About – A grieving mother challenges the local authorities by putting up three billboards that state her daughters murder and why they haven’t caught the culprit’s yet.
Directed by Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a fantastic gripping drama from start to end. Writer and director Martin McDonagh has proven a small town of individuals can take control of situations in their own way. Three Billboards contains raw emotion but also laugh-out-load moments. If you’re used to Martin McDonagh’s work then you will be aware of his dark humour. There are no disappointments in Three Billboards, even though the subject is serious, the humour is vital so we can relax and not feel anxious in this real dramatic drama.
By having such a huge cast, it is something that is the norm nowadays, it isn’t something to be put off by if you like your indie films. Frances McDormand portraying the lead character Mildred, puts on a performance of her career. As Martin said in a recent interview, “we would be ****** if she said no to this role”. My gosh was he right, what a performance by the fantastic, independent woman. There were side characters of course, her son Robbie (Lucas Hedges), the main police chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) and his companion Dixon (Sam Rockwell). All wonderful characters and portrayed perfectly. Dixon besides the radical right-wing views was one of the funniest, stupid but smartest (towards the end) characters within the film. He goes on the biggest journey, which is probably why he is so liked by critics and audiences. Due to the town being small, there was no new characters coming in and out of scenes making it perfect for you to feel that on-screen relationship with each character.
The films unpredictability is something that most film lovers will love. Usually, we go into a screening and after 20-30 minutes we try and guess what is about to happen. Within Three Billboards there is literally no point in trying to guess. Everything is turned onto its head and then blows you away by its unpredictable behaviour.
There are three things within Three Billboards that needs to be mentioned. The lighting, cinematography and the score. All three elements within film, that if you don’t have one of them doesn’t really matter because the other two will be strong. However, all three of these elements are strong, very strong. The use of the red lighting is something we associate death or love and within Three Billboards its used throughout relating back to the actual three billboards background. Which can also be represented as the daughter’s body, which represents blood and death, but also love from the community and Mildred. The cinematography was breath-taking especially when it came to the establishing shots or the wide-angle shots. You felt like you were actually at these points of view admiring them. While the music plays in the background making your heart race or your eyes fill-up. It’s astonishing at how brilliant all these three elements work together to create emotions within seconds of being on-screen.
Three Billboards is looking like it’s going to do well at this year’s awards season and I don’t see why it shouldn’t. It’s a fantastic, dramatic drama that takes control of its characters and its surroundings. We learn both sides of the story and feel compassion for each side, which is exactly what reality is like comparing the good and the bad. It’s got everything that you want from a drama piece and more.
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