Search
Mr. Right (2016)
7.8
Rate It
Movie
Hyperactive at the best of times, Martha has gone full-on manic since her latest breakup. She...
Fosse
Book
Now the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams with Lin-Manuel...
The Collectors: A His Dark Materials Story
Book
Now the FX limited series Fosse/Verdon starring Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams with Lin-Manuel...
Lenard (726 KP) rated Richard Jewell (2019) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020
Richard Jewell is a mixed bag of timeliness and a victim of the country's short-time memory. It was 23 years ago that a security guard in Olympic Park at the Atlanta Olympics discovered a bomb. Hailed as a national hero until he became the prime suspect, Richard Jewell's simple world was torn asunder. Sam Rockwell and Kathy Bates give great performances as Richard's friend/lawyer who tried his best to keep Richard from constantly signing his death confession and Richard's mother respectively. (Imagine if the two had played the other's role!) Richard fought every day to protest his innocence against the two most powerful forces in the world, the American government and the American press. Eventually, the real culprit was found, but not before a man's life was nearly destroyed in pursuit for being "right."
Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Jan 15, 2018 (Updated Jan 15, 2018)
One of the best scripts ever used in a movie (2 more)
Brilliant direction
Astonishing performances
One Of The Best Movies Of 2017
I was excited for this one ever since it first got announced, as I adore the last two movies written and directed by Martin McDonagh; Seven Psychopaths and In Bruges. This film did not disappoint me. The plot takes several unexpected turns, the dialogue is witty and darkly hilarious and the way that each scene is crafted is masterful. The cinematography compliments the tone set in each scene beautifully. The performances are all fantastic and if Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell don't get an Oscar nod for their respective performances, then there really is no justice.
Everything from the way that the film is structured to the more technical elements such as lighting and score, is absolutely flawless. This film's screenplay is one of the best I've ever seen play out onscreen and it is one of my favourite movies of 2017.
Everything from the way that the film is structured to the more technical elements such as lighting and score, is absolutely flawless. This film's screenplay is one of the best I've ever seen play out onscreen and it is one of my favourite movies of 2017.
Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
5.3
Rate It
Movie
1873. New Mexico Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town...
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Jun 6, 2021
Three Billboards is a fricking masterpiece, and another home run from Martin McDonagh.
The cast is stacked to say the least. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell both give a career best performance. The supporting cast is made up of the likes of Woody Harrelson, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving, and Peter Dinklage - all who are just great. McDonagh's screenplay is fantastic as per usual, and the runtime is filled with his token dark humour, as well as plenty of emotionally charged events. The narrative is sort of all over the place, with several plot strands all running alongside and throughout eachother, but it's messiness adds to the whole experience, almost like a sort of controlled chaos. All of this is backed by a truly wonderful music score by Carter Burwell.
Three Billboards is just one of those movies that springs off the screen and sticks in your head for all the right reasons.
The cast is stacked to say the least. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell both give a career best performance. The supporting cast is made up of the likes of Woody Harrelson, Caleb Landry Jones, Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes, Clarke Peters, Samara Weaving, and Peter Dinklage - all who are just great. McDonagh's screenplay is fantastic as per usual, and the runtime is filled with his token dark humour, as well as plenty of emotionally charged events. The narrative is sort of all over the place, with several plot strands all running alongside and throughout eachother, but it's messiness adds to the whole experience, almost like a sort of controlled chaos. All of this is backed by a truly wonderful music score by Carter Burwell.
Three Billboards is just one of those movies that springs off the screen and sticks in your head for all the right reasons.
Maddi Zoe (6 KP) rated Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018
Casting (2 more)
Storyline
Dark humour
Simply brilliant
Contains spoilers, click to show
Martin McDonagh has delivered an amazing screenplay, with amazing direction. It is dark humour, which is not for everyone, but the dramatic storyline should still please movie lovers.
Frances McDormand is amazing as the mother of a girl who was raped and murdered. The story is poignant, very in your face and heart wrenching at times.
With supporting performances from Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell who are also amazing, it's no surprise it won Best Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes.
*Spoilers ahead*
The only disappointing thing is that we spend the whole movie hoping with all the characters that we will find the killer, and at one point we think we have found him. But I heard the audience collectively groan in disappointment when it wasn't him. And it was a disappointing ending to not get closure on the case.
