From the opening of Birds of Prey, the audience already knows what kind of rollercoaster ride is coming their way. The film opens with our lead actress Margot Robbie (who plays Harley Quinn).  In the first twenty minutes, she narrates what crazy conflicts exist and describes what her ridiculous priorities are which include graphic violence. Robbie steals the opening act with her violent, spunky, and neurotic personality. Birds of Prey is the one film where I believe DC makes its mark as it almost rivals Marvel’s Deadpool. That is because it opens almost the same way with vulgar yet funny language, and acts of violence intended for laughs. However, Birds of Prey takes the hysterical violence to a whole different level.

The plot of Birds of Prey is gearing on life with Harley Quinn after breaking up with the Joker. Viewers are used to viewing Quinn as the villain, but in this one she is geared more on being the protagonist. She falls into a position where a wealthy and egotistical villain, Roman Sionis (played by Ewan McGregor), and his assistant Victor Zsasz (played by Chris Messina), are after a young woman named Cassandra Cain (played by Ella Jay Basco), because she has something that is worth a lot to Sionis. This puts Quinn in a position where she falls into a scenario of building up a team of other crazy ladies who include Renee Montoya (played by Rosie Perez), Helena Bertinelli/the Huntress (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and Dina Lance/Black Canary (played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell). The film becomes a ride of over-the-top, lethal, and loud violence that will make viewers laugh.

The acting by Robbie is superb and McGregor is also outstanding. However, I found that some of the violence seemed repetitive. I figured that this was done to keep the audience laughing. An example of this is there are scenes where Harley or others break people’s legs. The leg breaking is comical, but it was just repetitive. Also, I felt that the film was only gearing on breaking of body parts as a goal to keep the action going. The dialogue is top-notch, but the fighting moments are repetitive.

What grabbed my attention the most with Birds of Prey was how both Robbie and McGregor play such egotistical characters. Each had moments where they felt they had more power over the other and then it would be the other way around. That made the film interesting for me because it gave me a hint that later one character had something that the other character was not aware of, and then another catastrophic moment would come around. The film is full of surprises.

Overall, Birds of Prey goes over the top by utilizing the same acts of violence, but it’s still a funny and entertaining time for those superhero fanatics. I find that it is one of those films that DC has been needing. A film where the violence goes up many levels because that is what gives a DC movie its mark by making the intensity and realism feel dark and heavy. I am giving Birds of Prey three stars.

Nicholas Cage has been doing experimental film after experimental film, and Color Out of Space may be his most experimental one yet. He went from doing a few Blockbuster flicks to ones that have bizarre concepts. Color Out of Space is a film in which Signs (2002) is mixed with Poltergeist (1982) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial with an odd concept of horror. I found myself having fun during some moments with Color Out of Space, but also consistently wondering how hard the film is trying to seem visually grotesque with crazy sci-fi elements. I believe it is more of the film’s setting that makes it strange for its audience.

Nicholas Cage plays Nathan Gardner, the owner of a farm that is hit with a meteorite that carries revealing elements for Gardner and his family. An alien force has taken over the farm. When that happens, a variety of disasters occur causing the family to experience scary situations with the animals on the farm. And, the damage keeps on growing. Color Out of Space displays weird scenarios that are not unlike Mandy (2018). That film also starred Cage and had a similar plot, but was much more disturbing with gory violence. The current movie was also quite disturbing with alien-type revelations and unexpected jump scares.

For me, Color Out of Space seemed to be more a sci-fi thriller that needs to find its audience. I had moments where I was interested and some where I was not interested, and that is not because of the film seeming weird, but instead because the acting and writing seemed to be dry. Fortunately, the visuals are top-notch. That is important and what ultimately makes people want to watch Color Out of Space. People will watch the film more for the strange plot over the acting or the writing. This is a common type of film for Cage to do. It fits him, but it felt too much like watching Mandy all over again. Alien movies (like this one) require a certain type of audience who enjoy violence with alien attacks and lots of gore. That is what Color Out of Space consists of.

