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Sunday, February 9, 2020
Cindy Prascik's Reviews of Birds of Prey & The Last Full Measure
Despite the first real blast of winter rolling through my area this weekend, I was able to slip out to the cinema for Birds of Prey and the Last Full Measure.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
First on my agenda, the film with the unnecessarily awkward and misleading name, Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.
Following her breakup with the Joker, Harley Quinn struggles to make her way on her own.
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is misnamed in that it is mostly about Harley Quinn and hardly at all about the Birds of Prey, who pop up only sporadically throughout and not until the very end as a unit. Margot Robbie clearly is having the time of her life as Harley, as is Ewan McGregor as the film's psychotic big-bad. The rest of the cast is unremarkable, outside of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, always a rose even among thorns. Birds of Prey doesn't look half as good as the Gotham TV series as far as its production design and overall appearance and atmosphere, but there are a couple exceptional set pieces, particularly the climactic battle in a fun house. The movie makes great use of some popular tunes and features terrific score by Daniel Pemberton.
On the negative side, Birds of Prey is unrelentingly foul in both language and content. I'm a grownup and grownup content doesn't put me off, but the movie tries to shock for shock's sake and that's just boring. I find the character of Harley Quinn rather annoying, and this portrayal hasn't done anything to endear her to me. Much like the Minions--who are the best part of any Despicable Me movie but couldn't effectively carry a whole movie--a little Harley goes a long, long way. "Fun" is the word I've most often heard used to describe Birds of Prey, which for me frequently is code for, "It isn't very good but I liked it anyway." I can definitely see why people like this movie, despite it's not being particularly well done, and I'm grateful that solid reviews and good word of mouth should make it a win for DC, regardless of a (so far) sluggish box office.
Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn clocks in at 109 minutes and is rated R for "strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material."
While Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn is built of some great pieces, the whole is too dark to be fun and too silly (bordering on downright stupid at times) to be properly dark. Of a possible nine Weasleys, Birds of Prey gets six.
Next on the docket, the Last Full Measure.
A hotshot government lawyer is assigned (against his will) to review the case of an airman killed in Vietnam, whose brothers in arms are convinced he was wrongfully denied the Medal of Honor.
First and foremost, I would like to give props to my local theater for getting this movie. Even though the film is in wide-release, there doesn't seem to be much buzz around it and I was certain it would pass right by my small town. So, thank you, Marquee Cinemas, for screening the Last Full Measure.
Onward to the movie, beginning where regular reader(s) will expect: with Sebastian Stan. I've said it before and I'll undoubtedly say it again (and again): Sebastian Stan is the finest actor of his generation, and one of the finest actors I've ever seen. If you only know him as a Marvel guy, you are really, really missing out. (Shameless plug: Please check him out in the short-lived series Kings, which you can watch for free on the NBC app.) As a longtime fan, you can bet I was as proud as his mama to see his name at the top of the credits, his first real big-screen lead. This role hardly taxes his talent, but his character is the film's backbone and he serves it well. Most of the acting heavy lifting is left to the older cast members: Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Peter Fonda, and John Savage, but--while fine performances elevate the material--they can't really save it. The tone is overly sentimental and the script is pedestrian, at times so melodramatic as to be almost comical, which is a sad disservice to its subject. Having said all that, the film does put the spotlight on a very deserving hero, and the folks in my screening and the one before it were largely moved to tears. That's a movie that certainly gets something right.
The Last Full Measure runs 116 minutes and is rated R for "war violence and language."
The Last Full Measure is a film that strikes a nerve, not necessarily because it tells its story well, but because it tells *such* a story. Of a possible nine Weasleys, the Last Full Measure gets seven.
Fangirl points: I mean, Seb, obviously, but Linus Roache was a nice surprise!
Until next time...
Saturday, February 8, 2020
MOVIE REVIEW: BIRDS OF PREY
It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her back. Unprotected and on the run, Quinn faces the wrath of narcissistic crime boss Black Mask, his right-hand man, Victor Zsasz, and every other thug in the city. But things soon even out for Harley when she becomes unexpected allies with three deadly women -- Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya.