But having said that, it is a style that McDonagh often goes with.
Frances McDormand is amazing as the mother of a girl who was raped and murdered. The story is poignant, very in your face and heart wrenching at times.
With supporting performances from Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell who are also amazing, it's no surprise it won Best Drama Motion Picture at the Golden Globes.
*Spoilers ahead*
The only disappointing thing is that we spend the whole movie hoping with all the characters that we will find the killer, and at one point we think we have found him. But I heard the audience collectively groan in disappointment when it wasn't him. And it was a disappointing ending to not get closure on the case.
But having said that, it is a style that McDonagh often goes with.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated See how they run (2022) in Movies
Dec 8, 2022
Despite a miscast Sam Rockwell - it works well...enough
The British Comedy/Murder Mystery SEE HOW THEY RUN came and went in movie theaters (at least in the U.S.) pretty quickly last fall and, consequently, most folks missed that this was even a thing.
The good news is that it is now streaming on multiple streaming services so as people gather for the Holidays there is a fun, family friendly (but good for adults) film that young and old alike could gather around the TV to watch together.
Written by Mark Chappell and Directed by Tom George (both of whom who have quite a few BBC TV Series under their belts, but it looks like this is the Major Motion Picture debut for them both), SEE HOW THEY RUN is a comedic look at the British Murder Mystery with a frumpy detective, a victim who “deserved it” and a plethora of potential suspects who are all brought into a room by the Detective on a “dark and stormy” night to reveal “whodunnit”.
Normally, with these types of films, it comes down to the casting and while there are some very good - and fun - actors in many of the roles, one of the roles is terribly miscast and that brings down the quality of this film quite a bit.
So, let’s start with what works - the central murder mystery is clever…enough…(for this sort of thing) and is wonderfully constructed around the London Stage debut of the long-running Agatha Christie murder mystery play THE MOUSETRAP in the 1950’s and, thus, this film is a period piece and that atmosphere adds - in a positive way - to the look and feel of this movie.
Saoirse Ronan, as always, is very good as the young Policewoman who is brought in to aide the main detective and proves out to be quite the Detective herself. She really holds this film together tightly in the middle. Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson all bring something to the film in their characters (and suspects) that add color and life to the central mystery.
Unfortunately, the usually good Sam Rockwell is miscast as the lead sleuth on this case. His frumpy, disheveled Detective was reminiscent of Columbo and just didn’t fit in this British Murder Mystery. While this performance is not a distraction to this film, it doesn’t elevate or lift this movie either, and - in a murder mystery - the detective solving the mystery is a major cog in the movie machine and this cog just isn’t that interesting.
Rockwell is not helped by a green Director and Writer who are looking to make the leap from television to film and this film feels more like a made for TV film, than a major motion picture.
Which is why this film is a good one to catch on one of the streaming services it is currently on. It is a fun enough film that will entertain young and old alike over the Holidays.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
The good news is that it is now streaming on multiple streaming services so as people gather for the Holidays there is a fun, family friendly (but good for adults) film that young and old alike could gather around the TV to watch together.
Written by Mark Chappell and Directed by Tom George (both of whom who have quite a few BBC TV Series under their belts, but it looks like this is the Major Motion Picture debut for them both), SEE HOW THEY RUN is a comedic look at the British Murder Mystery with a frumpy detective, a victim who “deserved it” and a plethora of potential suspects who are all brought into a room by the Detective on a “dark and stormy” night to reveal “whodunnit”.
Normally, with these types of films, it comes down to the casting and while there are some very good - and fun - actors in many of the roles, one of the roles is terribly miscast and that brings down the quality of this film quite a bit.
So, let’s start with what works - the central murder mystery is clever…enough…(for this sort of thing) and is wonderfully constructed around the London Stage debut of the long-running Agatha Christie murder mystery play THE MOUSETRAP in the 1950’s and, thus, this film is a period piece and that atmosphere adds - in a positive way - to the look and feel of this movie.
