THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Malaysia, 22 Feb 2018)

Genre: Drama
Running Length: 1:55
Cast: Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Caleb Landry Jones, Peter Dinklage
Director: Martin McDonagh
Screenplay: Martin McDonagh

In my opinion, THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI exists in a universe where God's grace does not exist and the path to redemption is dependent on their own hands. The film takes viewers on an unpredictable ride while balancing between tragedy and dark comedy.

What's this movie about?

A grieving mother (McDormand) personally challenges the local authorities to solve her teenage daughter's murder because they were taking too long to arrest the culprit. She provokes them by advertising on three billboards, hence the name of the film. Not only does she get their attention but also the attention of the town folks. 

What I like about it?

• Its unpredictability. There were times I thought I knew where the story was going but yet it surprised me with its twist; some of it karmic and some are shocking.   
• Character arc. As much as the narrative is engaging, it's the inner journey of its main characters which were the highlight for me.
• Excellent acting. All of the main cast even the supporting ones give a memorable performance; McDormand, Harrelson, Rockwell. Peter Dinklage has one short-but-powerful monologue.
• Tonality. As the themes explored here are serious, the filmmakers expertly uses dark comedy to keep the film from becoming too gloomy. It's a nice a movie to look at too - clean and clear.

What I didn't?

• Excessive swearing.
• Emotionally not satisfying. This film appealed to me intellectually but I was hoping for a more moving film. A story that would provoke me for days to come. But all I felt after the movie was, "That's refreshing". Perhaps I couldn't  relate to the context as I'm not from that part of the world. Maybe if it was set in an Asian context exploring Asian themes but told in such an interesting story structure with award winning performances - it would just punch me in the gut. 

RATING: 8.5/10

AMERICAN MADE (2017)

Genre: Thriller / Comedy / Drama
Running Length: 1:55
Cast: Tom Cruise, Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright, Caleb Landry Jones, Jesse Plemons
Director: Doug Liman
Screenplay: Gary Spinelli

As fun as AMERICAN MADE was, I sincerely think that Tom Cruise is miscast here. For starters, he doesn't look anything like the real Barry Seal (a chubby pilot who worked for both the CIA and the Colombian cartel in the 1980s), eventhough some critics said that Cruise channels the same "spirit" as Seal. Don't get me wrong, Mr Cruise does some fine work here. Some would even say he has return to form. But what could have been more believable is for Tom to really pack on a few pounds like what Christian Bale did in American Hustle

This biopic is about the life of Barry Seal, a hot shot maverick commercial pilot who got himself drawn into working with the CIA. The events that followed suit got more bizarre, bigger and crazier, all in the name of chasing after the American dream. I read somewhere that this movie felt like a cross between The Wolf of Wall Street and Top Gun.  

What didn't work for me is that as the turn of events got more bizarre and dangerous, Seal always "gets away". Thus, after a while I didn't feel any real tension because I know Cruise will somehow escape and still flash his signature mega-watt smile. We don't get to see Seal struggle through the moral dilemma of his actions and somehow gets the audience to feel sympathetic for him (eventhough what he does is not really nice).

What I learn from this movie is that sometimes learning when to stop and surrender - will make all the difference.

RATING: 6.5/10

GET OUT (2017)

Genre: Horror / Thriller
Running Length: 1:43
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Caleb Landry Jones, LilRel Howery
Director: Jordan Peele
Screenplay: Jordan Peele

Those expecting Jordan Peele's directorial debut to be a full blown Key & Peele goofy comedy will be sorely disappointed because GET OUT is one hell of a creepy movie. Yes, thankfully there are some comedic elements to balance out the scares.

Get Out is more a thriller than a horror which shares the same tonality as Scream and the strangeness of The Stepford Wives. Peele borrows elements from various horror classics but yet he's able to deliver a satisfying outcome without coming across as a copycat.

This movie tells the tale of a black man (Kaluuya, who is very good at playing sympathetic characters as seen in Sicario and that one episode in Black Mirror) who visits his white girlfriend’s (Williams) parents in the deep country for the first time. Of course, he senses something is off - something sinister - with her parents and their black helpers.

What's exceptional about this movie is how clever the filmmakers blend a social commentary within a horror genre. As a result, the insights of the post-racial America showcased here is authentic and sharp. But thankfully Peele doesn't venture too deeply into racism but instead uses the black/white phobia to mess with the audience's mind at the start, right to the crowd-pleasing gory finale.

Get Out is tight and funnier than expected. And it's one of those films that will make you go, "Oh! That's why she did that!" way after you have left the cinema hall. It just gets better the more you think about it. It's still too early in the year but this movie is a strong contender to emerge in my top 10 of 2017 because it's one of those rare movies that would appeal to both horror fans and those who avoid this genre.

RATING: 8.5/10