Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

McDonagh (how happy would I be to be able to write this at last) also brings his original mixture of satire, blackis black incorrect humor and ancient tragedy into movie theaters... And incredibly well-written ambivalent characters and dialogs that can hit the nail on the head to such extent that it gives you the shivers but even though you will be rolling on floor laughing. So it works for him as a real, incorrect comedy, in which things that are not supposed to be said out loud are said out loud, as well as the non-violent but apt satire of Western society, the tragedy of one (more) loss or neowestern. So far, he had kept it just for theater stagings. However, he did a disservice; Although it is his best movie (especially the first half is brilliant in terms of screenwriting ), but in comparison with the Pillowman or the Lonesome West, it is still a much worse. Especially because of the final third, when it unexpectedly runs out of breath, it doesn't progress much and all the characters except the duo Mildred / Dixon are a bit forgotten. And that´s kind of reprehensible. Even so, the first and last one is saved by the great cast and the fact that, as a director, he knows exactly when to use the striking message and when, on the contrary, to let the silence do the job through guilty look. (01/17/2018)

As soon as I’ve seen this film I remembered Fargo from the nineties. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri are pretty similar, especially in the quality of acting performances and the American small-town atmosphere. Ebbing is a typical American hole, but a wide range of interesting characters lives there. And these characters are so well written that you are bating your breath and just desperately wonder what is going to happen to them in the following minutes. Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell have roles so powerful that it almost left me speechless. The screenwriter and director in one person, Martin McDonagh, played with their characters so much that you encounter several shocking moments which impact the course of the whole film. There is even one scene with Sam Rockwell in the lead, which immediately placed among the best scenes I’ve seen in the recent years. Overall, I have to admit, that although there is some absurdity in the story, it is still one of the best American crime films I’ve seen in the recent years. While watching it I was reminded of the older American crime movies that I love and at the same time I was assured that the American cinematography can still amaze. (01/20/2018)

Martin McDonagh was able to write and film something great again. And that could actually end my commentary, because the less you know about the film, the more you will enjoy it. I like these beautifully unreadable stories in which something totally unexpected can happen at any moment, and I was amazed when I could watch the great Frances McDormand and, as always, the excellent and again completely different Sam Rockwell. And that’s it, I’m done. (01/18/2018)

Four and a half stars. Just a little more and it might have been perfect – especially with an ending that would make better use of the brilliantly sharpened conflict of dramatic motives/human fates. But we understand that, with this conclusion, it feels more “artistic” and not shoddy. And with such original and intense situations in which the characters bind themselves to each other and with such brilliant acting performances, it is still the best of all the films nominated for the 2017 Academy Award for the best picture. (02/27/2018)

Martin McDonagh is back and he has once again come up with another original, funny, gritty and entertaining story that will grab you by the heart. The acting is absolutely superb: Woody Harrelson as the sheriff, Sam Rockwell as the sidekick cop, and the excellent main character played by Frances McDormand, who doesn't give a shit about anyone, talks like hell and still starts a war with the police. The film has a nice retro American backwoods vibe, some funny yet powerful scenes and keeps a decent pace that thankfully prevents you from getting bored. Personally, I would have liked more violence similar to Seven Psychopaths and perhaps a more escalated finale, but otherwise it's undoubtedly quality filmmaking in every respect that shouldn't be missed this year. 80% (01/07/2018)