Saoirse Ronan, as always, is very good as the young Policewoman who is brought in to aide the main detective and proves out to be quite the Detective herself. She really holds this film together tightly in the middle. Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, David Oyelowo and Harris Dickinson all bring something to the film in their characters (and suspects) that add color and life to the central mystery.
Unfortunately, the usually good Sam Rockwell is miscast as the lead sleuth on this case. His frumpy, disheveled Detective was reminiscent of Columbo and just didn’t fit in this British Murder Mystery. While this performance is not a distraction to this film, it doesn’t elevate or lift this movie either, and - in a murder mystery - the detective solving the mystery is a major cog in the movie machine and this cog just isn’t that interesting.
Rockwell is not helped by a green Director and Writer who are looking to make the leap from television to film and this film feels more like a made for TV film, than a major motion picture.
Which is why this film is a good one to catch on one of the streaming services it is currently on. It is a fun enough film that will entertain young and old alike over the Holidays.
Letter Grade: B-
6 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Laggies (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Laggies is a film that I walked into open minded and a little bit excited where they might take the storyline. As a millennial, I can relate to Keira Knightley’s character Megan as she is approaching 30 and she does not really have any clear direction in life. So when her boyfriend proposes, she freaks out and escapes for a week with her new 16 year old friend and her father. Believable, however rather than this film deciding to become something more akin to 2004’s Garden State, it instead abruptly turns in a “Hollywood” direction, badly.
While watching Laggies, I realized it has some pacing issues. At a 99 minute runtime it felt closer to two hours than a quick and entertaining story it should have been. While walking out the theater I thought that was the intent of the film and was a bit forgiving. Megan doesn’t exactly know where her life is going and neither do we. However as the days passed after watching this film, I realized these pacing issues made like this film less and less each day.
As the days passed, something else I realized was that Keira Knightley is not a leading lady. Her performance was boring, uninteresting and at times unlikable for a character that could have had layers, but did not. It made it hard to understand why she was doing the things that she was doing and why she ultimately comes to the conclusions she does. She seems like she is a 14 year old girl who “doesn’t talk” and we are supposed to look at her “British” smile and understand her without any acting to shed insight on her thoughts, which is actually annoying.
However her younger counter part, Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick Ass), shows yet again how she is a strong up and coming actress who has a good range already. She is believable as self-reflective and brooding 16 year old who is hoping and looking for something more for herself and her father played by Sam Rockwell (Moon). Rockwell reminds audiences yet again how solid an actor he is. He is actually the brightest star in this film as he steals every scene he is in and even manages to elevate Knightley to be likeable and attractive.
In the end, this film is not worth the full price of admission. It is more of a red box or film you may pause and watch when it comes on cable. Moretz and Rockwell are the bright spots of this film and fans of them may want to check this out, however Knightley is not a leading lady and this film suffers from her poor performance and an abruptly Hollywood script.
While watching Laggies, I realized it has some pacing issues. At a 99 minute runtime it felt closer to two hours than a quick and entertaining story it should have been. While walking out the theater I thought that was the intent of the film and was a bit forgiving. Megan doesn’t exactly know where her life is going and neither do we. However as the days passed after watching this film, I realized these pacing issues made like this film less and less each day.
As the days passed, something else I realized was that Keira Knightley is not a leading lady. Her performance was boring, uninteresting and at times unlikable for a character that could have had layers, but did not. It made it hard to understand why she was doing the things that she was doing and why she ultimately comes to the conclusions she does. She seems like she is a 14 year old girl who “doesn’t talk” and we are supposed to look at her “British” smile and understand her without any acting to shed insight on her thoughts, which is actually annoying.
However her younger counter part, Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick Ass), shows yet again how she is a strong up and coming actress who has a good range already. She is believable as self-reflective and brooding 16 year old who is hoping and looking for something more for herself and her father played by Sam Rockwell (Moon). Rockwell reminds audiences yet again how solid an actor he is. He is actually the brightest star in this film as he steals every scene he is in and even manages to elevate Knightley to be likeable and attractive.
In the end, this film is not worth the full price of admission. It is more of a red box or film you may pause and watch when it comes on cable. Moretz and Rockwell are the bright spots of this film and fans of them may want to check this out, however Knightley is not a leading lady and this film suffers from her poor performance and an abruptly Hollywood script.