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<\/p>\nThe premise of the film, a woman taking action against the local police force after no leads on her daughter\u2019s murder, doesn\u2019t strike you as a comedy. The opening few minutes don\u2019t strike you as one either, but as soon as the jokes start hitting, they hit you hard – you\u2019ll wonder whether you should laugh at some of the things that are presented to you, but it\u2019s laid out so perfectly on a plate for you to enjoy. Three Billboards is taking the awards season by storm, and it\u2019s easy to see why Martin McDonagh has been praised with his nuanced way of telling a story of heartache, determination and loss.<\/p>\n
Mildred Hayes is angry. Her daughter was raped and murdered 8 months ago and the police have hit a dead end, no leads to follow and ultimately closing the case. The mother doesn\u2019t take this lightly, and the film opens with her almost charging in to the local advertising company to take out a whole years worth of ads on the three billboards outside of town. The message? \u2018Raped while dying and still no murders. How come Chief Willoughby?\u2019 Quite an incentive for the chief of police Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) to do something about the slow paced investigation. The message divides the otherwise quiet town, opening up new wounds and exploring how a small town like Ebbing can begin to implode when pressure points are pushed.<\/p>\n
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There\u2019s is a sense of you know where it\u2019s going. Pressure on the police reopens the investigation into Angela Hayes\u2019 murder, the story progresses and they get closer to solving it, but this is almost a background element to the real heart of the film. There\u2019s a constant feeling of fragility throughout each of the strands that is told; from Mildred\u2019s quest to uncovering more about her daughters murder, to Chief Willoughby\u2019s internal struggles with the pressure placed upon him. Local townsfolk interject their own thoughts about the billboards and even Mildred\u2019s ex husband has his own situation to worry about. Each of these well developed characters create a satisfyingly wholesome world where you feel you know each of the moving pawns in the overarching story. You\u2019re introduced to a few characters who don\u2019t have much screen time. In other films, you might complain they were underused or not needed at all, but each addition to the cast moves on the story ever so slightly, but perfectly choreographed so.<\/p>\n
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Oscar buzz films are not everyone\u2019s cup of tea, but this film definitely stands out above the crowd. The comedy flair that runs through the story keeps the pace moving and never makes you feel as if you\u2019re waiting for the end, mainly because there\u2019s not a very clear one in sight. That\u2019s not a bad thing, and you\u2019ll want to stay with Francis McDormand\u2019s Mildred as long as possible because she is unbelievably captivating. She directs her emotions in extreme and contrasting ways throughout the brilliant script, bouncing from the caring mother to a slightly psychotic lone ranger. The overwhelming sense of pain grounding characters as the film progresses comes through in each and every performance, from Woody Harrelson to Sam Rockwell and all supporting cast members. There doesn\u2019t ever feel there\u2019s a wrong chord struck throughout the runtime and the story true touches nerves that you\u2019ve probably not felt before. The BAFTA win for both McDormand and the film will keep the story in cinemas for a few more weeks, so go get an education in how an original story can be perfectly told on screen.<\/p>\n
Check out the trailer below:<\/p>\n