very different honorable mentions.  Sandler, despite being in a drag of a film in Uncut Gems, does admittedly great work as an asshole; and Keanu Reeves continues the action role he was born to play, in the third John Wick film.  Adam Driver is excellent in Marriage Story, for most of the reasons Johansson is; he plays it nicely subdued most of the way, but has a few stand out scenes, too.  DiCaprio shows yet again just how ridiculously versatile an actor he is, playing the hilariously proud but oblivious TV star has-been in Once Upon a Time... Whether watching the actor "act" or shooting the breeze with a bright young co-star, he's a joy to watch.  Bale is probably my favorite actor right now, and he puts in another effortlessly brilliant performance in Ford v Ferrari.  He's absolutely locked in to his racing legend's stubborn, intense persona as well as his nuanced physical work in the car.  Joaquin Phoenix plays a role perfected just last decade - but he nearly matches Ledger's work in the classic comic book villain role.  Unceasingly creepy, Phoenix gives a fascinating, believable look at a "normal"/pre-villain Joker, from his hair-raising laughing tic to his childlike whining.  I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm awarding Kevin Hart's dramatic role in The Upside as my top choice.  He has plenty of moments of hilarity; a few in his trademark style, but also delving into a more mature, honed style.  His redemptive arc from failed father to faithful friend is the most moving one I witnessed all year, deploying a subtlety and focus that was probably hiding beneath all the hijinks all along.  These actors showed what Hollywood is capable of.


Best Supporting Actress
Olivia Colman (The Favourite)
Laura Dern (Marriage Story)
Florence Pugh (Little Women)
Emma Thompson (Late Night)
Cho Yeo-jeong (Parasite)

Oscar nominees not listed: Kathy Bates (Richard Jewell), Scarlett Johansson (Jojo Rabbit), Margot Robbie (Bombshell)

The supporting category is not as obviously outstanding as the lead category this year, but there is still a lot to praise.  Amidst a large yet widely strong cast, Cho Yeo-jeong stood out to me in Parasite as the rich, gullible yet quietly determined mother; it could be easy to mock her or even root against her, but Cho's strong subtle performance resists that.  Laura Dern inhabits the smoothest, most accomplished of divorce lawyers, consoling her client or ripping into her opponent at with ease, yet also revealing glimpses of her underlying motivations.  Little Women's most fiery March sister is played by Pugh, who had quite a year at the movies; her encounters were some of the film's most interesting.  Colman won the Oscar last year for Best Actress, but her pitiable, even repulsive at times, yet strong and complex Queen Anne felt like more a supporting role to the subjects around her battling for influence.  Emma Thompson was far and away the best thing about the disappointing Late Night; she brings so much energy, not just via the caustic wit of her TV host but also in her flailing attempts to control a broken production behind the scenes.


Best Supporting Actor
Timothee Chalamet (Little Women)
Bryan Cranston (The Upside)
Matt Damon (Ford v Ferrari)
Tom Hanks (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood)
Vince Vaughn (Fighting With My Family)

Oscar nominees not listed: Anthony Hopkins (The Two Popes), Robert de Niro and Al Pacino (The Irishman) - didn't see the films; Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time...) - eligible but chose not to nominate

I'd like to give honorable nods to Alan Alda's sweet but losing lawyer in Marriage Story, and Daniel Craig's hammed up PI in Knives Out; and also note that I didn't nominate Pitt because his cool guy shtick is annoying (and his Ad Astra performance was equally eye-rolling).  Chalamet definitely - and appropriately - cedes the focus in Little Women, despite being a volatile character; still, his presence is an interesting foil for the March sisters.  I got a whiff of Ocean's Eleven from Matt Damon in Ford v Ferrari, but that's not a bad thing; as Bale's levelheaded partner, he's a crucial stabilizer with a few moments of something more.  Laugh if you will, but Vaughn really impressed me in Fighting With My Family; as a semi-fallen star in real life, he is well cast, but doesn't push his disgruntled mentor part.  Tom Hanks, Hollywood's Mr. Nice Guy, was likewise an obvious pick for Fred Rogers, but he really does work hard to get the unique delivery and tone right (even if seeing these two as one was still a strange experience).  I suspect Hart owes part of his emergence in The Upside to his pairing with Bryan Cranston, one of the best screen actors working.  He does the physical work of playing a paraplegic so well it's invisible, and both his rapport with Hart and his interior work - quiet strength and calm masking torment to mixed success - are excellent.


