DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS BEST FRIEND // A FILM REVIEW OF "BIRDS OF PREY AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN"
Break-ups are hard, and no one knows this more than Harley Quinn. See, her break-up was with her sociopath boyfriend The Joker, and we are in Gotham City. She's crushed, heartbroken, but not about to let anyone know that she's a free agent now. You see, she and Mr. J (as she often calls him) are two of the biggest criminals in Gotham, and she's made a lot of enemies. But Joker has always acted as a shield for her. So she keeps the breakups secret, still up to her chaotic antics at places like a club owned by notorious bad guy Roman Sionis/Black Mask (a delighfully batty Ewan McGregor). But once word gets out that she's no longer attached, everyone in Gotham wants her head, and a lot of chaos ensues. Welcome to BIRDS OF PREY AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN.
Chaos is a good word for this film, and for once, that's not a bad thing. If you know anything about the character of Harley Quinn, it's that she's a mess, an unreliable narrator, and has a penchant for violence. She's sort of a hero but still does a lot of bad stuff. And the movie nails that aspect, with Harley serving as a narrator that can't keep timelines straight and jumps in and out of order (and even narrates partially in cartoon). She's also marvelously played by Margot Robbie (reprising her role previously seen in Suicide Squad). We saw her potential there, but giving her full stage is what she needed, and this does exactly that.
It also introduces several other great female characters as well: Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Huntress is a hilarious bad-ass, and she nails all of her scenes. Jurnee Smollett-Bell is a great Black Canary, though her super power comes VERY late in the game, where I feel it should have made an appearance much sooner. Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) is a young pickpocket that Harley takes under her wing, kind of, and Ella has a fun bit of madness in her performance. The only character and actor that sticks out in a bad way is Rosie Perez's cop character. The entire characterization is off, as is her performance, but that alone doesn't sink the ship. Though not perfect, Birds of Prey is a hell of a lot of fun, and shows that if you trust the property enough to do it right, the character will shine. I, for one, am hopeful that we'll continue to see Robbie's Quinn in many more films to come.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN BY Christina Hodson DIRECTED BY Cathy Yan STARRING Margot Robbie, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ewan McGregor, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina, Ali Wong NOW IN THEATRES.