Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
31/01/18 Filed in: Cinema
This is a film that assaults all your emotions. Brutal in its honesty, with dark humour, and above all a superb characterisation of small-town America where everybody knows everybody else, and nobody's business can remain private for long. The lead performances are amazing, with Frances McDormand playing Mildred Hayes, a mother seeking action from the police department in respect of her brutally murdered daughter, Angela, an incident that has occurred before the film's narrative commences. In her sights is the police chief Bill Willoughby, equally well portrayed by Woody Harrelson. And working for Willoughby is Jason Dixon, a racist, intellectually challenged cop who lives with his mother, and behaves in many ways just like a child.
It has been months since the murder and the police do not appear to have made any progress on the case. While driving home one day Mildred focusses on the three almost derelict billboards along the side of the road. She has an idea to put them to good use. We next see her at the offices of the advertising company, in a small office in town, where the proprietor Red Welby is at first surprised to hear that billboards even exist. But they do, and Mildred takes out a year's contract to display her messages, paying for the first month from the proceeds of selling her estranged husband's pick up and trailer. The boards read, in sequence; "RAPED WHILE DYING"; "AND STILL NO ARRESTS?"; and "HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?" They are first noticed by Dixon, who is also less than enthralled by the fact that the man putting them up is a negro.
Mildred has nothing personal against Willoughby. In fact she shows a degree of sympathy, especially as the chief has terminal pancreatic cancer. But, the buck stops with him, so it is he who is the target of her angst. The fact that the police have done all that was possible, being unable to identify the DNA recovered from the crime, cuts no ice with Mildred. She proposes outlandish actions that Willoughby politely dismisses as unconstitutional and in some cases downright illegal.
Meanwhile, many in town are less than pleased with Mildred's actions, as they all know of course that Willoughby has cancer. This leads to Mildred's son, Robbie, suffering the backlash, not helping his already depressed state of health. There are confrontations between Mildred and town's people, the one with the dentist being particularly funny, in a dark sort of way. And two adolescents at Robbie's school literally feel the weight of Mildred's boot. Amazingly, Willoughby is very tolerant of her outlandish actions, despite being the target of her attack on the authorities.
As the story progresses we see changes in the characters. We learn that Mildred herself is carrying a lot of guilt for what happened to her daughter. Willoughby, meanwhile, cannot face the terminal stages of his illness. And deputy Dixon is dismissed after assaulting Red Welby, the twist being that a negro police chief does the sacking. But Dixon is himself starting to re-evaluate his life and his beliefs, and after nearly dying in a fire, he by chance overhears a conversation that could identify Angela's murderer. He acts on this information and this brings him closer to Mildred.
This film has been nominated for numerous awards, and it's not difficult to understand why. It's one of those films that one really ought to see, provided that you are happy with a fair degree of profanity and don't mind witnessing some raw emotions, albeit with dark humour to take the edge off things. And, by the way, the following trailer doesn't pull any punches!
Meanwhile, many in town are less than pleased with Mildred's actions, as they all know of course that Willoughby has cancer. This leads to Mildred's son, Robbie, suffering the backlash, not helping his already depressed state of health. There are confrontations between Mildred and town's people, the one with the dentist being particularly funny, in a dark sort of way. And two adolescents at Robbie's school literally feel the weight of Mildred's boot. Amazingly, Willoughby is very tolerant of her outlandish actions, despite being the target of her attack on the authorities.
As the story progresses we see changes in the characters. We learn that Mildred herself is carrying a lot of guilt for what happened to her daughter. Willoughby, meanwhile, cannot face the terminal stages of his illness. And deputy Dixon is dismissed after assaulting Red Welby, the twist being that a negro police chief does the sacking. But Dixon is himself starting to re-evaluate his life and his beliefs, and after nearly dying in a fire, he by chance overhears a conversation that could identify Angela's murderer. He acts on this information and this brings him closer to Mildred.
This film has been nominated for numerous awards, and it's not difficult to understand why. It's one of those films that one really ought to see, provided that you are happy with a fair degree of profanity and don't mind witnessing some raw emotions, albeit with dark humour to take the edge off things. And, by the way, the following trailer doesn't pull any punches!