OSCAR WINNER: BEST PICTURE
PARASITE-2019
DRAMA
PLOT: Poor Korean family scheme their way into a rich family.
There are so many genres mixed in this film -comedy, drama, suspense, horror you don’t know where to begin. A lazy, loud unemployed family cons their way to work for a rich family and eventually take over. It all goes well in the beginning then really bad things happen. It is subtitled but it is worth watching but at times it is hard to watch.
BOMBSHELL
DRAMA
OSCAR NOMINATION: BEST ACTRESS: MARGOT ROBBIE
PLOT: The true story of an anchor woman to bring down the founder of Fox News.
Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) works at the most highest rated news network but there is a secret many women don’t share with each other. They are sexually harassed by their boss Roger Ailes. Gretchen when fired she decides to do something about it that starts a vicious domino effect. The cast is excellent especially Charlize Theron who looks uncanny like Megyn Kelly and Margot Robbie as Kayla, an ambitious woman ready to do anything to movie up in the news world. It bombed for many reasons-mainly many people watch Fox news and do not believe it and the rest don’t want to pay money to see men in power destroy women-we have Lifetime movies for that.
THE IRISHMAN
CRIME DRAMA
OSCAR NOMINATION: BEST PICTURE
OSCAR NOMINATION: BEST DIRECTOR: MARTIN SCORESE
OSCAR NOMATION BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS: AL PACNIO AND JOE PESCI
PLOT: The story of a soldier who got involved with the mob.
Frank (The Irishman) Sheeran (Robert DeNiro) was a solider then became a driver and moved up the in the crime syndicate to become a hitman and knows the whereabouts about Jimmy Hoffa. These people are monsters and yet we sympathize with them. Jimmy Hoffa( Al Pacino) is great. When we first see Frank he is in a senior home and he tells us his story. Out of the entire mob he is the only one left. You have seen Scoresse’s movies you know it will be epic, long and good acting. You will also see swearing and horrible violence.
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE
ACTION/COMEDY
PLOT: Mike and Marcus try to go their separate ways but they are forced back together.
Mike (Will Smith) is now police inspector and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) is grandfather and wants to quit being a cop but situations and tragedy brings them together again. The film is funny and sad too. Both are going in a mid-life crisis but Mike wants to be cool but Marcus wants a calm life. The action is great and find out a back story about Mike. It is what you want from this kind of film.
MARRIAGE STORY 2019
DRAMA
NETFLIX
OSCAR NOMINATION FOR BEST ACTOR: Adam Driver
OSCAR NOMINATION FOR BEST ACTRESS: Scarlett Johnansson
OSCAR WINNER: Laura Dern
PLOT: A couple is getting a divorce but wants to be in their son’s life.
Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johnansson) are divorcing but each wants to care for their young son. The ugliness comes out as they find lawyers who seem all they want to do is win the case. It is well done for the couple who want to remain civil and do what is best for their son but they secretly want to win as well. Driver and Johnansson are amazing as parents; they are lashing out and want to love each other too. The rest of the cast is incredible too Alan Alda, Laura Dern and Ray Liotta.
1917 (2019)
WAR DRAMA
OSCAR NOMINATION FOR: BEST PICTURE
PLOT: The true story of two English soldiers to deliver a letter across enemy reign to save a platoon of army men against the Germans.
Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Lance Corporal Schofiled (George McKay) are two service men who must go across enemy lines to give a general a letter not to attack for it is an ambush. This film gives proof that war is hell! It is frightening what these two solders went through. The military can train you to kill but how do you train for fear and uncertainty. It is like a horror movie! The cinematography is fantastic but it shouldn’t be for war is grainy and dark. Movie making at its finest.
SPIES IN DISGUISE
ANIMATED-2019
PLOT: Top spy needs help from a young wacky inventor.
Lance Sterling (Will Smith) is the best agent in the business but when he is framed he needs the help of Walter (Tom Holland), a funny but nerdy high-tech creator. This film is hilarious and action packed! Will Smith is the animated black James Bond with charm and confidence. The villain is Killian (Ben Mendelsohn) and he is over the top and there is a back story why he wants to frame Lance. The movie is very good and should be seen.
JUST MERCY 2020
DRAMA
PLOT: Young, black, idealist lawyer defends a black man on death row.
Based on a true story of Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) is black lawyer who defends many blacks on death row in the south but draws his attention to Walter D. McMillan (Jamie Fox) for the evidence is at best flimsy. It sounds like a fiction with all the clichéd elements, good black people, and bad white people in the DEEP SOUTH. What it does have going for it as the excellent cast that includes Brie Larsen and Tim Black Nelson. The acting is nothing short of brilliant. If you enjoy courtroom drama you should see this.
JUDY
BIOGRAPHY DRAMA
OSCAR WINNER: RENEE ZELLWEGER
PLOT: Another movie about the late, great Judy Garland.
So many films about Judy Garland but this one is about her a part of her life singing in London. This Judy (Renee Zellweger) is perfect for she is frail in singing and in looks. There are many flashbacks of how she became addicted to pills and alcohol with bad decisions with men. She wants it all be a good mom, good singer but sadly she really can’t. In the TV mini-series Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows 2001 Judy Davis played Judy with the best line in the movie “Do you know how hard it is to be Judy Garland?” Every celebrity probably tells someone that at some point in their life. Zellweger shows she is funny and tragic at the same time. She is excellent.