Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

• I’m gonna be honest, I had never heard of this movie until one of my very good friends recommended it. Literally the only thing I knew was that Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell won Oscars for it, and that was only hearing about it in passing. Therefore, going into this, I knew absolutely nothing, which made for a very eye opening experience. I’ll go ahead and get the gripes out of the way first. My biggest, and probably my only complaint, is the writing. Now the story itself was great, and the dialogue was (mostly) good. I just don’t like the way certain social issues are handled. I don’t know if exploitation is the right word, but some of the events in the film felt used just because they could, and more of a plot device rather than something that could be used to bring awareness. That would only make sense after you’ve seen this. So that takes a hit on the Movie Score. But everything else was fantastic. It was a beautifully shot film, with great cinematography and color where it matters. There’s great contrast between shots, that fits the mood of each shot. The score was good, and the setting was nice, but the biggest standout was the cast. As I stated, McDormand and Rockwell each got an Oscar for their roles, but honestly, every single person in this movie could’ve gotten one. Woody Harrelson kills it, Peter Dinklage is fantastic, Samara Weaving puts amazing comedic spin on her deliveries, and Lucas Hedges is vulnerable and still sticks out. All the awards and recognition are very well deserved. Overall, it’s a well made film that I’ll certainly remember, and though some of the creative decisions were a little questionable, and the ending was a tiny bit underwhelming, I definitely loved it. I’d probably recommend it to all crime/mystery fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!