Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020)

One of the most iconic villains to ever appear in a comic book could arguably be The Joker with all of his misadventures with the Batman. It was until the 1990's animated series that they would introduce one of the most iconic sidekicks in Harley Quinn. In 2016's Suicide Squad, she had finally hit the big screen with Margot Robbie playing her, but the film was lackluster. Now it's 2020 and she's back with her very own film in Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Things have been rough for one Harley Quinn, she's dealing with a bad break up with the Joker and she kind of has nothing to do, but no one else in Gotham knows this yet. Well after she decides to blow up one of the Joker's favorite spots, the word gets out and now every one is after her. one Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor) a.k.a. The Black Mass who is trying to regain a stolen diamond from a young girl. With help from some friends, she'll try everything to stop him from catching and potentially hurting the girl. The film also stars Rosie Perez (White Men Can't Jump) as Renee Montoya, Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane) as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Underground) as Black Canary, Ella Jay Basco (Veep) as Cassandra Cain, Chris Messina (Argo) as Victor Zsasz, Steven Williams (Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday) as Captain Erickson, Ali Wong (American Housewife) as Ellen Yee, and the film was directed by Cathy Yan (Dead Pigs).

I went into this film with very low expectations and I left a pretty happy person. I truly felt like this is what Suicide Squad should have been because this is a way better film. The movie was a lot of fun to watch as Harley Quinn broke everything down herself as she narrates the film. I definitely loved the fact that it sort of continues right where Suicide Squad ended or at least that is where it seems like it takes off from. The only thing that I ask is where the hell is the Batman when all of this crap is happening right in Gotham. I mean you have one guy cutting off people's faces and he just keeps doing it without any worries of the Batman. Other than that, I loved all of the action in the film, but what is Warner Brothers deal with doing the slowmotion thing all the time? I get that they want to emphasize the action and the power of those actions, but they went a little overboard. I definitely loved the freedom they had in this film to swear and do all sorts of things that other films have not been able to do. It was just a fun action adventure with one of the craziest gals in Gotham City and I am going to say here and that is I am hoping for a sequel because I believe in more adventures of Harley and her gang of misfits. There were several nods to the comics from all the different costumes like the animated series outfit or The New 52 Harley Quinn on roller skates as well as some pop culture stuff like the Madonna video that they interrupted. I am going to give the film a grade that is somewhere between A-/B+ because this is worth checking out.

Raising Cain (1992)

Director Brian De Palma is one of the recognizable names of the last forty or so years hitting us with classics like Carlito's Way, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables, Carrie, but who could forget Scarface as one of his finest. In 1992, De Palma would have another work of his hit the big screen when he released psychological horror classic Raising Cain which starred John Lithgow (The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension) as Carter Nix, a seemingly normal child psychologist who is raising his daughter with his lovely and attractive wife Jenny (Lolita Davidovich). Jenny begins to notice that Cater is taking too much of an interest in how their daughter is rai sed. What Jenny doesn't realize is that Carter is harboring a dark secret inside him from his past that is causing him to kidnap children, but why is he doing it? The film also stars Steven Bauer (Scarface) as Jack, Frances Sternhagen (Sex And The City) as Dr. Waldheim, Gregg Henry (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as Lt. Terri, Tom Bower (Out Of The Furnace) as Sgt. Cally, Mel Harris (Wanted: Dead Or Alive) as Sarah, Teri Austin (Knots Landing) as Karen, Gabrielle Carteris (Batman: The Brave And The Bold) as Nan, and Barton Heyman (Let's Scare Jessica To Death) as Mack.

