Story about vengeance, love and hate.

(Woody Harrelson and Frances McDormand)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, a pretty interesting title for a movie right? An another Oscar contender movie in several nominations, directed by Martin McDonagh the creator of In Bruge, Six Shooter, and Seven Psychopath. Honestly i haven’t watch any of those movies and maybe i should start to watch it, why? Because this one movie i’m about to discuss is the reason why. First time i saw this movie and the cast it straightly caught my intention, mostly because of the title and the cast. Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell...damn those dudes really make some movie interesting to watch. Apparently Martin McDonagh had already work with Woody and Sam in other movies which is Seven Psychopath, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri kinda reunited them to make one piece of fine art. Before we start to discuss about this movie, i think the audience should know that this movie has Crime and Black Comedy Genre, if you don’t know what it is, google it..just kidding Black Comedy movie is a style where a movie takes lightly of subject matter that is considered taboo, usually they talk about death, incest etc.

Robbie Collin, film critic from The Telegraph:

"It is a film that continually forces you to interrogate your own reactions to it – both in terms of what you’re laughing at and why, and also in the way its characters continually defy your burnt-in expectations of what they’d do, and what might be done to them in turn, in a better-behaved, more formulaic script".

The Story

It tells a story about Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) a mother who wants justice about the death of her daughter, a daughter who got raped and burned till her last breath. Any mother who suffer this kind of event maybe will do the same, but the interesting part is her daughter died 6 months ago and the convict still out there somewhere. The investigation of her dead daughter stop when local police led by Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) discovered that the current suspect has a different DNA with the real murderer and stop the search ever since. This movie has a really good pace to explain the main story, and the “three billboard” says in the title is really the main part of the movie because it is the tool of mockery that Mildred used to attack the local police, especially Chief Willoughby.

In this movie there are several small problem/conflict that emerge a long the way, i really like how subtle they put each conflict into a perfect scene and character because although it isn’t the main problem of this movie the conflicts that emerge from the character really become a perfect foundation for audience to understand how complex all this situation is. Mildred Hayes only have one goal, to find the murderer of her daughter, she demands Chief Willoughby to open a new investigation but in a controversial way, the way that the local police said as defamation. The way Mildred attacked Chief Willioughby will make audiences to think that this chief is another a-hole police officer who doesn’t really care about the case. On the other side Chief Willioughby had to deal with his pancreatic cancer and not just that he turns out to be a really good cop, and have a sincere heart to help Mildred at the first place.

The conflict in this movie is pretty unusual as i say to be a crime drama movie, the conflict involves the feeling and the perspective of each character one to another, not merely just simple hate but how the character living their lives, how the character interact with each other that is the thing that put the people of Ebbing really judging each other. When i watch this movie i really put some interest in all the character because not just the good acting but also for they truly are, it is really human, it feels real. And all the scene seems hook all the audience mind and throw them to the conclusion but when the story started to give a big picture, they knew they all wrong. It’s unpredictable, and feels unwise to guessing all of the story and the character that soon. The story isn't that complicated yet intriguing, it is unpredictable like i said but it isn't trying to be one of the "smart" movies which is sometimes it leaves audience in confuse. I can really feel the human aspect in this movie, i mean each character have their own flaw which led into wrong decision making that makes what this movie is all about, the story didn't stand only on one single conflict but still have the main purpose and that is what i like from the story side.