After much thought, I am going to give Color Out of Space two stars. Honestly, I like to be fair and rarely bash movies. However, this movie is close to two hours of experimentation with many ridiculous scenarios consisting of animals and people’s weird behavior, all because of a meteorite. I wish there would have been better rationale for how the conflicts evolved which is why I viewed the film to be a below average experience.

1. 1917: Directed by Sam Mendes, 1917 is a war thriller that blew me out of the water. The technology behind the film itself is intriguing and makes it emotionally inviting. The film is set with two soldiers on a mission to start an attack. As their journey goes deeper into trenches, the more dangerous and complex the journey gets for them. This movie was one of the best war experience movies I have had in a long time. I do not remember enjoying a war movie this much since Hacksaw Ridge (2016). Mendes is brilliant at capturing the emotional elements behind our main character, Corporal Schofield (played by George Mackay). Mackay also delivers a knockout performance that will be remembered for ages. The cinematography and writing of 1917 brings its audience on a ride full of surprises and unexpected turns that keep you curious about what the resolution will be.
2. Parasite: Movies that focus on the topic of lying or being a con artist often grasp my attention. The negative outcomes that result from telling lies make these films extra intriguing and Parasite is that movie. There are negative outcomes that I expected, but many I did not expect. Director Bong Joon Ho brings us a dark comedy that gears on a family making up multiple lies to be able to live a lavish lifestyle in a wealthy family’s home. However, things go awry when they come to realize that the home has some hidden secrets that are extremely disturbing.  Secrets like hidden tunnels leading to hidden rooms are just a few of the odd clues which lead to irreparable consequences. Parasite is a brilliantly structured and intense movie with many unanswered questions and unexpected resolutions. 
3. The Irishman: When it comes to Martin Scorsese, his Mafia movies have always appealed to me the most. The Irishman is three and a half hours long, but it takes its viewers to a different level of a Mafia drama. The film gears more on the previous conflicts of a Mafia member and how his actions impacted the others he worked with. Our main characters are played by Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and many more to name, but these three guys are ones that Scorsese has worked with together before in other Mafia dramas. What makes The Irishman special is that parts of it feel like a reunion with all the crime actors we love, but in a different movie. Also, for Pesci, he shows he is still brilliant after a long hiatus from acting due to both his ability to portray his crazy side and his haunting voice. The Irishman focuses more on how the actions of one man impact people he worked with instead of just showing multiple acts of violence. The writing and dialogue are captivating.   And, honestly the film goes fast because of the attention needed to understand what is going on deep within the conflicts.
4. Uncut Gems: Adam Sandler delivers a knockout performance that is pure adrenaline. Uncut Gems will have its viewers thinking about the negatives outcomes as Sandler’s character progresses through life making risky financial decisions which put him in harm’s way. The concept of Uncut Gems is disturbing yet compelling. The tone is dark and given Kevin Garnett (the basketball player) is one of the main focuses of the film’s conflict, I felt Uncut Gems was a real, suspenseful experience that blew me away. I am disappointed the movie did not get much Oscar buzz, because Sandler deserves tons of credit for this role. He transformed from being a comedic actor to an actor that plays both the protagonist and an antagonist in multiple elements in Uncut Gems.
5. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: Now this is the least violent movie by Quentin Tarantino, but I still view it to be a masterpiece. It is more graphic with clever dialogue and quirky scenarios instead of violence. Tarantino brings his fans a movie that takes place in the Golden Age of Hollywood with two fictional actors placed with real-life, historical Hollywood scenarios. Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt are both awesome in this coming-of-age film about a struggling era in Hollywood, and the bad decisions they make as they try to break their way into being wealthy in the world of movies and Hollywood. I also love how Tarantino linked this to his other movies in small ways by adding scenes that relate to previous movies he has directed. The film has a few instances of graphic violence, but not as many as I expected. I liked that because I found myself laughing a lot more due to the dialogue and the crazy outcomes that viewers do not anticipate. DiCaprio is nominated for best actor, Pitt is nominated for best supporting actor, and Tarantino is nominated for best director. Not sure if they will earn the awards, but they deserve credit because people were initially skeptical about Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Based on how good the film is, I hope it wins at least one or more of the awards it is up for.
