Alita: Batte Angel (2019)

How would I describe Alita? The trailer doesn't really reveal the secret that this is a roller derby movie. Yeah, that was unexpected. It's a very violent movie as roller derby is. The visual effects accommodate the violence. The visuals are pretty cool. I wasn't a big fan of the plot though. And the ending was unsatisfying. Don't make me watch the sequel to find out how it ends.

House of Cards (2013-8)

It's the show that put Netflix on the map. And I think that's why they kept it around for so long; they just couldn't bear to see their firstborn go. But since then, Netflix has introduced a full slate of original programming. Some of it is bad, some of it is good, and some of it is excellent. House of Cards was all those things. Season 1 was excellent. House of Cards dove deep into the most obscure clauses of the Constitution to make interesting drama. But after a certain point, it got so ridiculous and aimless that it was hard to care anymore. Each season introduced new characters that I could neither keep straight nor invest in. I think it's when Frank finally became President that it really became unredeemable. That would have been a fine place to stop; he achieved the pinnacle and the show could end. But they kept going and in the subsequent seasons, there's only one moment that stood out for me. It was the scene at the Democratic Convention with the rousing music from the titles. Even good acting can't save this one. And when they got rid of Kevin Spacey, they another perfectly good opportunity to call it quits. But they kept going and I didn't follow any of the final season. One thing worth noting is House of Cards brought much needed jobs to Baltimore and more shows taking place in the Beltway should consider filming in Charm City.

Green Book (2018)

Green Book is a good movie thanks to the strength and charm of its leads, Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. To be clear, Mortensen plays the very stereotypically Italian lead though he's the less interesting character. I think Ali actually doesn't get enough screen time because he's so good. I thought there would be more piano. And more Green Book but it barely even features. But the movie is much more about the alleged friendship between Tony Lip and Don Shirley. It's a pretty conventional story. In fact, so conventional that we've seen it before in Driving Miss Daisy.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse (2018)

The critics have been saying that this movie totally reinvigorates the superhero genre. They're not wrong. But moreover, this movie takes the broader genre of animation to places it has never been before. Perhaps more than any other movie, it makes innovative use of its medium to depict a moving comic book in a way that only animation can. I want to say this is the first western-style anime in the sense that anime animates manga. And it pays homage to anime in a very obvious way. The style is so refreshing and invigorating, I hope it gets recognized for production design.

Don't let the cheesy title deter you, this is an excellent Spiderman movie .Spiderman is an iconic character, you didn't think they had anything new to say. He's you friendly neighborhood Spiderman, hailing from Queens. Queens is such an essential part of who Peter Parker is. But our Spiderman in this film is not Peter Parker, but Miles Morales, who hails from Brooklyn. This movie makes a clear distinction between Peter and Spiderman. It sends the message that Spiderman is a persona; that anyone can be Spiderman, that we're all Spiderman. It is an empowering message that we needed to hear.

Moonlight (2016)

It's difficult to put into words what exactly is so incredible about Moonlight. To just say it's timely and important is to totally miss the point. It is a very rewarding albeit challenging experience. The movie is so powerful and personal and yet simultaneously restrained. In movies about a rough childhood, you expect screaming matches at every turn, but it's not that kind of movie. Barry Jenkins has so much control over the pacing of the story that these three small snapshots of Chiron's life become an epic tale of life. An epic that is not extraordinary, but rather authentic and raw. It is so powerful because it is realistic. Mahershala Ali shows us the drug dealer character, but he overcomes the stereotype by being vulnerable. He takes us past the tough guy persona and puts a human dimension to his character. Even if you have not lived Chiron's life, you are made to understand it and contemplate identity and intersectionality in a way that most people never do. The audience is given a lot of time to think and simmer. The moments of silence are plentiful. Tense and deliberate, they are the things that don't need to be said out loud that we simply read through context that are really heart wrenching. It is something that I think surely gets lost in the Italian subtitles, that were woefully inadequate. They did not catch the subtlety of the language, nor the slang nor cadence. I could imagine the hack job they did dubbing the film.

The three actors that play Chiron and the three actors that play Kevin are all excellent. The progression of their characters is impactful. Kevin is played with such charm. And Chiron, again, is just so restrained. Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris are Oscar nominated, deservedly so. I think it's also worth pointing out Janelle Monae, who has had an excellent year out of her element, or rather in her new element. In addition to singing and performing, she is now a bona fide actress.

The camerawork is beautiful. The first thing I noticed was the strong depth of field. In the very first scene, the characters look almost hyper real standing against the blurry background. And the camera revolves around them in a single take. The scene in the ocean, accompanied by the intensely searing violin, is striking. The camera dips in and out of the water as the waves lap over it. It is a visceral experience. The music throughout the film is really well chosen.  I don't know what it was but the instrumentation in all of the songs chosen fit each scene perfectly.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I (2014)

The penultimate Hunger Games film is all about setting up the final battle between Katniss and the Capital.  Where this movie fails is that it does not give the viewers quite enough.  When it comes down to it, just not that much happened and the action was kind of lacking. I, for one, am not a fan of the recent trend of splitting the final book of a series into two parts. To be fair, I was not particularly fond of the last installment of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games trilogy anyways.

But this movie does some things right.  With an ensemble cast, there are some very solid performances. This is one of Philip Seymour Hoffman's final roles and his performance does his legacy justice.  And Jennifer Lawrence is good in everything she does (though she doesn't do anything terribly special).  This film does lack the stylish glitz and glamour of the Capital, and the intensity of the Hunger Games that stood out in the first two films.