So, I can definitely see where M. Night Shyamalan got his inspiration for the film Split as Carter is someone who deals with multiple personalities like a female figure, a child, a bad boy, and even his father and each one is created to protect and hide the real him. I'm not saying that he ripped him off, but you can see what might have inspired him at some point. He could also read some books about much like Brian De Palma had to as well, but I want to get down to business. What the hell was wrong with the police officers in this film? A doctor comes in claiming she knows Carter Nix because she worked with his dad and tells the cops that she can basically get to the bottom of it as she has some time and a room. They accommodate her only to leave her alone in the room with her with no other supervision. Are you kidding me? No cop would ever go with it let alone leave him in there with no restraints. John Lithgow who I am so used to seeing in comedies was actually brilliant in the film especially when he did the different personalities. I liked the idea of the events that happened in the film, I thought some of them were actually pretty clever, but it could have been written a little better. I don't know how to describe it, but the film has a very 90's feel to it as far as it's look and I kind of miss that kind of cinematography. The film pays homage to several films that De Palma obviously loved like Psycho and the car scene which I thought was great and there's many more. I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

Thoroughbreds (2017)

Spoiler Alert: The article contains a picture and some information that could prove to be a spoiler so proceed with caution.When someone says that a film is like Heathers meets American Psycho then why would I not want to watch said film. Heathers is one of the best dark comedy films surrounding high school themed films ever made and American Psycho introduced us to a different type of killer. So for today's film, I have decided that it was time to check out 2017's Thoroughbreds which was advertised as one of Anton Yelchin's (Green Room) last films. The movie stars Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch) as Lily, a normal upper class suburban kid who once again befriends someone she hasn't talked to in years. That friend would be Amanda (Olivia Cooke), another upper class girl with a lot of issues that not many people understand and she doesn't have a lot of friends, but Lily and her get close. Lily has a problem on her hands and that problem is that her step dad (Paul Sparks) is a bit of an A-hole and she wants him dead. So, Amanda suggests that they ask the very troubled Tim (Yelchin) to do the job for them, but will he do it and if he does will he be successful? The film also stars Francie Swift (Two Weeks Notice) as Cynthia, Kaili Vernoff (Crisis In Six Scenes) as Karen, Jackson Damon (Manchester By The Sea) as Phil, and the film was written and directed by Cory Finley (Bad Education).

This film was definitely a slow burn as it builds and builds with some tension, but overall I have to say that I kind of enjoyed the film. Olivia Cooke does an awesome job playing someone who is just so disconnected from themselves that they don't feel emotions any longer and that can be dangerous. They struggle with friendships because they don't feel the usual emotions that come with forming bonds and Lily learns to take full advantage of it because it will benefit her in the long run. I am not so sure I can see a total connection with the films I mentioned above other than the fact that it deals with death and teenagers. I guess the American Psycho connection could be that they identified Amanda with Patrick Bateman and even then she's not as charismatic as he was. Anton's part was a little interesting as he plays a small time drug dealer who once went to jail for having sex with an underage girl and he only deals drugs for teenagers. He's kind of going nowhere, but I think he re-evaluates his life choices after dealing with those two. The acting is very good especially from Paul Sparks who has minimal dialogue in the film, but his actions speak louder than his words and when he does speak he makes it count. The overall tone of the film is dark and brooding which allows for some good cinematography and I definitely feel that the film is worth one watch as it i a dark tale. So with that being said, I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.

Inception (2010)

When I first did my 366 challenge back in 2016, the whole point of that challenge was to watch one film and after 366 films I never had bothered to watch the one film I set out to watch. I promised myself that even if I didn't accomplish the challenge this time around I was still going to sit down and at one point watch the 2010 film Inception and it happens to be today's film. The film was written and directed by Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight Trilogy) and it stars Leonardo DiCaprio (The Wolf Of Wall Street) as Cobb, a master thief who does his dirty work in the dream world thanks to dream sharing technology. Cobb is on the run for a crime he didn't commit, but he is tasked with infiltrating the mind of a CEO in a very dangerous mission, but if he accomplishes it he earns his freedom. The film also stars Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) as Eames, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper) as Arthur, Ellen Page (Hard Candy) as Ariadne, Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) as Saito, Dileep Rao (Avatar) as Yusuf, Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins) as Robert Fischer, Tom Berenger (Sniper) as Browning, Michael Caine (The Dark Knight) as Miles, Pete Postlethwaite (The Town) as Maurice Fischer, Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies) as Mal, and Lukas Haas (Mars Attacks!) as Nash.

