Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Mildred (Frances McDormand) wanted justice.  Her daughter was raped and murdered six months ago and the police have made no arrests.  In order to remind Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) that the case is pending, she rented three accusatory billboards with the chief's name on the last.  Unsurprisingly, the news media reported the billboards.

Chief Willoughby was a competent police chief and well-liked by the citizens.  Though he would like nothing more than to solve the crime, there were no leads and no evidence to follow.  He has nothing but compassion and understanding for Mildred's point of view, but there isn't anything he can do.  On top of that, he has terminal cancer.

Deputy Dixon (Sam Rockwell) was a racist bully who was completely loyal to Chief Willoughby.  He was more offended by the billboards than the chief and intended to do something about them.  One thing was to confront the man who rented them to Mildred: Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones).  This visit involved beating the man and tossing him from a second story window.  This clearly criminal behavior was witnessed by a senior officer who did nothing more than fire Dixon from the force.  Yeah, that's some justice for you.

Mildred, Willoughby, and Dixon are the three main characters and each is surrounded by support characters.  Mildred has an ex-husband (John Hawkes), a son (Lucas Hedges), a man eager to date her (Peter Dinklage), and Father Montgomery (Nick Searcy).  Willoughby has a wife (Abbie Cornish) and daughters.  Dixon has his mother (Sandy Martin).  The movie revolves around them, initially with Willoughby standing between Mildred and Dixon, but later with Mildred and Dixon coming to an accord.

Of all the characters, Dixon has the most dramatic character arc.  He begins as quite detestable but ends as a man who is seeking redemption.  Still, he should be in jail for tossing Red out the window and smacking Red's secretary in the face.  Willoughby is the only one who was likeable throughout, a really decent man who was dealt some tough cards to play.

Both Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell won Oscars for their performances.  Rockwell did an impressive job of bringing Dixon to life and making him both a terrible human being but also one who improves through adversity.  By contrast, McDormand is just a grieving mother who is acting out.  She is the same person at the end as at the beginning.

Just okay.

Gentlemen Broncos (2009)

Ben Purvis (Michael Angarano) is an awkward young man who likes to write science fiction stories.  He has recently completed Yeast Lords: The Bronco Years.  His mother, Judith (Jennifer Coolidge), rushed him out the door and drove him to catch a bus.  He was headed to a young writers' camp which was hosting Ronald Chevalier (Jermaine Clement), a giant of science fiction.  In addition to meeting Chevalier, he befriends Lonnie and Tabatha, more socially awkward people.  Though Chevalier has been successful, he is currently in a rut.  His publisher is threatening to dump him and has refused his latest work.  Desperate, he modified Yeast Lords and submitted it to his publisher.

The movie occasionally flashes to the world of the Yeast Lords.  Bronco (Sam Rockwell) is the last of the yeast lords and in the hands of his enemies.  He escapes to join with an awkward brother and sister who assist him in raiding a yeast factory, overcoming cyclopses, turrets, and surveillance does.  Depending on who is reading the material and editorial decisions, the appearance of the world and characters change.  Funny.

There are some directors where the look and feel of a film marks them.  Wes Anderson is the most recognizable of these, but Jared Hess falls in there too.  This has a look and feel like Napoleon Dynamite.  It is a world where everyone is awkward, even the cool kids.  There is always a desire to look away so as not to witness the characters' embarrassment.  Either that or laugh at them.

Just okay.

Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Johannes "Jojo" Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) is a 10 year-old German boy who is proud to be in the Hitler Youth.  On this day, he is leaving for training.  The leader of the training camp is Captain Klenzendorf (Sam Rockwell), an experienced soldier who has been demoted to this menial task.  Jojo does not do as well as he hoped and is soon marked by the trainers for special attention.  They give him a live rabbit and demand he wring its neck.  He can't do it and is soon called Jojo Rabbit for his cowardice.  To try to reverse his fortunes, he grabs a grenade and throws it; he blows himself up.  Back home, he now has a scarred face and a bum leg.  His mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson), dotes on him.  Now spending a lot of time at home, Jojo discovers a Jewish girl hiding in the attic: Elsa (Thomasin McKenzie).  Though he naturally hates and fears her, he also realizes that her discovery would be dangerous to his mother.  To top off Jojo's problems, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) is his imaginary friend.  Whenever Jojo doesn't know what to do, Hitler is at his side to give horrible advice.

The movie is a funny and tragic story told in the last months of the war.  Jojo is a lovable kid who is just following the trends of his time and place.  That he eventually sees that such beliefs were wrong even given his youth makes for a good character arc.  The imaginary Hitler is mostly a goofball, an almost Monty Python-like version of him.  Sam Rockwell is a soldier but not a Nazi.  Rosie clearly does not approve of what has become of Germany and, much to Jojo's consternation, roots for the allies and an end to the war.

A surprisingly good film that is sometimes a knee-slapper, other times a tear-jerker, and overall good popcorn fun.  Highly recommended.

See How They Run (2022)

It is 1953 in the West End of London where a celebration is being held for the 100th performance of The Mousetrap, adapted from one of Agatha Christie's mysteries.  The success of the show has brought Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody), a Hollywood director, to London with plans of doing a film version.  During the party, it becomes clear that he has not endeared himself to anyone.  Thus, it is no surprise at all when he is murdered.  There are plenty of suspects.

Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) arrive on scene to begin the investigation.  Stalker is an avid note-taker, having missed her calling as a court stenographer.  She also has the problem of deciding that the latest person to be interviewed is the guilty party.  "Don't jump to conclusions," Stoppard counsels.  While Stalker is eager and full of energy, Stoppard is world-weary.  He is clearly not pleased to have Stalker - a woman constable - as a partner.

Some historic people are among the cast.  Notably, Richard Attenborough (Harris Dickinson) is the star of the play.  Why was a 6'2" Dickinson cast to play the 5'6" Attenborough?  Also, Agatha Christie (Shirley Henderson) appears in the final act.  Other casting choices show the diversity requirements of the modern movie industry rather than an accurate look at 1953 London, just like Death on the Nile.

Definitely funny but not uproariously so.  The laughs are mostly regarding the awkwardness of the characters in particular scenes, not laugh out loud jokes.  As is common in many such mysteries, much is telegraphed in earlier scenes.  However, some of this is misdirection.

Good popcorn fun.