Director: Cathy Yan
Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Chris Messina, Ella Jay Basco, Ali Wong, Ewan McGregor
Release Date: February 7, 2020
Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime
Rated Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material
Runtime: 1h 49min
Review:
Birds of Prey nails so many things right about Harley Quinn as a character that you'd be hard pressed to find flaw especially if you've been a fan since her inception. Her debut in Suicide Squad, a movie that's unfairly bashed while still being fun if problematic, was iconic for Margot Robbie and the DC universe in general. Regardless of how you feel about that movie, she was one of the shining lights of the whole affair. Now in her own film, flanked by longtime Batman friends and adversaries, she's given full reign on the screen and story. Cathy Yan helms the film with a kinetic energy that's hard to resist with luminous star in a role she was born to play. There are so many impressively manic and nutty fight sequences to keep even the most blood thirsty movie goer begging for more. It's a candy colored assault on the senses that takes a break here and there before it drops a mallet on your head again. Supporting Robbie are equally game cast mates like Ewan McGregor who's obviously having a ball playing Black Mask. Needless to say that DC fans will have to appreciate this take on Black Mask and Victor Zsasz because it's both respectful of each character but still their own singular take. The same can be said of this entrie's take on Black Canary and Huntress played by an underused Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Each brings a specific type of energy to their role much like the more seasoned Rosie Perez who just fits as Renee Montoya. Ultimately, they are all floating around Margot Robbie's Quinn who keeps the whole thing rolling. There's a definite girl power rolling through the entire film and it's the better for it, fitting right in as the crazy cousin to the more refined DC super heroine Wonder Woman.
B+
Sunday, February 2, 2020
MOVIE REVIEW: GRETEL & HANSEL
When their mother descends into madness, siblings
Gretel and Hansel must fend for themselves in the dark and unforgiving woods.
Hungry and scared, they fortuitously stumble upon a bounty of food left outside
an isolated home. Invited inside by the seemingly friendly owner, the children
soon suspect that her generous but mysterious behavior is part of a sinister
plan to do them harm.
Director: Oz Perkins
Cast: Sophia Lillis, Charles Babalola, Jessica De Gouw, Alice Krige
Release Date: January 24, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
Rated PG-13 for disturbing images/thematic content, and brief drug
material
Runtime: 1h 27min
Review:
There are certain films that come out of nowhere and end up leaving a
major impression. Oz Perkins’s third
film is a visually arresting film that grabs your attention from its opening
frame and never really lets it go. This
adaptation of the famous Grimm fairytale follows most of the basics beats but
it adjusts portions of the tale to give a more meaty meaning and
resonance. The film is buoyed by two
excellent performances from Sophia Lillis and Alice Krige. Sophia Lillis performances continue to
impress and this turn is tailor made for her ability to emote strength and
intelligence. She’s displays a maturity
that some actors never reach but she’s boosted here by her interplay with Alice
Krige. Krige is the kind of character
actor that really seems to relish being hidden behind make up and costuming. Krige
and Lillis scenes together are some of the film’s highlights as the mentor and
student relationship plays out. The
story plays out in an interesting and clever way while Perkin’s borrows heavily
on cues from Dario Argento and Stanley Kubrick that will delight horror
aficionados. If there is a small issue it’s
that for a horror movie it’s never really scary instead it’s atmospheric and
moody. Ultimately, it almost feels like
the remake of Suspira people wanted all along.
A-
Sunday, January 26, 2020
MOVIE REVIEW: THE GENTLEMEN
Mickey Pearson is an American expatriate who became
rich by building a marijuana empire in London . When word gets out that he's looking to cash out
of the business, it soon triggers an array of plots and schemes from those who
want his fortune.
Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle
Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Release Date: January 24, 2019
Genres: Action, Crime
Rated R for violence, language throughout, sexual references and drug
content
Runtime: 1h 55min
Review:
The Gentlemen is a fun return to the genre that made Guy Ritchie a name
back in the early 2000s. It’s easy to
forget how fun his older films like Lock Stock and Smoking Barrel and Snatch
were because his subsequence films have fallen into a general blandness that’s
made unmemorable. That’s not to say that
certain films like his Sherlock Holmes movies or his underrated The Man from
U.N.C.L.E. aren’t fun but they felt way too polished and glossy. The Gentlemen is a film that’s far better
than it deserves to be. The plot isn’t
quite as clever as it thinks it is but the cast of characters and actors make
the film so incredibly fun and watchable that you can overlook some of those
failings. Each of the cast delivers
performances that make it clear that they are having the time of their lives in
this film. McConaughey gives us a solid
mix of charm and underling menace with Charlie Hunnam delivering one of best
film work thus far. The supporting cast
shines throughout with Hugh Grant, playing against type with great gusto, and
Colin Farrell leaving the biggest impressions.
The story drags here and there but when the cast is clicking it’s the
kind of throwback that makes you remember why people noticed Guy Ritchie’s type
of filmmaking in the first place instead of something like Aladdin.
B
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