Fantastic in every respect

Rating: 9/10 (9 August 2008)

This is a favourite film of mine, not one of my top top favs but it's definitely up there. And this movie gives you a heck of a lot to make it your favourite.
Martin McDonagh is a man who carved out a successful career for himself in theatre, about a decade ago I think. And by the end of the movie it's pretty clear that it's written by a playwright. Every scene had fantastic dialogue. Within this dialogue the characters are built up for funny characters to real people in a real situation. And every scene has a purpose in the film as a whole, each scene contributing to the ending, overall plot line, character, and overall tone simultaneously.
This is why this film is fantastic- it seems to do everything at the same time, and not a single line is wasted. It all leads up to this perfect ending, to this brilliant climax that leaves you deliciously satisfied. Even the score and backdrop photography were fantastic, the score giving this slightly haunting and disenchanted feel, and the photography complementing it perfectly.
All in all, there's a reason why it's got 8.1, although it perhaps deserves a rating just a little higher.