Special Honorary Acting Award: Ensemble - Avengers

In the spirit of the Oscars' Honorary (or "lifetime achievement") Award, I am giving out my own in recognizing the tremendous casting and underrated performances of the Marvel superhero series.  It started right at the beginning, with Robert Downey, Jr. as lead and title character Tony Stark/Iron Man.  His energy, irreverence, crackling wit, and even occasional warmth set the crucial tone for the entire universe of characters and stories to come.  Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth soon rounded out the main trio of heroes, as Captain America and Thor, respectively.  While not quite as iconic as Downey, Jr., they turned little-known and potentially easily cliched archetypes into beloved and distinct characters of their own.  And the hits kept coming: Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther... they even quickly cleaned up a rare misfire, replacing Ed Norton with Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk.  Is it the chicken or the egg; performance or casting?  I'd argue that in addition to the inspired choices, the actors almost without exception took up their roles as faithfully and brilliantly as could be hoped for.  Yes, the Marvel superhero films are undoubtedly blockbusters, with epic, interconnected stories, and plenty of action.  But what made these films - all twenty-three, so far - truly worth following were the characters.  We saw them introduced, develop, and mature, and the joy of watching them together in Avengers team-ups was uniquely satisfying.  Certainly, the characters are what gave Endgame its breathtaking power for those of us following the whole journey.  Bravo - well worth revisiting, and I can't to see what's next.


Best Director
Neil Burger (The Upside)
Greta Gerwig (Little Women)
Stephen Merchant (Fighting With My Family)
Anthony and Joe Russo (Avengers: Endgame)
Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood)

Oscar nominees not listed: Martin Scorsese (The Irishman) - didn't see the film; Sam Mendes (1917) - not eligible (wide release in 2020); Bong Joon-ho (Parasite), Todd Phillips (Joker) - eligible but chose not to nominate

The honorable mention this year goes to James Mangold, whose Ford v Ferrari zooms along as well as the top cars at Le Mans.  It's difficult for me not to nominate Quentin Tarantino when he releases a film; one of Hollywood's top filmmakers, his works are always fascinating even if not always the best.  Here, it's a pretty simple story of the end of an era in Tinseltown, and he brings out that time and place vividly and entertainingly.  On the other hand, comedy veteran Stephen Merchant is not so expected, but he lends a deft touch to the tired sports genre in Fighting With My Family.  There's humor and a look at a bizarre, unique vocation, but family is at its heart in a genuine way.  The Upside has a premise riddled with dangerous temptation for emotional bombast and cheap sentimentalism.  While Burger fully explores the range of emotions involved in the story and doesn't shy away from them, crucially, he makes you earn them in the quieter moments.  Gerwig, like Merchant, both directed and wrote (in her case, adapted) the screenplay.  She does great work with the classic tale, from breaking up the chronology of the story to maximize pacing and character development, to looking at the traditional world through a a subtly modern lens.  Finally, it's the Russo Brothers, Anthony and Joe, who are back-to-back winners with their Marvel saga conclusion Avengers: Endgame.  Not to sound like a broken record, but the degree of difficulty and level of expectations were just off the charts.  Granted they laid much of the foundation for success in prior efforts, along with countless others.  Still, they didn't push things; in fact, it's a much quieter, slower (as in, more talk and less action), more thoughtful film than anticipated.  The baddie does indeed go out with a bang, though, and the core heroes get the ending they deserve.


