{"id":192,"date":"2017-12-07T21:57:48","date_gmt":"2017-12-07T21:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=192"},"modified":"2018-03-31T00:46:09","modified_gmt":"2018-03-31T00:46:09","slug":"three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.granitecitynow.com\/?p=192","title":{"rendered":"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In 2012, while promoting his then-new flick \u201cSeven Psychopaths,\u201d filmmaker Martin McDonagh said in an interview with filmstage.com<\/a> that he\u2019d already written his next script, with \u201cthe strongest female lead you\u2019ll ever see.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t joking.<\/p>\n

McDonagh was referring to Mildred Hayes, the character at the center of McDonagh\u2019s latest dark, disheartening and altogether dynamic flick \u201cThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.\u201d Hayes is played with jaw-dropping supremacy by the always impressive Frances McDormand.<\/p>\n

On a quiet, foggy drive down Drinkwater Road, the fragmented remnants of a set of billboards gives Mildred (McDormand) pause \u2013 and clearly an idea, as she puts her car in reverse to stoically stare at the trio in progression.<\/p>\n

Next day she\u2019s in the office of the Ebbing Advertising Company, clarifying with Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones), \u201cWhat\u2019s the law on what you can<\/em> and cannot<\/em> say on a billboard?\u201d<\/p>\n

And once they get the vulgarities out of the way, Mildred\u2019s plan is set in motion \u2013 to grease the wheels of justice and \u201ckeep certain people\u2019s minds<\/em> on certain people\u2019s jobs<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Make no mistake; those \u201ccertain people\u201d are specific. And her strategy involves 20-foot tall reminders to them in big, bold lettering.<\/p>\n

Seven months after the murder of Mildred\u2019s daughter Angela, there still have been no arrests.<\/p>\n

So, these pointed and inquisitive \u2013 not \u201cdefamatory,\u201d mind you \u2013 billboards are aimed directly<\/em> at town favorite Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and his borderline-incompetent right-hand man with \u201cvaguely racist leanings,\u201d Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell).<\/p>\n

Willoughby, of course, doesn\u2019t think \u201cthose billboards is very fair\u201d (notice the grammar), and even Father Montgomery (Nick Searcy) tries to reason with Mildred: \u201cEverybody is with you about Angela; no one is with you about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

But this tenacious, take-no-sh*t mother isn\u2019t backing down, and after giving each of these guys an unfiltered tongue-lashing this game of mental chess is in full swing.<\/p>\n

Your move, fellas.<\/p>\n

Normally a movie this arduous would leave audiences wanting to stick their collective heads in an oven, but what prevents \u201cThree Billboards\u2026\u201d from being entirely bleak are the slivers of humor sprinkled throughout.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019re talkin\u2019 dry, low-key quips that strike a chord because of the stealthy wit and shrewdness behind them. God bless!<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not much of a stretch, but I\u2019m gonna g\u2019head and say right now that McDormand will win a Best Actress Oscar for her role here.<\/p>\n

There are few in Hollywood who can do what she does so well \u2013 the seemingly effortless execution of a look that\u2019s in one moment quiet and understanding before turning to hell fire and rage; her sharp tongue flinging words that she knows<\/em> will sting because of the oppressive truth they represent.<\/p>\n

McDormand\u2019s Mildred is so inherently strong in her pursuit of renegade, vigilante justice that for her to show any ounce of vulnerability doesn\u2019t seem possible. And in the few instances in which she not only lets down her guard but completely crumbles, we totally<\/em> grasp the substance of those scenes because we understand what it took for her to get there.<\/p>\n

A lot of the understated humor comes courtesy of the outstanding<\/em> Sam Rockwell. As the bumbling and biased Dixon, he\u2019s a living, breathing dichotomy.<\/p>\n

Consequences? Pfft, Dixon wears a badge; he doesn\u2019t care. This character\u2019s journey is a joy to witness, and Rockwell\u2019s work here is Oscar-worthy for sure. I fully expect he will at least<\/em> get a Supporting Actor nomination \u2013 and hopefully a statuette.<\/p>\n

Rounding out this talented ensemble is a collection of smaller-yet-crucial performances from Lucas Hedges, as Mildred\u2019s \u201cf*cking depressed enough\u201d son Robbie; Central Minnesota native John Hawkes, as Mildred\u2019s ex-husband Charlie; Samara Weaving as Charlie\u2019s doe-eyed and blissfully clueless young girlfriend Penelope; Abbie Cornish as Chief Willoughby\u2019s wife Anne; and Peter Dinklage as James, the \u201ctown midget\u201d with a heart of gold.<\/p>\n

These characters are memorable and all so unique. They take huge risks with both their words and their actions, and they\u2019ll worry about with the (extreme) ripple effect later. Maybe.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree Billboards\u2026\u201d is brutal; it\u2019s gritty; it\u2019s downright depressing. But it\u2019s also honest. There\u2019s no coddling here. This is a tough movie to watch for sure, but that\u2019s what makes it so amazing \u2013 and so worthwhile.<\/p>\n

You have just enjoyed the insights of Movie Addict Mel, a cinema dork and conversational writer. Follow her on Twitter @movieaddictmel<\/a>, and \u201clike\u201d her Facebook page www.facebook.com\/movieaddictmel<\/a><\/em>.\u00a0You also can email her at movieaddictmel@outlook.com<\/em>.<\/p>\n