Michael Scott
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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
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I have to admit than when I first heard of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, I immediately thought this was going to be another Coen Brothers film. The trailer reeks of that sort of “off base” quirkiness that they are known for, combined with the fact that it was starring Francis Mcdormand herself. Otherwise known as the queen of Coens quirk, as she has starred in a good handful of their movies (probably owing the most fame as the “dontcha know” spouting cop in Fargo). Low and behold, Three Billboards had nothing to do with the Coen Brothers, but was the brain child one of Martin McDonagh, who’s claim to fame stems from two quirky little indie comedy/drama/action/crime thrillers (In Bruges and Seven Psychopaths). This made me doubly intrigued, considering how much I loved the look of the trailer, and how much McDonagh impressed me with In Bruges (Seven Psychopaths was good, but not nearly as good as his directorial debut) and while I can’t say whether it will garner the academy awards its been nominated for, Three Billboards is one of the most darkly entertaining films of 2017.
Mildred Hayes (Francis McDormand) is out for blood. She walks right into the Ebbing, Missouri advertisement agency and loudly demands to rent out three billboards on the side of a long forgotten dirt road. It doesn’t take long for us to figure out why, as the billboards spell it out for us in pretty big letters. Mildred is the grieving mother of a daughter who was assaulted and murdered near those signs almost 10 months ago, and the Ebbing police department seem to be doing very little about it. Calling out Police Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), Mildred is looking for one thing. To light a fire under their rear ends and force them to go out and do their job and find her daughter’s murderer.
I would be lying to you if I said that this is really the plot of the movie. While the murder and Mildred’s obsession with finding her daughter’s murderer build the framework for the tales, McDonagh takes a cue from the Coen Brother’s big book of characterization and makes this about the people themselves. Rounding out the cast are at least a dozen big name stars who dot the film with outlandish and quirky characters that just don’t seem forced, or fake, in the slightest. This is a story that highlights the different facets of the people involved in the murder, rather than about catching the killer itself. Mildred seems like the epitome of a sympathetic character at first. She’s been wronged by the police department, and all she wants is closure for the pain she’s feeling. Chief Willoughby is the jackass cop who has to keep an eye out for his racist deputy Dixon (Sam Rockwell, in an absolutely amazing performance), but things are never as they seem. Three Billboards begins to peel back the onion layers and dig deep into the hearts of these people, unearthing what truly makes them tick.
Three Billboards has a few flaws, but none of them are detrimental. Probably the biggest one would be some of the Coen Brothers levels of absurdity. Usually the Coen’s can back it up with some incredible dialog, but McDonagh isn’t as sharp with his writing skills as the famous brothers. Some of the darkly comedic moments don’t register as readily to most people, and could almost be seen as straight on somberness if it weren’t for the lunacy that surrounds the situation. Mcdormand is incredible as always, but Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson don’t give the veteran actress much room to hog the stage, as they both turn in performances that should have netted them Best Supporting Actor nominations. The film is sharp as a tack, and deeply disturbing, but it is a poignant film that is more multi layered than most films I have seen in the last 5 or 6 years of reviewing.
Rating:
Rated R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual references
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• Six Shooter (Short Film)
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Three Billboards may not win all of the Oscar nominations that it has going for it (I didn’t get to watch them this evening), but it is one of the most unique and powerfully attractive films of 2017. It felt like the good old days of Coen dominance, and Franicis McDormand gives one of the best performances of her lifetime. The 4K UHD disc is near impeccable, with great video and the same wonderful audio as the Blu-ray. Extras solid, but nothing wild (the Six Shooter short film is a fantastic addition, as it was the start of McDonagh’s career) and I HIGHLY recommend the film if you’re a fan of darkly quirky films, ala the Coen Brothers. Highly recommended.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Francis McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Peter Dinklage
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Written by: Martin McDonagh
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Spanish, Czech, Polish DD 5.1, French, Spanish, German, Italian DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Mandarin (Simplified), Norwegian, Polish, Swedish
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rated: R
Runtime: 115 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: February 27th, 2018
Recommendation: Excellent Watch
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