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| tmc.io |
In the wake of Quentin Tarantino’s massive entrance in the early 90’s, a whole wave of imitators popped up to try and ride his movement to fame and fortune. While some like Guy Ritchie were successful, most had some one-offs and then fizzled away into obscurity. Then in 2007 the most recent of these imitators, a plucky Irishman named Martin McDonagh, burst onto the scene. With his two films In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths, McDonagh was able to successfully blend Tarantino-style filmmaking and storytelling with a very unique brand of dark humor and social observation. Does Three Billboards continue this winning streak? Let’s find out.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri tells the story of Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), a woman in the Midwest trying to deal with the violent death of her daughter, Angela. Seven months have passed without any arrests, and a frustrated Mildred decides that it’s time to take matters into her own hands. Purchasing three billboards on a stretch of road no one drives down, Mildred calls out the chief of police, Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), for his supposed lack of action and his lack of control over his deputy, the racist and violent Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell). This sets up a struggle between Mildred and the police, the town and even her own family as she tries to put her daughter’s case to rest.
The name of the game with this film is surprise, so needless to say nothing goes quite like you think it will. Within the first thirty minutes you learn the stakes for Mildred and Willoughby along with several other bits of plot that most films would save until the end before proceeding to take you on a lot of very interesting twists and turns. Nothing is at it seems here in Ebbing, Missouri, and if you’re not surprised by what transpires throughout the film, you’re either a reincarnated Nostradamas or you read the script beforehand.
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| Fox Searchlight
"She was reading page 121, Chief! I seen it with my own eyes!"
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Ebbing, Missouri is not exactly like the golden, pristine portrayals of the American Midwest you may have seen in other films. Life is pretty boring, the homely friendly smiles on your neighbors' faces are mostly fake, and undercurrents of hatred, racism and sexism run underneath it all. A lot of people come out of the woodwork to oppose Mildred’s billboards, feigning sympathy for her loss but truly hoping to get her to stop so they can move on as if nothing had ever happened. It’s an interesting look at the Andy Griffith-style small town that seems a lot more realistic, and really challenged my notion of what would really go on in a place where everyone truly knows everybody.
While Mildred is the central character, she is by no means someone you would consider to be likable. She’s rude, crude and violent when need be, and some of the things she does to cause pain to others come across as awful or just plain petty. She fails to take into account that she has a son (Lucas Hedges) who is also trying to process his sister’s death, and has no problem insulting the perfectly nice and genuine Chief Willoughby even after she learns of his own painful struggles, among other things. It’s a testament to the strong script and the excellent, Oscar-worthy performance from Frances McDormand that this very complicated character remains compelling and just on the edge of sympathetic, while also challenging us to wonder what we'd do in her situation.
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| Twentieth Century Fox
Okay, I probably wouldn't do THIS, but still.
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Redemption is the strongest theme here, running through Mildred and Dixon’s characters as they wind and weave through the complex plot. Mildred has very good reason to feel guilty for her daughter’s death, and when something befalls her billboards she breaks down in a way that reminds the audience that she’s still a grieving mother who just wants justice. It’s an important moment for us as we remember why she is doing the things she does, and it nails home just how far she’s willing to go for her daughter. At the end of the day, this crazy adventure is all about a mom who misses her child, and it’s hard not to feel for her.
Officer Dixon is the exact opposite of Mildred, being a racist, violent bigot who also happens to be a huge dumbass and incompetent at his job. He straddles a fine line between a scary threat and comic relief, as well as delivering some of the darker material. While he seems to be set up to be Mildred’s antagonist, he goes through a redemption story of his own towards something resembling a hero, but in an organic and realistic way that works wonders. I don’t want to say more about that because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it is a sight to behold.
The real MVP of this film is Martin McDonagh, whose script is what really makes the film as great as it is. As a director he has a few cool shots, but like early Tarantino it’s really not as important as what’s being said on screen. His script goes even deeper than something like Pulp Fiction or Jackie Brown, tackling issues that strike the heart of America today from police relations to alcoholism to divorce and more, and it doesn’t feel too bloated. I’m not sure how he does it, but I’m in awe of his talent and I certainly hope it doesn’t take long before we see his next film.
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| GIPHY |
If I had any problems, it'd be that occasionally the humor doesn't quite land in certain points. While some moments are pitch perfect, mostly involving either Dixon or Mildred's ex-husband's ditzy yet earnest girlfriend Penelope (Samara Weaving), a few times it just feels really out of place, a bad look when your movie is a dark comedy. These are small moments, though, and my biggest gripe is just how unnecessary Peter Dinklage's character was. He's such a name now thanks to Game of Thrones that I feel he deserves a better role than what he got, and he is in the film so little that you almost forget he's in it at all. However, this was only a quibble and did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the film.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is another win for Martin McDonagh and a great triumph for Frances McDormand. The mixture of social commentary, dark humor and genuine drama easily matches the early output of Tarantino and in some ways surpasses it, making for a film that will please many audiences. Let's hope he doesn't go down that slippery slope of quality that Quentin's been on recently, though! Try to avoid spoilers and go out as soon as you can, you won't want to miss this one!
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My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is in theaters now.
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