Cinephile No. 695 "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"
"The Best Written Movie of the Year”
A Review of "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” by Nathan H. Box
Director: Martin McDonagh, Writer: Martin McDonagh, Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell
Rating: 5 Stars, SHOWTIME
The Plot
A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.
My Critique
Before interstates, we traveled an interconnected network of two-lane roads both paved and unpaved. In some places, old billboards stand as the last visual remnant of man’s simpler form of travel. Drive along old Route 66 and this becomes evident. In this film, three billboards standing alongside a forgotten road serve as an idea to get attention. They also serve as the basis for what I believe to be the best-written film of 2017, “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.”
Frances McDormand shines in this film as a mother fed up with local authorities. She believes they aren’t doing enough to solve her daughter’s murder. Feeling helpless, she takes matters into her own hands and by doing so gets her small, quiet town talking.
“Raped While Dying.” “And Still No Arrests?” “How Come, Chief Willoughby?”
This is what the three billboards state. Now, with such heaviness, you might expect this movie to be an overly dramatic piece. In spots, it absolutely is but it also contains the right mixture of humor. It is absurd a mother must go to these lengths to get justice for her daughter. So, absurd that you cannot help but laugh.
Another highlight of this film is Woody Harrelson, who has been on a tear as of late. He plays Chief Willoughby, a devoted father, husband, and a man dying of cancer. The way his story arc plays out shifts the entire plot. It is both dramatic and pulsing. His every interaction with Frances McDormand will leave you reeling in the best possible way imaginable.
This film stands as a testament to a simple truth. Sometimes, for things to change, the world must burn. Redemption can only come from starting over or attempting to begin anew. Of course, we can never really escape our past. We can only hope do our best to forgive, forget, and plow forward.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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