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

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST (2014)

Genre: Action/Science Fiction
Running Length: 2:11
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Jennifer Lawrence, Peter Dinklage
Director: Bryan Singer

"The past: a place of potential promise, and possibility. We are the sum of our choices, as what we do now defines what we will do. Infinite decisions mean infinite consequences, for the future is never truly set." Professor X

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is a film of grand ambitions and epic achievements but yet managed to retain an intimate scale. It doesn't feel like your typical superhero movie ie. no final grand showdown where our hero/heroes beats the pulp out of a bad guy. In fact, there is no single readily identified villain; the main characters have legitimate reasons for their behaviour. Days of Future Past is a very intelligent (aka Nolan's Dark Knight series) film and it plays out more like a sci-fi film aka Terminator, where our distant future is horrific and grim; mutants are massacred and graphically killed by the Sentinels - machines without soul or conscience. The only way to reverse the apocalypse is to travel back to 1973 and undo it all, where the meat of the film rests. Thankfully, Singer occasionally cuts the doom and gloom tension by inserting in some wit especially a jaw-dropping playful action sequence. Michael Fassbender, who dominated X-Men: First Class, is once again magnetic here but this sequel is truly McAvoy's show. The most powerful scene for me was a quiet sequence involving the past Charles Xavier who was desperate to numb his pain and failure and the dystopian future Charles Xavier who's wiser and hopeful; "The greatest gift we have is to bear their pain without breaking and it comes from your most human part, hope."

Indeed, hope is a function of pain/struggle.

Rating: 8.5/10