The Character

(The cast and the director of Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri)

The cast for this movie is perfect, from my perspective all of the artist really played their role very well. I love how this movie creates a character of a strong mother, who seeks revenge, Francis McDormand really nailed it, she can deliver the burden to the audience how she perform the role as Mildred Hayes is really amazing, on one side she can be a bad-ass mother but on the other side she also can be a loveable and caring. One i really like about Mildred Hayes character, they didn't made her to be a full fierce and unforgiving type of character, she is still can realize her mistakes and think about others who also being nice to her of course.The revenge didn't make her fully blind and not entirely gone rogue at the end she is just a normal mother who seeks justice for her beloved daughter. One of my favorite character in this movie is Jason Dixon, a stupid and racist cop played by Sam Rockwell, really i can't imagine other male actor to play this role because Sam Rockwell really did a good job. I know him almost in every movie he plays the type of character that you want to smack his head with a hammer, but hey if that is what you feel when you saw his character then he delivers the job really well. Jason Dixon is a typical police officer who doesn't care about cases, he does what he wants and in his own way. The only thing that can tame him is his superior officer, Chief Willoughby. What i love from this character is his development, character development, at first i really hate Jason Dixon it was like i knew he is going to be a trouble for the main character to achieve her goal. But scene after scene, he shows some changes, he learned, that is what i like from this movie the character really learned from what happened to them like one of the character played by Peter Dinklage (yeah they got Peter Dinklage in this movie, cool!) named James the only midget in town who fell in love with Mildred, but after he realizes that mildred didn't respect him he change his mind and stood for his dignity. Back to Jason Dixon, after the death of Willoughby he is somekind made a promise to himself that he will be a better cop and seeing him transform from retarded cop to dedicated detective really pleases me, one of my favorite moment in this movie.

I can't discuss all the character, because what? they all are really great, it is really the people of Ebbing, Missouri you'll see in this movie. One of the character that really not has strong impression i guess is Chief Willoughby's wife, i don't know maybe her acting didn't reach full potential or her dialogue part is too small so i can't really "feel" her presence. I think she can shows more love to her husband, so i can really feel the pain when her husband die. But overall, IT IS GREAT!

The Technical

(Soundtrack & Cinematography)

(https://www.romanticasheville.com/three-billboards-ebbing)

There aren't much to say about the whole cinematography, but i really like the set. A small town, not so quiet town it is really represent the whole value of the movie. I really like how they shoot the scene where the three billboards stand in the middle of nowhere, at the beginning of the movie we will see three abandoned billboards with scattered unused advertisement still attached. It comes along with a foggy background and calming music called "Martha (opera in 4 acts), Act II: Last Rose of Summer" by Renee Flaming, Jeffrey Tate & English Chamber Orchestra, I think it is an interesting way to start a scene and fit perfectly with the visual.

(The beginning of the scene)

One of the scene i really like is when Mildred Hayes visiting the Ebbing advertising company who owns the billboards, i think this scene is quite interesting because for me it's the beginning of everything, of course it is that scene took at the first 3 minutes of the movie but it is not my point. The soundtrack and how the cinematographer took the scene in slow motion makes it more dramatic and make audience a thought that there is something big are going to happen, The soundtrack for that scene is called "Mildred Goes to War" by Carter Burwell i think it's the original soundtrack of the movie, anyway if you listen to the song and the scene at the same time it is a picture of Mildred Hayes is going to war, it gives a bad-ass feels to the character like one in wild west movie.

(Scene when Mildred Hayes goes to Ebbing Advertising Company)

If we see the colors inside every frame of the movie, there is nothing special it is very "common" i say but i think it is a good thing because the set took place in a small town, where there aren't much people inside it states the fact and there is nothing to highlighted about the town.

The Conclusion

This movie delivered the value in a very unique way, and the dark comedy genre i think is the perfect choice to differ this movie from other criminal/drama movies. This movie shows how great a mother's love is and no matter what she will seeks justice and this movie tells us about judgement. A single wrong judgment about other people can led into chaotic events, the moral value is everybody has their own fight, their own war that other people doesn't understand, at the end people will never understand what you feel because they are too busy trying to understand instead of helping. I really like this movie, so far it is one of the best 2018 Oscar Movie i've watched, so far. I like how this movie is about the war within not without, inside Mildred's heart she demands justice for her daughter, but at the end she realize it is her who chase the impossible, it is her who wants justice not her daughter, not her family sometimes forget and forgive is the only way to get away from the war within ourselves.