Three Billoards outside Ebbing, Missouri is the third feature film to be both written and directed by poet Martin McDonagh. It has central themes of tragedy, grief and revenge. However, it is by no means a conventional story of loss. It's much more than a tale of a mother trying to cope with the pain of losing a child. It's a biting satire at the expense of the American justice system, it covers some delightfully dark themes in an intentionally humerous manner and the natural progression of the characters at the core of the narrative encourages the belief that maybe, just maybe, all hope is not yet lost.
Mildred Hayes (McDormand) is seeking justice for her dead daughter and is sick of waiting around on the Ebbing police force who seem to be getting nowhere with her case. She decides to take matters into her own hands by erecting three billboards, pressuring Chief Bill Willoughby (Harrelson) and his left-hand officer Dixon (Rockwell) into action. Her act isolates her from the rest of the town but allows for some of the secrets kept to finally come to light.
You wouldn't expect a film centered around the death of a teenage girl to be funny. Yet, from the first to the last beat of the movie, every character is cracking wise and making light of the vulgar situation that faces them. This has to be a result of the profoundness of McDonagh's script. Everyline feels real - you've no doubt heard people speak to each other in real life the way they do in this film. As well as adding to the realism, this gives the dialogue a genuine feel, which makes it all the more hilarious. Some minor characters are included purely to offer levity but it never feels forced and is blended expertly with the plentiful moments of intensity and drama.
The performances throughout are outstanding. The town of Ebbing is made up of a purposefully diverse bunch. We get a smart-ass advertiser, a 'friendly midget' and a pretty girl so dumb she doesn't know the difference between polo and polio. The crowning jewels are the award winning turns from McDormand and Rockwell. Mildred is a cold-hearted rock of a women with edges sharp enough to cut through anything (even, let's say, a finger nail). She is warrior esque, donning her bandana and prison-yard overalls, and relentless on her mission to achieve vengence for her daughter, no matter how brutal her methods get. She's eager, desperate even, to pass the guilt on to anyone else - she blames the cops, her ex husband, even her local priest gets an especially colourful tongue-lashing. In fact, she's a stubborn and unpleasant person, with only the slightest glimpses of her true vulnerability and pain ever surfacing. However, the combination of McDormand's delivery and McDonagh's dialogue demands empathy for her even though it often seems none is warranted.
But this is not just Mildred's story. The character arc of Sam Rockwell's Officer Dixon is an immensly satisfying one. Rockwell cements his status as a terrific character actor. Just like Mildred, he'd be insufferable if not for the hilarity of his demeanour. He's exceedingly aggressive, openly racist though blissfully unaware of it, and in fact serves as an amalgamation of all the flaws present in the American police. However, through his relationship with Harrelson's Chief Willoughby (who is also great) he grows as both a cop and as a man, learning the lesson that lies at the heart of this film - love and hope will always be more powerful than hate.
Exhilerated by an incredbilely raw screenplay by McDonagh and two barnstorming central performances, Three Billboards is hilarious, brutal and simply beautfiul. More than worthy of all of it's Oscars.
5/5 Stars
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