As I mentioned last time, I only watched the first film because I had heard about how good this sequel and here we are. This one still has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes a year after its release which is quite an achievement. Like the first one, it is a children’s film but one that is so earnest and unwavering in aiming to be wholesome that it appeals to adults anyway.
I usually like to let a bit of time pass before I watch two films by the same director but this one was added to the list quite some time ago and I didn’t quite realize that it had the same director as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This was made before Miloš Forman moved from his native Czechoslovakia to Hollywood and is in fact his first film. It is apparently considered an important film of the so-called Czech New Wave.
When my wife asked me what this film is about, I described it as a Coen brothers film that isn’t actually by the Coen brothers. This isn’t quite true as director Martin McDonagh is British and his visual style is different but between having Frances McDormand as the lead, it being set in a small American town that is named in the film’s title and its dark comedic drama tone, you have to agree that there is at least a superficial resemblance.
Continue reading Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Malaysia’s local film industry seems to have established a niche for itself in the horror genre though they’ve always seemed dumb to me. I’ve read however that many of the gags were copied straight out of this popular Thai film and it is the record-holder for the highest grossing film made in Thailand so I thought I’d give this a chance.
I remember this film being used as the subject of a Mad Men episode and I think it makes for a good example of a film that was wildly successful in its day but falls short of true greatness. This is a musical comedy with several well-known stars including Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh. But is probably best known for launching the career of Ann-Magret who is featured in the iconic opening scene copied in Mad Men.
Fred Rogers is probably unknown to most non-Americans and I certainly wouldn’t have known about him if I hadn’t read about him on Broken Forum. This biographical documentary was timed to be released on what would have been the man’s 90th birthday if he had not passed away in 2003. But it’s also very apropos that this was made now as a dig at the current state of politics in the United States.
Just about every Russian film we’ve watched recently has been by Andrey Zvyagintsev, an indication of how influential he is and how he is seen as the best director at depicting contemporary Russian society. This is an earlier film before both the standout Leviathan and Loveless and unfortunately I found it to be nowhere as good.