Grade: A-
Have you ever had trouble remembering a movie title? There are two in the last few years that I of course know now, but had a heck of a time with when I was first introduced to them.
Silver Linings Playbook is not a natural phrase. I kept wanting to make “linings” singular. Silver Lining Playlist is what came out of my mouth on a few occasions.
The Fault in Our Stars. Seems presumptuous to suggest the stars belong to only you and someone else. The Fault in the Stars feels better to me. Or, as I jokingly called it: The Fart in Our Stalls.
And now we arrive at Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? The name is tricky to get in your head, but this is a film worth inviting into your head and heart – one of the best of the year. It steps outside of the box, and lives and breathes. Part crime drama, part dark comedy, it is the kind of quiet, reflective, somber character piece that worked so successfully and reminded me in tone of Good Will Hunting and Garden State. Frances McDormand plays Mildred, a mother whose daughter was raped and murdered 7 months before. There was no matching DNA, nothing otherwise to go on, so by now, law enforcement has all but given up on the case. Mildred wants answers, so she rents out 3 billboards along a lesser-traveled back road outside…no points for guessing where. In no uncertain terms, the billboards express her anger and confusion at there never being so much as an arrest for this.
The superb supporting cast features several familiar faces. Woody Harrelson has spent much of his film career playing mean, twisted, disturbing characters – but here, he brings the kind of basic good-guy charm he had on Cheers. It was nice to see Lucas Hedges again, after his memorable turn as the nephew in last year’s Manchester By the Sea. Sam Rockwell is marvelous as a cop named Dixon. In what might be a pinch of clever symbolism, his first name is Jason. Numerous people in the movie, including Dixon himself, cross the Jason Dixon line. Carrying it all is McDormand, who can do no wrong, and does her most “right” since Fargo.
I have to mention a few credibility problems in writer/director Martin McDonagh’s screenplay. There is a scene involving a dentist, that likely would have been pursued further in real life, but here, it is quickly dropped. Then, later on, McDormand accomplishes something that had to have taken extraordinary strength and precision – but of course, it all goes exactly as planned. And finally, there is a scene where, by unbelievable coincidence, a character just happens to be brought into the same hospital room as a person with whom they had quite the incident with earlier.
Minor annoyances when all is said and done. This is a great film. It goes deeper and takes detours you might not have expected. Much is made about McDormand’s character never smiling. At the end, when she finally gives us a true and genuine smile, it is a catharsis, and puts a perfect period on things.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Remember that name.
Grade: A-
Film Reviews by Mark 
Leave a reply to Sorry, Baby – Film Reviews by Mark Cancel reply