'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' Review

[This review was originally written in December 2017 and is now being published that my internship is over. For an explanation of this, visit my Fall 2017 Important Update post.] 

Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actress; Francis McDormand, Best Supporting Actor; Sam Rockwell, Best Supporting Actor; Woody Harrelson, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score.
Won: Best Actress; Francis McDormand and Best Supporting Actor; Sam Rockwell.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri posts itself seven months after the awful abduction, rape, and death of Mildred Hayes' daughter, Angela Hayes. The police have yet to find the culprit responsible, so Hayes decides enough is enough, and purchases three billboards outside the small town of Ebbing, Missouri painted with accusatory messages towards the town's cherished chief of police, Willoughby. Naturally, Mildred's billboards stir up quite a bit of controversy amongst the townspeople so conflict brews between Mildred and the Ebbing Police.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is written and directed by Martin McDonagh, and the film handles grief over family tragedy quite differently than last year's Oscar winning tear jerker, Manchester By The Sea (I probably drew a connection because of the shared casting of Lucas Hedges as well as the similarity of a protagonist struggling with grief over the loss of a child). Where Manchester By The Sea used solemn subtlety to steer its ship, Three Billboards wields overt anger, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. McDonagh has constructed a dark comedy that rides a very narrow line between being somber and hysterical while telling a worthwhile story detailing the adverse effects of anger. Despite the surrounding stigma of being a dark comedy, Three Billboards never undermines moments of drama or tension for a cheap laugh. This isn't Thor: Ragnarok folks... Oops did I let that slip... McDonagh lets dramatic moments breathe, invoking the necessary gravity and seriousness to leave an impression on audiences.

If you're easily offended by callous humor, this may not be the movie for you though. Characters in McDonagh's screenplay are completely uncensored and will say or do things that are incredibly uncomfortable to watch, in the sense that their actions are reprehensible. At first, you will be so shocked at what you've just seen and unsure of whether you should laugh or not, but as the shock value wears away, you'll realize that what you're seeing is actually hilarious in a seriously screwed up sense. That's not to say every erroneous decision made by these characters warrants a chuckle, but there were some messed up moments that had me dying of laughter because of their inherent awkwardness or because they caught me by surprise, and Three Billboards sure is full of surprises.

While Three Billboards accommodates for infinite unforeseen events, these character's don't just spring up out of left field and decide to do something unexpected for absolutely no reason. The causation of these unanticipated events is deeply rooted inside the film as reactionary endeavors in response to something else and you can clearly connect a correlation between each string of misdemeanors, which is precisely why I think McDonagh's screenplay is so fantastic. Everything about it feels realistic. Abrupt things happen, but a practical point of origin always exists. When you watch Three Billboards, you won't think to yourself that you're watching authenticated drama. Instead it feels like you're watching a few days of an actual small town struggle because you never know how things are going to play out.

In fact, almost every character in Three Billboards operates in a gray area. You won't watch and condone Mildred's actions because, quite frankly, her methods are mistaken, and I can't tell you how refreshing it was to see such a flawed protagonist. Mildred's motivations are intrinsically righteous, as she seeks justice for her daughter's killer, but her crude way of going about things is fallacious, not to mention unlawful at times. On the flip-side, there is Sam Rockwell's foul-mouthed racist Officer Dixon. Typically, there's no redemption imaginable for such a character, but I'm surprised to say Dixon's arc was my favorite.

In the beginning, these characters are placed on two opposite ends of a spectrum. Mildred's way of going about things seems ideal and Dixon is despicable at first, but it's their journey towards the other side that effectively emphasizes McDonagh's character study. McDonagh considers the differing results stemmed from approaching situations with unchecked anger and a hateful attitude as opposed to a compassionate demeanor, and he takes great care to ensure everything he has to say about love and anger isn't lost on audiences.

Three Billboards even ticks off all the technical boxes as as it's well-directed, well-shot, and well-edited. It's a competently made film, so there's no weak links in any of those departments. However, the categories that stood out to me most, as being awards worthy, were the hair & makeup (for reasons I can't get into without spoiling the film) and the score composed by Carter Burwell. Burwell's score intelligently incorporates a Spaghetti Western sound, a soulful ditty, and a marching beat that all eventually intertwine as Mildred progresses on her path to see justice. Burwell's themes not only make for insightful accompaniment, but also offer a swell, pleasant sound in and of themselves.

The film's ensemble firmly stand as one of the year's best casts with familiar faces all around, including the likes of Caleb Landry Jones and Lucas Hedges (who each have had a extraordinary year appearing in fantastic films like Get Out, American Made, and Lady Bird). Leading the charge, Francis McDormand forms Mildred with a hardened, human interpretation of bitterness and anger in the face of grief. She's committed to her cause and she won't let anyone stand in her way. It's authentic, raw, and truly one of the best performances from a lead actress all year.

As the well-intentioned Willoughby, Woody Harrelson is provided a ripe role to display his incredible acting range. Harrelson exceptionally imbues pain and tragedy under an outward exuberance, and it's truly terrific. However, it was Sam Rockwell who most surprised me. I'm used to seeing Rockwell play more likable characters, and seeing him step into the shoes of a scumbag was jarring to say the least. This role could have easily became an offensive stereotype in the hands of a less-skilled actor, but Rockwell makes it work and carries the character's compelling arc to fruition.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri simply speaks volumes about how unchecked aggression can ravage the most noble cause, and unfortunately, it's a message many need to hear right now.

Film Assessment: A