Grief Counseling..."Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Rated R

Starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell

Written and Directed by Martin McDonagh

The Story:

As the title suggests, these three billboards are placed outside of the town by a grieving mother (McDormand) questioning the police chief (Harrelson) about why her daughter's murderer has not been caught. 

There's a lot to soak in with this movie.

It's probably the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful of Martin McDonagh's catalog of films. 

That's a good thing, but all of his previous work that I've seen, I've always enjoyed. 

The cast, which I'm limiting to just the three principal players, is simply outstanding. 

I'm happy for the film and all the awards it was nominated for, and rightfully won. 

The worst part was having Harrelson and Rockwell competing against each other for the same category.

Both are great, I would personally have given the edge to Harrelson, but that's me. 

My only real complaint with the film, it wanders a touch here and there, maybe 10 minutes or so too long, but still comes in shy of 2 hours. 

I won't go into much more than that, but if you were hesitant to see it, add it to your list and see what all the fuss was about. 

I think you'll be glad you did. 

Final Grade: A-

Be Bored By Those Thrilling Days Of Yesteryear..."Hail, Caesar!"

Hail, Caesar! 

Rated PG-13

Starring Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johannson, Jonah Hill, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton,

Written and Directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

The Story:

Eddie Mannix (Brolin) is a "fixer" for Capitol Pictures in Hollywood in the 1950s. He makes problems for the stars...go away... As he is dealing with a usual day at the office, one of their biggest stars, Baird Whitlock (Clooney) goes missing.

This is not the fun, farcical tone that the movie trailer suggested. It's a dramedy, to be sure, but if you're expecting a comedy, expect to be disappointed.

If you're expecting a movie with Clooney as the focus, also prepare to be disappointed.

Neither of these issues really bothered me.

If you're expecting a good movie, prepare to possibly be disappointed.

And that is the camp that I fall into.

This loving look back at Hollywood in the 1950s lacks really...everything.

The stars are present.
The scenery is magnificent.

You will believe the 1950s live again!

But really...nothing happens, and everything happens, all in the span of about a day.

A really long day, but you get the idea.

Ah, but it's a Coen Brothers film, so it's probably not about Hollywood at all, but is an allegorical tale about Christianity.

Oh.

Well that changes everything.

Except the part about it being a good movie.

B-O-R-I-N-G.

I do believe I made it through the whole thing, all the while wondering if there was a point to any part of it.

Weeks later, I don't believe I can look back and find the point.

I would have preferred a movie that focused more on Mannix, and maybe less sideshow stories and make a bigger case or two for him to try and solve.

As it was, it just seemed like a whole lot of loose ends that are vaguely tied together by his role.

But, I will award points for the look of the film.

And a reminder that if you want a better film about 1950s Hollywood, do yourself a favor and watch Trumbo instead.

Final Grade:  D+

Talk About False Advertising..."The Good Dinosaur"

The Good Dinosaur (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Frances McDormand, Steve Zahn, Anna Paquin, Sam Elliott

Directed by Peter Sohn

The Story:

Arlo (Ochoa) is a young dinosaur who gets separated from his family and tries to find the way home. Along the way he runs into a little orphan boy that he names Spot (Bright). The two fight and survive together as they bond on an earth that was spared an asteroid impact that caused dinosaur extinction.

Pixar.

The studio that for the longest time had the Midas touch.

Even their "worst films" were far and away better than any other studio could touch, viewers accepted them, flaws and all.

And then everyone else caught up, and in some instances, have surpassed Pixar for better looking, better feeling stories over the last few years.

So of course, when Inside Out came out, it was the triumphant return of the Pixar of old.

Then the fall came, and The Good Dinosaur premiered, and the bad Pixar of old reared its ugly head and reminded people of how bad some animated movies could be.

But before I tear this movie apart completely, let's just make one thing perfectly clear:

The backgrounds and scenery in this film is ay-may-zing. Gorgeously rendered, it looks sooooo real.

If only the rest of the movie were half that good or realistic...

As we watched this movie, it actually became more fun to laugh at it, because laughing with it was proving difficult.

The character designs were some of Pixar's worst. Their human looks okay, but their dinosaurs look buffoonish and cartoony, and totally out of place in the film.

They were aptly described as looking like characters from that Barnyard film a decade earlier.

Except that movie was funnier and had a much more interesting voice cast.

The voices in this film, save for Steve Zahn and Sam Elliott were boring and uninspired choices.

Plus, the movie seemed to not have anything original to say, but rather they had envisioned a series of "wouldn't it be funny if..." scenes and strung them together into a movie.

Wouldn't it be funny if Dinosaurs and Humans coexisted: The Flintstones.
We'll include a tragic father/son moment: The Lion King.
Then we'll have the dinosaur bond with the kid: Ice Age.
Oh, but how about we add a Western in there too! : City Slickers AND Back to the Future Part 3

To name but a few ideas that were borrowed, and basically made this audience want to watch any of those films instead.

Sadly, much like many of the reviews I write, I start out the review with a grade in my head. Then the more I think and type about the movie, that grade sometimes changes.

Sometimes for the better.

Often times, I get angry or disappointed in what I was offered as entertainment.

I think back to last year's Fantastic Four reboot. It was an okay film on its own, if it had renamed the characters and not called itself Fantastic Four. But it did, and it was downgraded because in the 8 years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe has propelled comic book movies into the forefront of entertainment, the bar is raised and to settle for less is just unacceptable at this stage.

So too is the dilemma for animated movies.

Pixar set the bar so high for everyone else, when movies fail to clear that bar, it's a trainwreck of mediocrity that cannot be tolerated. The problem is, now Pixar has found themselves failing to push the bar any higher, or missing their own bar completely.

Sure, not every movie is going to give you all 90 minutes filled with so much awesomeness you're begging to see it again and again. Remember, I hated the beginning of Inside Out and was about to eject it, or myself, and then it turned a corner and I was hooked.

But you should be happy that you at least saw it once.

The experience shouldn't be, "well I'm glad we got that one over with, and I hope to God to never see it again."

Or to tell the family member that missed the film and loves all animated film that she'd be better off not even bothering.

Final Grade: C-  Sorry Pixar, The Good Dinosaur failed to deliver. D-