Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

We once again want to apologize because we are not doing Sunday At The Classics again this week, but we have something great for you all today. I am all about checking out film that have garnered some acclaim due to the fact that it's an original film in a world full of remakes and reboots. That is why I decided for today that we would check out the film Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri because it's originality is the factor that peaked my interest for it’s unique title and for the caliber of the cast contained within the film. Frances McDormand (Isle Of Dogs) plays Mildred, a mother who is not happy whatsoever with the local authorities for not solving her daughters murder case. So to get on their case and get them moving, she decides to take out ads on three billboards outside her town that will challenge the law to get off their behinds and solve case. The film also stars Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers) as Chief Willoughby, Sam Rockwell (Vice) as Dixon, Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class) as Red Wellby, Kerry Condon (Avengers: Age Of Ultron) as Pamela, Darrell Britt-Gibson (Toe To Toe) as Jerome, Abbie Cornish (Limitless) as Anne, Lucas Hedges (Honey Boy) as Robbie, Zeljko Ivanek (Live Free or Die Hard) as Cedric, Peter Dinklage (X-Men: Days of Future Past) as James, Brendan Sexton III (Empire Records) as Crop-Haired Guy, and the film was directed by Martin McDonagh (In Bruges).

This was an excellent film that just had so many emotions to it and just had so many talking points. First of all, the acting was absolutely superb from way too many people to list in this blog, but you already know that you get amazing performances from McDormand, Harrelson, Rockwell, and Dinklage to name a few. Frances McDormand had the uneasy task of balancing out a character who is tough and a bad ass, but she is also vulnerable because all she wants is for them to solve the case. Sam Rockwell does a terrific job playing your typical backwater cop from a small southern-esque town who doesn’t know any better until something (I can’t tell you what) shows him the way. The second thing that was amazing about the film was the writing because this story kicked ass. You think that it’s going the way you would want it to go until it throws you a curve ball that takes the story in a darker place. There were so many glimmers of hope in the film that were just taken to a completely different place that I was amazed that it worked. The third thing that I loved about the film were the dynamic of the characters and the overall themes because each one was so unique to the story in how it progressed into a moral of no matter how dark things get, sometimes the people you are going against can turn out to be the ones you need. That was the constant theme of the film was redemption because it’s a learning experience for sure. The last thing is the cinematography which was just masterful from shot to shot. This is definitely a film worth checking out if you are a fan of great stories, actors, etc. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.

Limitless (2011)

Bradley Cooper is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors and it should be no surprise as this is the fourth film I have checked out from him so far (Silver Linings Playbook, Burnt, & A Star Is Born). I am also learnign that he and Robert De Niro (Silver Linings Playbook) were apparently a package deal for some time as they star together again in today's film Limitless. Imagine this scenario for a second, what if there was a drug in the world that allowed you to access every single part of your brain to allow you to perform at your very best. The question is would you take that drug and what are the costs that come with it? That is the very question that Edward Morra (Cooper) is faced with in this film as he flirts with Godlike abilities. The film also stars De Niro as Carl Van Loon,  Abbie Cornish (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) as Lindy, Andrew Howard (Taken 3) as Gennady, Anna Friel (Land Of The Lost) as Melissa, Johnny Whitworth (Empire Records) as Vernon, Robert John Burke (RoboCop 3) as Pierce, Ned Eisenberg (The Burning) as Morris Brandt, Tomas Arana (The Bourne Supremacy) as The Man in The Tan Coat, Richard Bekins (How We Got Away With It) as Hank Atwood, and the film was directed by Neil Burger (Divergent).

One thing that I will say about the film is that it actually kept me glued the whole entire time because the story is interesting enough. It's not the first time we've had a film that asked that very question about what happens when we can access every inch of the brain, but this is the one that was actually well done and more believable unlike Lucy. I loved all of the post edit stuff with the letters appearing and how you can see so many versions of yourself, I thought it was more clever than all of a sudden transforming yourself into a computer. The other side that I enjoyed was the fact that they presented a danger that comes with taking it that is not only what happens when others find out about it, but what happens to you if you stop taking it or don't have enough of it. What are the moral repercussions and what happens if you abuse the drug? The major acting in the film was left to Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro who do a dynamite job of carrying the film while everyone else does their part of being support. I loved some of the action sequences that you are treated to like the subway fight and even some of the more squeamish moments as well. This is definitely one of those films that you just take the chance on and you watch it because Bradley Cooper is the man and one of the best actors out there today. That is why I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade and you can check it out on Netflix as we speak.