6. Joker: I feel that the true Joker villain was played by Heath Ledger back in The Dark Knight. That performance is still one of the best performances I have ever seen, partly because Ledger jumped right into the menace and mayhem. Joker (directed by Todd Phillips) is stellar with the background and the wild performance by Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix does an excellent job portraying the issues his villain character has before he goes insane. This includes weird outbreaks, laughing at everything, and feeling like violence delivers a positive outlet. Viewers see his emotional battles with his mental health issues and start to anticipate things getting worse as many of the scenarios get darker throughout Joker. Phoenix has the laugh, the evil smile, and the creative negative ideas that will be remembered for ages. Phoenix is nominated for best actor which I believe he deserves because he delivered the second-best Joker performance I have ever seen.
7. Marriage Story: Noah Baumbach is known to make films based upon his own life and Marriage Story is one of them. I was deep in thought during Marriage Story and I found it to be a film with an emotional concept that seeks to find light. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson are brilliant. They play two people who want to end their marriage, but for the sake of their son, work together as a team. The writing is dramatic and personal. The many issues the couple faces to resolve are heart-wrenching, and it will make viewers cry. I admit I even cried given how close to home Marriage Story hit for me because my parents are divorced. It reminded me how hard it can be to work together to resolve agreements, especially when there are so many obstacles to go through during the process of divorce. However, I also found a positive message about how life can move on to a better place. Two people eventually light after realizing that the process is not easy on anyone. Baumbach is faithful to his subject allowing his viewers to see the emotional challenges between Driver and Johansson.
8. Knives Out: When it comes to murder mysteries, many have appealed to me over the years. With Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, I found myself thinking about how thought-provoking the plot is. That is because after a man dies, there are multiple people in the family with resentments, secrets, and previous history that may play into why the main character is dead. What also got to me was the interesting clues in the movie, including one where someone has a disorder of vomiting when she is lying. The line-up of actors is top-notch with many phenomenal performances by Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, and Christopher Plummer. It is a film with lies, deceit, and realizations that are intriguing and funny.
9. Honeyboy: Shia LaBeouf is someone that I have had issues with after a variety of negative media challenges he has experienced. However, in Honeyboy he redeems himself on many levels. The movie makes us realize the challenges he has had throughout his life and we see that as he plays the role of his own father. The film gears on a boy named Otis (played by Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges). Jupe is Otis at age 12 and Hedges is Otis at 22. The film shows how Otis struggles with coming to good terms with his abusive father given his father’s income is based on his son’s fame. It also shows how Otis struggles with addiction by depicting alcohol addictions in his past. This is all based on the life of LaBeouf.  He plays the role of his own father so dramatically well that it will leave viewers deep in thought. LaBeouf is now a changed man and this movie made me have respect for him as an actor again.
10. Luce: When it comes to movies about high schools and rules, Luce is that political drama that pushes the limits of rules in high school. The film gears on a boy whose name is Luce who writes an essay that disturbs his teacher due to its graphic content. The student is played by Kelvin Harrison Jr, the teacher is played by Octavia Spencer, and the parents are played by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. The problem they face is wanting to keep their son’s reputation as an all-star, but do not know what the right way to approach the issue with his graphic essay. This leads to other tough scenarios involving rules and other political school issues to consider. The combination of these concerns makes it hard for everyone to figure out who is in the right or the wrong. Luce was a fun movie due to the political tides and other factors taken into consideration for both the student and the teacher. It is a cat and mouse game with brilliant dialogue and interesting connections that make the film a politically charged drama.

Note for Readers: Some of the movies did not make it into the Oscar categories, however, these movies were the most memorable experiences I had in 2019. Thanks for reading.