It's been a testy road to travel for DC Films as far as fan reception and responses to certain film installments have been concerned. Earlier entries in the "DC Extended Universe" like "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Suicide Squad" saw plenty of takes in the box office, but also a lot of mixed opinions with the critics and fan reviews.
Fortunately the tides have shifted with the releases of "Wonder Woman", "Aquaman", and "Shazam", and the superhero franchise has found its footing - telling better stories and blending in the drama, comedy, and character chemistry to positive and wonderful audience reception. That awesome streak I'm proud to say continues with the newly released "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)" - which technically is "Harley Quinn: The Movie" but instead serves as an extra springboard for the popular DC villainess/ anti-hero to introduce some new gal pals and personalities that all reside in the dank and strange place that is Gotham City.
Once again reprising her role from "Suicide Squad", Margot Robbie returns as the newly emancipated Harley Quinn - fresh from breaking up with The Joker and determined to start fresh and in control of her own life (or whatever counts for an insane Psychiatrist). The beautiful Hollywood star also serves as producer for the film, which is fantastic as it gives the Australian actress all the levity and creativity to take Harley in a bold and trippy direction which is fully realized in this film.
Thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines, I got to see "Birds of Prey" last weekend at its special premiere screening in IMAX - and again I call this movie "Bizarre, Trippy, and AWESOME FUN". It's Harley unleashed and bringing some girl power to the big screen, as we meet new heroes and villains outside of the shadow of the bat and the clown prince of crime - and it succeeds in spades! Here's my review after the jump!
We've seen many films depict world wars and battles that have been recorded in history, but rarely do we engage in one that's set during "The Great War" - also known as World War I and during a time when the world was shocked to wits end and very young men and women were sent into the battlefield without knowing whether they were going to make it out alive and back to their loved ones. Sam Mendes, the director of the James Bond 007 movies "Skyfall" and "Spectre", delivers his tribute and arguably one of his greatest films ever in "1917" - a film depicting two young British soldiers as they are ordered to deliver a handwritten message to a battalion before they engage in an attack that is doomed to fail and will cost many lives.
Tense, dramatic, and full of the horrors that can be seen in a battlefield, Mendes engages audiences in a seemingly "One Take" journey that follows our protagonists, George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman, as they wade through No Man's Land and enemy lines - crossing dead bodies, seeing destruction and death at every turn, and most importantly experiencing the shock and trauma that comes with war, as we're left to pray and hope that our two young Lance Corporals Schofield and Blake make it out alive and succeed in their mission.
Thanks to UIP Movies Philippines, I was able to catch "1917" two weeks ago before it makes it theatrical run in theaters in the Philippines, and believe me when I tell you that this is one of the best war films I have ever seen. Sam Mendes, basing his film in part from an account told by his grandfather Alfred Mendes, recreates a world that many of us have learned from historical documentaries and history books, but adds that layer of dread and intimacy that many of us don't experience through two young boys who were tasked with an impossible mission with all the kinds of danger and risk yet they took it anyway because they wanted to serve queen and country and one of them has a personal stake to it - saving his brother who is part of the battalion they are trying to save. MacKay and Chapman give the best performances of their lives in this gritty war flick, and Mendes enhances the experience even further by casting some more A-List actors such as Colin Firth, Richard Madden, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch. You have to see the film yourselves to know what their roles are, and that "One Take" styled cinematography only makes you compelled to see things through without blinking or missing a scene.
1917 | Official Trailer #2
Nominated for ten awards at this year's Academy Awards, 1917 will definitely pull you in and make you feel how it was to live in such a delicate and tumultuous era - where nations fought and couldn't understand one another and the war cost many, many lives in the process. History has chronicled these events and inspired films to teach us how things were over a hundred years ago so new generations can learn from them. Sam Mendes just took it up a notch and made this a compelling feature that is worthy of "Best Picture".
"1917" will show in Philippine theaters starting February 5 c/o UIP Movies PH through Columbia Pictures Philippines.
There's plenty of films with grit, resolve, and heart that depict the struggle of people who go about their daily lives and want to make a difference in the world, but rarely do we venture into what the state of affairs are in a rural American community where several convicts and prisoners see time for their crime - proven or otherwise. Lawyer and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson shares his story of that and one particular case he worked on for in his book "Just Mercy" - which sees Stevenson tell how he represented and defended Walter McMillian - a pulpwood worker who was wrongfully convicted for murder and getting the death penalty - until sufficient evidence and court hearings through a number of years finally saw a reversal of the decision - freeing McMillian and reuniting him with his family.
Thanks to Warner Bros. Philippines, I got to see director Destin Danielle Creton's film adaptation of "Just Mercy" - featuring a powerful cast that includes Michael B. Jordan ("Creed", "Black Panther"), Jamie Foxx ("Django Unchained", "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"), and Brie Larson ("Captain Marvel", "Room") and representing a dramatization retelling of the events that brought Bryan Stevenson (Jordan) as a young and headstronng Lawyer to Alabama to fight for poor people who can't afford proper legal counsel and representation. He meets McMillian (Foxx), and after some time convincing the disillusioned man that he can set him free - starting a journey between both men that introduces us to Stevenson's team in Equal Justice Initiative and McMillian's family as a case that takes years to solve is unraveled before us in a powerful legal drama story.
Now in its second week in Ayala Cinemas, Just Mercy is a film that proves heroes do exist everyday and fight to do what's right amidst all the discrimination and bias that exists in the world. Walk into this with lessons to draw and learn. It's a powerful movie that shows just how talented these actors are in bringing real-life stories and dramas to life.