I honestly can not believe that it took me 10 years to literally watch the film Inception because what a movie this was. Christopher Nolan is definitely one of the best writers/directors on the scene and this was definitely one his masterpieces. First off, the story is amazing as Leo and co. push the boundaries of the dream world, the repercussions they can have, and just how delicate it is. The second thing they presents us with the plot which is to convince Robert Fischer to turn over his empire, they present all of the subplots, and all of the turning points in the film successfully do what it was they were supposed to do in the first place. The third thing is that they assembled a great cast for the film and everyone did absolutely fantastic with their amazing acting. The fourth thing is the idea overall for the sets had to be a painstaking experience for them especially with all the details and of the manipulation that was needed was just out of this world. I honestly do not know what else can be said about the film, but there is a nice twist at the end that makes you question some characters. If you have not yet seen Inception then you do not know what you are missing out on as this is definitely the best film of the challenge that I have watched so far. The film is currently available to watch on Netflix, but you need to devote some serious time with this one. I am going to give the film an A+ for a final grade because it deserves it.

The Lion King (2019)

Disney has been on this kick as of late that since technology has greatly improved since the release of several of their original films that they would try to bring some to life. I believe it all started with Beauty And The Beast and in 2019 they moved on to another classic Disney film. In 1994, Disney would release what can be considered to be one of the greatest animated films in their arsenal in The Lion King. Fast forward 25 years later and they have decided to make it come alive in a live action film with CGI. While King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) celebrates the birth of his son ho is the rightful heir to the throne, his brother Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) sits in the background in jealousy waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When he does, he convinces young Simba (JD McCrary) that it was all his fault so he runs away never to return. Fast forward some years later and Simba (Donald Glover) is convinced to return to claim his rightful place and avenge his father. The film also stars Seth Rogen (Steve Jobs) as Pumbaa, John Oliver (The Smurfs) as Zazu, Beyoncé as Nala, Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu) as Kamari, Billy Eichner (Angry Birds) as Timon, Florence Kasumba (Black Panther) as Shenzi, Penny Johnson Jerald (24) as Sarafina, and the film was directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man).

I hate to dog a movie right from the get go because I love to build up films a little only to deliver what I didn't like at the end. I am doing the opposite with this one because what are the rules of remaking a film nevermind a classic? I honestly feel that if you are going to remake a film, you need to bring something fresh to the table. Don't just say that you'll give them an emotionless live action film and just expect us to eat it all up and be happy. The thing that was great about the original was that they showed exactly what emotions they were going through so that would could understand the excitement or the hurt that they were going through. Basically they did absolutely nothing new to the film and if I wanted to I could go to a zoo or take a trip the African Safari and I could pretend that they were reenacting The Lion King. The only cool thing about the film was the fact that they got James Earl Jones to come back and voice Mufasa once again which was awesome. The other thing I didn't like was the look of Scar because in the original he looked like a Lion that was just a little shady and conniving. In this one, he looks like a rescue Lion that was abused by it's original owners and he certainly looked like he was no shape to take over a kingdom. I mean I think Nala could have stood a chance against Scar. I hate dogging the film, but this may have been a better film if they only did it better than they did with emotions if that makes any sense? The only plus side is that Seth Rogen absolutely knocked it out of the park as Pumbaa like he was the perfect person to play him. The film was crisp, great cinematography, but everything else just sets it back a bit to the point that this film gets a C+/B- (somewhere in there) for a final grade.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

We are well in our second month which means I am still committed and it's another Sunday which can only mean one thing. It's Sunday at the Classics and we have an interesting one lined up for you guys today. There are a lot of classic films from another time that I never had the chance to watch so when I was strolling through Netflix, I came across one title and I decided to go for it. The name of the film is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and it stars Dick Van Dyke (Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb) as struggling inventor and single father of two kids Caractacus Potts who just needs one big break before he is rich. A chance encounter with the beautiful Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), the heir to the largest candy manufacture in England sends them on a wild journey of discovery, barons, and quite the amazing car that goes chitty chitty bang bang. The film also stars Lionel Jeffries (The Amazing Mr. Blunden) as Grampa Potts, Adrian Hall (Two People) as Jeremy,  Heather Ripley as Jemima, Gert Fröbe (Goldfinger) as Baron Bomburst, Anna Quayle (A Hard Day's Night) as Baroness Bomburst, James Robertson Justice (The Guns Of Navarone) as Lord Scrumptious, Robert Helpmann (The Red Shoes) as Child Catcher, Benny Hill as The Toy Maker, and the film was directed by Ken Hughes (Casino Royale).

