Review: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Anger is at driving force behind many of the characters found in Martin McDonagh's humane and staggering new film. The anger of the film's main charcter, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is the kind that seeks retribution, burning her up and forcing her to refuse to accept the world around her. For Mildred, accepting what has happened means the world is full evil and that evil wins if she can't find a way to quiet her rage.

As the film opens, the worst has already happened. Mildred's daughter Angela has been brutally raped and murdered. The case has gone cold due to a lack of DNA evidence. To make sense of this, Mildred pays for three billboards to run for a year with a clear message to police chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson):

Raped while dying

And still no arrests?

How come Chief Willoughby

Willoughby responds with a standard response, they are doing everything they can. Mildred doesn't relent. This causes drunk Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell) to threaten Mildred one night in a bar. He represents the town's desire to put Angela's murder behind them. Mildred and her son Robbie (Lucas Hedges) cannot. This sets off a fascinating treatise on the nature of rage and anger. Mildred's painful expression is the catalyst for more pain and anger.

McDonagh has created a fully realized community that represents the South and America. Dixon starts out as a caricature of racist cops and transforms into something far more complex. This is true of Mildred as well, who often causes the audience to repel and reach out to her. McDonagh routinely injects gallows humor to illicit a fresh look at terrible qualities of people.

McDormand delivers her most defining performance since Fargo here. She vividly realizes a complex, rich character who is coping with the pain of her daughter's death with little regard for anyone else's feelings. Her performance consistently mixes pain, humor, rage and compassion. It is a morally complex character that she and McDonagh create together. McDormand will be deserving of all the awards she is certain to garner this year. Special mention should also be given to Harrelson and especially Rockwell for their wonderful performances.

The same complexity is given to all the characters in Three Billboards. Whether it is Mildred's local crush (Peter Dinklage) or her ex-husband (John Hawkes), no character feels one-dimensional. This makes the screenplay here one of the best of the year. It manages to be challenging and entertaining, angry and yet funny, sad and yet hopeful.

4/5