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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri - Film Review
Finally managed to see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri which was available "on demand". So, it only cost me $5.95 as opposed to $9-$15, plus I could stop it to go to the bathroom. And no interruptions from people text messaging or chatting.
I only really like to see blockbusters on the big screen any longer. Mainly because movie theaters irritate me. They didn't used to, but since the advent of cell phones...ugh. People? Do not use your cell phone in a theater -- it's akin to shining a flashlight. I know it's tempting. But you can make it an hour to three hours without looking at it. If you can't go that long? Don't bother going to the theater, watch it at home. Actually, if you can't stay off your cell for more than an hour, don't go anywhere. Stay home.
Anyhow, the film was wonderful and quite haunting in some respects. Was entirely surprised by it. Not at all what I expected. It's directed by Martin MacDonagh, stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage. And it focuses on rage and how it destroys lives and cripples perspective.
My only quibble is that for a film that has a central plot point -- a woman seeking Justice for the rape of her daughter, there's an awful lot of white male roles, and only really one central female role. The other women are pretty and sort of dumb. Well outside of the other old woman, Rockwell's mother. It jarred me a little bit.
Other than that it was quite good, and an excellent acting vehicle or character piece. The filming was also well done and rather precise in places.
To say more, would sort of be giving it away. So the rest is below a spoiler cut.
Mildred spies a couple of billboards that are empty and rotting along a road no one takes. She gets it into her head to put up three billboards, the billboards state "How Come Chief Willowby", "Still No Arrests", "She was raped while dying". Black words on red background.
The cheif's deputy, Jason Dixon, is furious. He looks at Willowby as a second father -- and he's filled with rage. So too is Mildred. And throughout the film, Dixon and Mildred sort of go at each other.
There's really no villains in this film. No one to hate. Or feel angry at. It's not like Shape of Water or Get Out, if anything it's far more complex than that. The only villain never appears, which is the rapist, who raped Mildred's daughter while he killed her and lit her on fire...she burned to death. But they can't find him, and he is not really seen. When they do find someone, who did do something similar to it, they can't arrest him -- because his DNA is not a match and he was out of the country at the time -- working for the government. (Has an air-tight albi).
No, the true villain in the story is the all-consuming rage that is eating away like a cancer at Mildred and Dixon...until finally, and rather oddly through others...they see it and come to grips with it and each other.
At the end, they sort of come together, let go of the hate and rage. And find a common purpose.
It sends a strong message to the viewer. And is a timely tale about how rage is fueled by multiple things and eats away at a person, and how that person can choose to push it to one side and find a sense of calm.
I highly recommend the film.
Now, I've seen four of the eight films nominated for best picture for the Oscars. I seriously doubt I'll see the others any time soon. Really want to see "Call Me By Your Name", but haven't had the chance.
Ranking?
1. Shape of Water
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (close second)
3. Get Out
4. Ladybird.
The first three are much better films. Although to be fair they are all very different from one another, different genres, styles, etc. I'm not sure it's even fair to compare them. Which you like has a lot to do with personal taste and what you relate to, and little else.
I only really like to see blockbusters on the big screen any longer. Mainly because movie theaters irritate me. They didn't used to, but since the advent of cell phones...ugh. People? Do not use your cell phone in a theater -- it's akin to shining a flashlight. I know it's tempting. But you can make it an hour to three hours without looking at it. If you can't go that long? Don't bother going to the theater, watch it at home. Actually, if you can't stay off your cell for more than an hour, don't go anywhere. Stay home.
Anyhow, the film was wonderful and quite haunting in some respects. Was entirely surprised by it. Not at all what I expected. It's directed by Martin MacDonagh, stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage. And it focuses on rage and how it destroys lives and cripples perspective.
My only quibble is that for a film that has a central plot point -- a woman seeking Justice for the rape of her daughter, there's an awful lot of white male roles, and only really one central female role. The other women are pretty and sort of dumb. Well outside of the other old woman, Rockwell's mother. It jarred me a little bit.
Other than that it was quite good, and an excellent acting vehicle or character piece. The filming was also well done and rather precise in places.
To say more, would sort of be giving it away. So the rest is below a spoiler cut.
Mildred spies a couple of billboards that are empty and rotting along a road no one takes. She gets it into her head to put up three billboards, the billboards state "How Come Chief Willowby", "Still No Arrests", "She was raped while dying". Black words on red background.
The cheif's deputy, Jason Dixon, is furious. He looks at Willowby as a second father -- and he's filled with rage. So too is Mildred. And throughout the film, Dixon and Mildred sort of go at each other.
There's really no villains in this film. No one to hate. Or feel angry at. It's not like Shape of Water or Get Out, if anything it's far more complex than that. The only villain never appears, which is the rapist, who raped Mildred's daughter while he killed her and lit her on fire...she burned to death. But they can't find him, and he is not really seen. When they do find someone, who did do something similar to it, they can't arrest him -- because his DNA is not a match and he was out of the country at the time -- working for the government. (Has an air-tight albi).
No, the true villain in the story is the all-consuming rage that is eating away like a cancer at Mildred and Dixon...until finally, and rather oddly through others...they see it and come to grips with it and each other.
At the end, they sort of come together, let go of the hate and rage. And find a common purpose.
It sends a strong message to the viewer. And is a timely tale about how rage is fueled by multiple things and eats away at a person, and how that person can choose to push it to one side and find a sense of calm.
I highly recommend the film.
Now, I've seen four of the eight films nominated for best picture for the Oscars. I seriously doubt I'll see the others any time soon. Really want to see "Call Me By Your Name", but haven't had the chance.
Ranking?
1. Shape of Water
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (close second)
3. Get Out
4. Ladybird.
The first three are much better films. Although to be fair they are all very different from one another, different genres, styles, etc. I'm not sure it's even fair to compare them. Which you like has a lot to do with personal taste and what you relate to, and little else.
no subject
We'll find out soon how it went!
no subject
Which you choose has a lot to do with what resonated with you the most.
no subject
It made me think of Frances McDormand's speech about how all those women had project ideas and we needed to expand the sorts of projects being made. Also DelToro's comment about how a fantasy film winning Best Picture was the wedge in the door for more genres being recognized. The fact that there were 2 WWII films, both of which had Churchill in them, in this year's running is evidence enough that we have entirely too many of that sort of film.
no subject
Actually what I liked about The Crown was it dealt with Churchill post WWII. Very few people do that.
The Oscars weirdly gave me hope -- because they focused on the films that were different.
Dunkirk should have had African-American actors and women, both served in the WAR. Same with Darkest Hour -- it appeared from the clips to mainly white.
Neither Darkest Hour nor Dunkirk did that well at the box office, so the times may be changing. Also I don't know many people who saw Dunkirk that really enjoyed it. My parents said it was okay but skippable.
I don't watch WWII films or read books on it any longer. No interest. There's nothing new that can be said on that genre. Time to move on.
no subject