I have to say that if you didn't watch a film like this when you were a child then you may not enjoy these types of films as an adult and I for one did not enjoy this film. I am not saying that it was a terrible movie, I just couldn't take a lot of the singing and the music. I may have just not been in the mood for Dick Van Dyke if I am being honest. Often when I am watching a film, I like to know that there is consistency in the film like for one, the film takes place in England, his father is British, and his children are British so tell me why is he speaking with an American accent? It's like what If I took Andrew Dice Clay, told him not to change the way he spoke, but told him he was the son of a Mexican war hero and his kids were Mexican. He could’ve of at least tried to speak with a British accent or were there not any British leading men at the time? Like where was Roger Moore he would have been OK in the role. The only person that made this film interesting was the child catcher because what do you do all day if you have no more kids to catch. I mean if you saw the way he acted in the film, you could see why he was eager to do the job. Nonetheless, I couldn't wait for the film to end, but it was beautifully shot, well acted (except for Dick's accent), and well written. So, I guess have to be a little nice at this point and I'll give the film an B- for a final grade. 

Burnt (2015)

One of the most stressful jobs in the world has to be that of a chef because you are dealing with what people consume. If someone is to get sick from eating your food then you as a chef will be no more. It’s as simple as that, but why am I talking about food right now? Well the reason is that the film I chose for today is called Burnt and it stars Bradley Cooper (Guardians Of The Galaxy) as two star Michelin chef Adam Jones. Adam was one of the top cooks in Paris until he threw it all away with addiction. Now some years later, he has returned to London to try and reclaim his integrity and reputation as the best of the best to get a coveted third star, but that road will not be easy for him. The film also stars Sienna Miller (The Lost City Of Z) as Helene, Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War) as Tony, Riccardo Scamarcio (John Wick: Chapter 2) as Max, Omar Sy (X-Men: Days Of Future Past) as Michel, Sam Keeley (In The Heart Of The Sea) as David, Emma Thompson (Sense And Sensibility) as Dr. Rosshilde, Uma Thurman (Kill Bill Vol. 1) as Simone Forth, Alicia Vikander (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) as Anne Marie, Lily James (Pride And Prejudice And Zombies) as Sara, Matthew Rhys (The Americans) as Montgomery Reece, and the film was directed by John Wells (August: Osage County).

There was one thing that this film definitely taught me when it was over and that is I don't think I could handle the pressures of being a chef or even to work with one. Every job field has the type of boss that Bradley Cooper's character is, but man he was intense especially considering that he is chasing perfection. I love the fact that it was him narrating in the beginning telling you his journey to redemption after he squandered his reputation in Paris because it builds what the journey of the film is going to be about which is what is more valuable? You being an absolute a-hole in the kitchen who is driving his staff to the brink of insanity because the Michelin star is the only acceptance you've ever known? Or working as a team and building the sense of family so that when the third star does come, it feels like you have done it as a whole? That is what Bradley Cooper's character has to battle throughout the film because the only thing he strives for is perfection, but at what cost? Now the real question moving forward is whether or not this is a good food film or not? Do you learn anything interesting about food? No not really because this is a film more focused on the idea of rockstar chefs like Gordon Ramsey. Unfortunately, Cooper isn't as convincing of an asshole as Gordon Ramsey in the kitchen, but he tries his best which must count for something. The subplots in the film feel like they struggle to truly be heard because the film is too focused on the main plot. At one point, he makes out with Sienna Miller, bad guys show up, beat him up, and it's never really addressed again? Nonetheless, I definitely enjoyed watching it and I do think it's worth a viewing so I am going to go ahead and give the film an B- for a final grade.