Written by: Martin McDonagh
Directed by: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.
Verdict
It's well written with complex characters. Even the secondary characters feel like they have a backstory. They are full of rage and bitterness, and they have their good and bad moments. A tragedy is the basis of the plot, and the story continues to unfold in surprising ways while delving into bias and discrimination. The movie knows how to get a response from the viewer.
Watch it.
Review
I'm a big fan of McDonagh. In Bruges is one of my favorites, his follow up, Seven Psychopaths, was a bit disappointing. Three Billboards doesn't have as much humor, but it digs deep into the need for revenge and closure.
Mildred purchases three billboards, using them to focus the police on her dead daughter's case. Being a small town, many people are upset at for what they see as an attack on the police. The script is really good. We learn just enough about these characters quickly, and they keep developing.
I didn't expect the Police Chief's story to take the turn it did. Dixon is the de facto villain. Racist, violent, and prone to acting before he speaks. He goes on a tear in the middle of the movie, and it really makes you hope someone takes care of him. I was surprised at the lack of consequences he faced.
What impressed me about In Bruges, and we see it here is how the writing can transition from emotional to humorous so well. Though, there is one scene that is particularly manipulative emotionally in Three Billboards. You can't miss it. The script has a great handle on crafting interesting characters. Even the side characters feel like they have a lot of backstory, though we never see it. Peter Dinklage does a fantastic job with what screen time he has.
The movie just keeps raising the bar. Mildred takes things to a whole new level. I kept wondering when characters would face consequences. That's my biggest criticism is that characters get away with a lot, even when what they did is known.
I give the movie credit that, no one is completely good, though the Police Chief is closest to that ideal. At one point Dixon and one of his victims end up in the same room. Being a small town, I don't see that happening. People would know that's a situation ripe to explode, but it is a turning point for Dixon.
This makes a point about rage, anger, and bitterness. Dixon and Mildred are both full of rage, though for different reasons. While I get why they come together in the end, it seems like a stretch. I do like how this ends. It cuts at just the right point.
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