Ian
(Flash Review)Why was this a special feature on the Three Billboard DVD? It was deranged. Taking place on a train, two unrelated passengers have had a significant loss in their family. Along comes some demented and highly irritating Irish young man. He hassles the mourning mother enough that she does something highly rash! The train is stopped to investigate the event. Later we learn the police are after this annoying young man. Cue bloodbath. This film had no redeeming value.
BasicLogic
First of all, why these guys had to sit together or sat so close? There were so many empty seats, why they had to sit facing each other or sat nearby to each other. Two revolvers shot repeatedly, every revolver is a six shooter, six bullets, the crazy young guy should have already emptied both, yet the one that guy picked up later still got two bullets left, give me a break. This is a crazy short film, well acted but not worth high ratings from all the reviewers before me.
McKeeCM
Martin McDonagh is a very unorthodox director, his very Irish dark sense of humor comes across strongly throughout his films. This has often lead to them having mixed reviews on account of the fact that people judge them to be exploiting violence. Indeed McDonaghs works often contain controversial themes and content. This particularly comes across in his litary works (for example the pillow man). McDonagues theatrical influence comes across strongly in Six Shooter.It manages to successfully make use of a very simple dark plot with not a hint of cliché or Hollywood improbability.The film manages to coherently string together a strong and conclusive story through its short running time without noticeably rushing character development or background. Six shooter generally maintains a somber mood which is occasional punctuated with spectacularly funny sequences. This creates a sense on contrast that pervades the work. And leads the audience to develop a sense of uncertainty throughout the film. Brendon Gleeson and Ruhadari Conroy both perform to perfection and feel completely at home it the films potentially claustrophobic setting. In conclusion this is a superb and bizarre film which will both amuse and shock you in a way that very few modern shorts can.
Jon Mowjoudi (SweetLikeTropicana)
One of my house-mates watched this film on a Monday night, a night which I myself usually go to bed early as I have work in the morning. As he put it on, I was just readying myself to hit the sack. However, after watching, intrigued, for the first five minutes I sat down and made myself comfortable for what was one of the finest twenty five minutes of character acting committed to celluloid I have seen for a while.The lead role, played superbly by Gleeson, is a portrayal of a character very much in limbo, being at a point in his life where he is at a crossroads, never sure what to do next. This is until he meets a disregarding young man on a train, less than eloquent but with a mouth like a traction engine. During the journey he invariably upsets several passengers, however it is the tying in of events that truly sets this film apart. Although at times it may seem contrived in its directness in linking different parts of the story, we must remember that this is a short film and needs to be direct in certain aspects.Rúaidhrí Conroy, an actor of whom I've not seen anything of outside this role, shows promise akin of some of the finest young British actors of our generation. His role play as the misanthropic youth is superb, and it is fair to say he steals the show from the undoubtedly talented and far more celebrated Gleeson.If you get a chance to see this film, or even purchase it based on this review, it will not be in vain; a contemporary British masterpiece.
AD
