Martin McDonagh, 2017.
May contain spoilers!
Three Billboards is about a woman named Mildred, played by Frances McDormand, who rents out three billboards asking the chief of police in Ebbing, Missouri why there have been no arrests made, after her daughter was raped and murdered. As it is a small rural town, everyone knows about it the following day, and they certainly split opinion. Some are on Mildred's side, but most are on the side of the police, as they feel the billboards are inappropriate.
The film explores a lot of dark territory with a lot of dark humour, and they make it work really well. You get thrown straight in to the town's atmosphere, hostility and Mildred's own state of mind, and get taken on an emotional rollercoaster with her.
This is one of the best acted films I've seen in a long time, and is also a film I could stick on again straight after finishing it, despite it not being a light hearted one, it's just that good. I really wasn't expecting it to be that good as, if I am being completely honest, before watching it, it wasn't my cup of tea, but this has opened up so many other dramas for me, and I'm so grateful for that, this film was incredible.
I'm yet to watch Nomadland, but I will do very soon, before the Oscars, but this has to be Frances McDormand's best performance, and she is definitely worthy of the Academy Award she won for this performance. With Nomadland, she has been nominated for yet another Academy Award, and if she wins, that will be her 3rd, after Fargo in 1997. A big reason for her performance in Three Billboards being so good, is how strong the character is. She is literally up against an entire town, and doesn't really care what people think about her, and you definitely wouldn't care if you were going what she is going through. All she is seeking is justice.
2 other good performances in this film are Woody Harrelson who plays chief of police, and Sam Rockwell. I don't think there are many other actors out there who could have played the part of the racist, bigoted, corrupt police officer better than Rockwell. His character arc in the film takes him through a lot, and I haven't been that invested in an individual character arc like this before, particularly a villain.
The film is very unpredictable, which is definitely a good thing. I find with dramas is that they're not as unpredictable as they're usually telling a story, start to finish, with no twists. But this film is a lot different, it has many plot points that would usually happen in films like these, that don't, and characters make choices you never often see a character like that take.
Characters in this film are not censored, it is a small, rural American town and no one is afraid to tell them what they think, which makes the films dark humour even darker. It's a clever way to get around making jokes that otherwise might be really eyebrow raising in other films.
The story of the film is so dark, so moving and incredibly powerful and it plays with your head. If you knew someone who was going through what Mildred was going through, unintentionally you would react in a similar way the town did, and just ignore and carry on with your life.
It also looks incredible, the cinematography was sharp, sleek, and set the tone of the film right from the opening sequence. It was one of the best looking films I've watched in a while. On multiple viewings, you spot more shots that slightly foreshadow what happens later on in the film, and I really liked that, its like it gave fans of the film something extra, when viewed for a second time.
The only slight problem I had with it, is that I didn't massively enjoy the ending. Without spoiling it, I wanted more. (which is kind of a good thing I guess?) It felt a little ambiguous, and don't get me wrong, I love an ambiguous ending, but I don't think it worked here, but that was because I was so invested in Frances' story, I felt like it could have gone on a little longer, which again could be a slight positive, as a lot of films often go on for 20 mins more that it should.
I really enjoyed this film, and I am really glad I did, as I wasn't sure what to expect heading in, and the fact I've rewatched it a few times speaks absolute volumes on how strong the film is, considering the dark nature of the story. It's a very funny, very violent, and very moving story, that I couldn't recommend it more.
My Rating: 8.5/10
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