'Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri' A Review

Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a drama about a frustrated and grieving mother Mildred Hayes(Frances McDormand) who puts up three provocative billboards in order to reignite the investigation of her daughter's murder. Chief of police Bill Willoughby(Woody Harrelson) along with dopey and volatile officer Jason Dixon(Sam Rockwell) attempt to get her to take the billboards down and chaos ensues.

McDormand gives a stunning performance. Complex, tough, physically confident, emotionally volatile, vulnerable and assertive. There are numerous moments where she manages to completely and believably change on a razors edge or play multiple emotions simultaneously. Easily one of the best, most compelling performances of the year along with some of the best scenes of the year. She has a scene with Harrelson where they are arguing aggressively and obviously relishing the combative tete-a-tete when Harrelson coughs up blood as his character is sick with cancer, the shot is on McDormand whose face goes through a lightening fast but extraordinary change, from belligerence to compassion so quickly and completely it is astounding. The other major stand out is Rockwell as the simple, racist, but shockingly redeemable against-all-odds cop. Rockwell walks a tightrope of despicable behavior and cluelessness balanced with his natural affable charm that has no right to work but does. There is no question the character is flawed and complicated and suspect but his portrayal allows an understanding that on paper it has no right to. There's an incredible scene involving his character being given orange juice by a person he brutally assaulted that is both cringe inducing and heart breaking. The ensemble is filled with great actors doing excellent work but they all mostly function to give dimension to McDormand's character and to a lesser extent Harrelson and Rockwell.

Visually the film is crisp and simple with numerous striking scenes mostly as a result of the actors inhabiting them. There is one ill conceived CGI deer but that is forgivable. The score is potent but not intrusive the reality is that writer/director Martin McDonagh, originally a playwright, is concerned first, foremost, and maybe only with character. All production elements serve to put the actors front and center and allow them to create beautiful moments of humanity. Some cruel, some menacing, some touching, some redemptive, but all startlingly, gloriously effecting. This not to mention the humor which is thick and dark throughout.

Exalting in its humanism, joyful in its edge. One of the best films of the year.

Don't Miss It.