Best Picture Nominee Catch Up Movie: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh

Stars: Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Lucas Hedges, Clarke Peters, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbie Cornish, Željko Ivanek, and John Hawkes

After seeing the trailer for Martin McDonagh's latest film, The Banshees of Inisherin, I realized that I did not see his most successful movie. I know that Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell got a fuckton of awards for their performances. The movie is good, but I have some problems with it.

A grieving mother, Mildred Hayes (McDormand) takes it upon herself to erect three billboards, calling out the police for not doing anything to solve the rape and murder of her daughter, Angela. The billboards cause a stir with the Chief of Police, Willoughby (Harrelson) and hothead Officer Dixon (Rockwell) in particular.

Knowing McDonaugh's previous work, I knew that there was going to be some politically incorrect dialogues and situations. The story hinges on the billboards and how they cause an uproar in the community of Ebbing. Were the people going to be nice? No. I didn't expect them to be.

The performances by McDormand, Harrelson and Rockwell were fantastic. They deserved their nominations.

I did have some questions. What was up with the confrontation at Mildred's shop? What was the accent that Abbie Cornish had? I love McDonagh's dialogue. There were some lines that were jarring to me. I kept thinking, "No one will say that."

The tone, the atmosphere, the performance were the highlights for me.

Rating: 8/10

Best Picture Nominee Catch Up Movie: Manchester by the Sea

Manchester by the Sea (2016)

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan

Stars: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, C.J. Wilson, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Ivy O'Brien, Gretchen Mol, and Tate Donovan

Going into this unofficial blog-a-thon, I knew that there will be some Best Picture nominees that I would enjoy and not. I loved Lonergan's directional debut, You Can Count on Me very much. It was one of my top ten movies of 2000. This movie is not it.

Lee Chandler's (Affleck) world is turned upside down when news of his older brother, Joe (K. Chandler) dying. While trying to make funeral arrangements, Lee learns that Joe wants him to be the guardian of Joe's teenager son, Patrick (Hedges).

I thought I was being punk'd. The more I watched this movie; the more rage I was building up.

Everybody is this movie was an abrasive asshole. Who was the audience supposed to sympathize with? Lee? A depressed a janitor that have multiple flashbacks with the "good times" with his brother, nephew and his wife-- ex-wife, Randi (Williams). Patrick? An overachieving pompous prick that spouts a million questions a minute to Lee. Who?

I don't understand the praise for this movie. The dialogue. My god. I cannot with it. There is something about actors putting on a Boston accent  irritates me. The characters don't like real people. They act like people for a bad melodrama. Do any of the character ever talk to each other? Ever? That answer is resounding no.

I hated this movie so much that I turned it off. I could not torture myself anymore. The level of fucks I had to give with this movie ran out. Use wikipedia and save the trouble.

Never been more disappointed in Kenneth Lonergan than I have with this movie. Fuck right off with this movie. Insufferable dreck.

Rating: 1/10