Best Screenplay
Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story)
Paul Downs Colaizzo (Brittany Runs a Marathon)
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara (The Favourite)
Rian Johnson (Knives Out)


Best Visual Effects
Avengers: Endgame
The Lego Movie 2
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Toy Story 4










* Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/disneyabc/33013619801

Mini-Reviews: Marriage Story and Parasite

Mini-Reviews: Marriage Story and Parasite

With the Oscars coming up next weekend, I've decided to do something a little different with my final reviews for 2019 films.  Nearly every review I've written in the ten years I've been doing this blog has been based on a film I saw in the theater.  I don't remember why I started that way, but if anything I feel only more strongly about this "rule".  To me, a film should ideally be seen in a theater.  It allows you to be fully absorbed in the experience: a dark room, with just that big screen in front of you.  Some may find that their local theater tends to have distracting co-viewers (talking, using phones - argh!!!); luckily, with some rare exceptions, I don't have to put up with this.  On the other hand, a communal theater experience can enhance the film in unique ways - comedies especially benefit, as do certain others like the opening night of a long-awaited event (see: Avengers: Endgame).

However, I'm breaking my rule today.  Both Marriage Story and Parasite have multiple Oscar nominations - most importantly, both are up for Best Picture.  Both also had limited theater runs; between the two, I think Parasite may have been available to me for a single week (I decided, maybe unwisely, to see something else that week).  I've now seen both via streaming, so I thought I'd do shorter reviews for each.  So here are my last two films for 2019, and keep an eye out for my annual film-in-review and Oscar-like awards posts next week!

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Marriage Story
Directed by Noah Baumbach
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Laura Dern, Alan Alda
Running time: 136 minutes
Rated R

Marriage Story is a searing and insightful examination of the end of a marriage, with some very potent acting performances.  Despite the overall premise, it's actually not a dark or grim film.  In fact, the director wisely chooses to start the film with each character listing their spouse's good qualities, part of a counseling exercise that sees them trying to resolve things amicably in spite of their mutual frustration.  The situation degenerates, of course, to increase the tension and drama.  Johansson and Driver are magnificent at showing the natural, gradual evolution of the relationship at this final hour.  Each gets to showcase how they are processing it as individuals - Johansson rehashing her entire story to a lawyer, Driver struggling through a parent evaluation - in impressive, extended sequences.  But they're even better when together, ranging from quietly showing the final, worn out embers of their connection, to a confrontation whose physical intensity is surpassed by the agonizing - yet cathartic - words themselves.  Dern's smooth and protective lawyer, and Alda's sweet yet helpless one are both great, too.  Despite the mutual wounds, the ending finds a quiet grace, however.  Spoiler alert: they don't get back together.  But just as it showed a natural escalation of emotions and grievances earlier, Marriage Story also shows the quiet healing power of time.  Excellent.

Score:  A

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Parasite
Directed by Bong Joon-ho
Starring Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Song Kang-ho, Cho Yeo-jeong

Parasite is an inventive film, well-crafted and performed, but I was disappointed by some creative and narrative choices, leaving it short of its potential.  This is a Korean film, and as such has sub-titles (like last year's Mexican Roma); I'm personally fine with this, though I do feel some elements of a film are inevitably lost in, well, translation.  Wikipedia describes it as a "dark comedy thriller", which seems odd but is pretty accurate; moreso, it starts as one type of film and then turns suddenly into another.  Parasite's protagonists are a poor family, the Kims, teenaged son and daughter and their parents.  Daily life searching for wifi signals and chasing away public, er, relievers, the first part is hilarious if uncomfortably so.  The children soon find an opportunity to turn their family's fortunes, however, and show themselves quite clever and resourceful; meanwhile a new, wealthy family comes along, the Parks, who are amusingly naive to ordinary life.  All seems to be going well, yet one dark and stormy night, things unravel rapidly upon the ring of a door bell.  The transition itself is done quite well, totally unexpected and creepy, yet somehow also uproarious in its own way.  Unfortunately, the film, for me, declines after this pivotal part.  Think along the lines of Get Out, but the trick is not an appropriate fit here.  Parasite does great work setting up some interesting social commentary over its first half, but in choosing to adopt more extreme, fantastical symbolism later, I found the themes to blur in favor of style.  Still, certainly a thought-provoking film worth a try.

Score:  B+




* By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61570092
** By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62809787