Martin McDonagh

REVIEW: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Seven months after the murder of her daughter, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) challenges the local authorities, who have not caught the culprit, by promoting the injustice on three billboards on the road to her hometown.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is from writer and director Martin McDonagh. This is the man behind In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, so if you have seen them, you’ll now at least a little of what to expect from Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – which is black comedy, drama and violence.

Frances McDormand is brilliant as the vengeful and hurting Mildred. She’s a woman in pain who wants justice and is not afraid to cause pain and distress in order to get it. Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) is trying to be understanding with what Mildred is going through, and does his best to explain that there just isn’t the evidence to catch her daughters killer, while struggling with his own demons and an unruly police force. Dixon (Sam Rockwell) is a racist and violent cop and is no way a good guy and the film doesn’t paint him like one. He’s the main antagonist of this story, hurting anyone close to Mildred in order to get to her.

That’s the thing about Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, none of the characters are particularly likeable and all of them are very angry and mean. While you understand Mildred’s frustration it doesn’t mean she’s doing the right thing, and while Dixon does evolve as a person, he’s never completely changed or “good”, he’s still the disgusting and dangerous person he always was, just changed slightly.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is funny but it’s also super dark – the script manages to balance these two elements really well. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is tough to watch at times, remembering a scene at a dentist still makes me shudder, but the incredible performances pull you into the story and gives you a memorable film. 5/5.

REVIEW: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Today I went to London’s West End and saw a play. This was the first time I’ve ever gone to the theatre to see something that was neither a musical nor a Shakespeare play. I’m pretty sure The Cripple of Inishmaan was one of the best plays to see with that sort of background.

The Cripple of Inishmaan is currently playing in the Noel Theatre until 31st August and its nine person cast is headed by Daniel Radcliffe. While obviously Daniel Radcliffe probably pulled in a whole different generation of theatre goers, he wasn’t the reason I went to see this play.

The Cripple of Inishmaan was written by Martin McDonagh, the writer and director of the films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths which are two of my favourite films. I love the humour and the characters in both and I thought that if his plays were anything like his films, I’m gonna love it.

And love it I did. It is seriously funny. It’s got running gags (I’m never going to look at a cow the same way again), physical humour, and crazy characters that bounce of each other making what could be a tragic situation even more hilarious.

Granted there were those moments of quiet, which was played very well, but I spent the majority of the plays running time with a huge smile on my face.

The set design was simple but effective (it had a rotating centre piece which reminded me a lot of when I saw Mama Mia! on Broadway)  and that coupled with the music and how the cast moved around the set gave the impression of a very small community.

The entire cast was amazing, I especially liked Sarah Green as Helen McCormick who was probably my favourite character. Of course I have to talk a little about Daniel Radcliffe. This was the first thing I’ve seen him in that wasn’t Harry Potter and while I never really had any doubts, this role proves that he can act. He can do a pretty decent Irish accent and the way he moved his body was fantastic and so believable.

I congratulate the entire cast and crew for a fantastic play and I’m left here hoping that another of Martin McDonagh’s plays will return to the West End very soon.