Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

7/10

Starring

Francis McDormand

Sam Rockwell

Woody Harrelson

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of those movies that you will appreciate more for the screenplay and the story.  Written and directed by Martin McDonagh based on an idea he got when driving and saw billboards of unsolved murders, his fictional idea on this is one that hit home well enough for me to enjoy.

His own version has a mother who has waited for seven months for the police to come up with something, anything on her daughter’s case. As she (the daughter) was raped, killed and burnt to death. The mother was tortured by what has happened to her daughter based mostly on the last words they said to each other and their relationship not being easy.

To add to her mess is a husband who left her for a nineteen-year-old. Their relationship wasn’t rosy as he used to beat her while they were together.

The difficulty she was going through was not getting better at home with her son, who she feels adrift from and a life she feels has nothing more to offer her. She decided to make sure that the killer of her daughter gets found and decided to make sure the police do not forget to do their job.

She rents three abandoned billboards near her home, which in sequence read "RAPED WHILE DYING", "AND STILL NO ARRESTS?", and "HOW COME, CHIEF WILLOUGHBY?"

This of course changed things for her, the town now hated her and even the police department were not so kin to get involved. The police chief, Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) was not all right himself as he struggled with pains of his own, which in turn turned to a tragic mess.

This dramatic tragedy strikes hard on many themes. Its comedic themes which were well placed as we see the actor Sam Rockwell who plays Officer Jason Dixon, transcend from being the comedic, racist, homophobic, angry and childish character to matured well informed one. This transition was not just in his character alone, but in the mother of the raped and killed child, Mildred Hayes played by Frances McDormand and the entire movie.

This well written movie seems to have grown right before our eyes and we are left to see more matured scenes, from the two top characters in the movie Francis McDormand and Sam Rockwell.

At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, the film won the awards for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Actress – Drama (Francis McDormand), Best Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell), and Best Screenplay.

It also earned Oscar nominations in Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Francis McDormand), as well as Best Actor in a Supporting Role for both Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson.