Far away from the frozen, otherworldly streets of βIn Bruges,β Ebbing, Missouri burns in Martin McDonaghβs vastly different but equally potent exploration of morality and anger.
βThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouriβ depicts the ramifications of the titular billboards, which Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) uses to challenge revered police chief William Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) over the unsolved murder of her daughter.
But this isnβt the inspiring story of a noble mother overcoming a corrupt, incapable police force and finding her daughterβs killer. McDonagh portrays the situation and the characters as infinitely more complicated then that. Well, most of them.
We admire Hayes, for example, because sheβs relentless and uncompromising, though her moxie doesnβt justify her actions, and while sheβs a dedicated mother, sheβs not exactly a responsible one. On the other hand, Willoughby, who would be the villain in a lesser film, charms us and makes us laugh. Despite his Woody Harrelson-isms, however, he doesnβt hold his officers accountable for their actions, which brings us to Dixon.
In a film packed with good performances, Sam Rockwell makes his bid for best supporting actor with officer Dixon, a dim-witted, racist mommaβs boy whose rage fans the flames between Hayes and the local authorities. And in what is possibly the greatest casting decision of all time, Sandy Martin (Macβs mom on βItβs Always Sunny in Philadelphiaβ) plays his mother. In a way, Dixon serves as a microcosm of the film; his sense of humor almost makes you forget the violence itβs derived from.
Indeed if youβre easily offended or a bit squeamish, this probably isnβt the right film for you.
Like in βIn Bruges,β writer-director McDonagh masterfully balances comedy and intensity in the filmβexcept for one scene. When her ex-husband, an ex-cop, confronts Hayes about the billboards, a quip, albeit a good one, arrives with Marvel-esque timing, dissolving whatever tension had built up in what was a fairly melodramatic moment anyway. This scene stands out in an otherwise airtight screenplay.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of βThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouriβ is its unconventional story structure. Two characters show up after the halfway point. It is not, like so many movies, about βa guy who has to do a thing.β This makes it hard to predict what happens next, and while the film isnβt a twisty-turny mystery, itβs refreshing and exciting to be surprised by what happens.
Photo courtesy of Facebook
‘Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri’ hits theaters November 10th
