Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

This one doesn't deserve a long review and I am not one for describing the entire film in my reviews, so I'll keep it short & sweet.Story- Complete waste of potential, with opportunities for unforgettable character redemption gone before you can even finish daydreaming about the tasty possibilities for them. Acting- I like Frances McDormand a lot in other films but what has been praised as her finest hour, is to me, a grueling exercise in overacting, needless spunk, and unreliable character depth. I don't get the hype about her performance here. Woody is as great as always but I still don't care for the story surrounding his character, and he seems overall pointless to the plot when it's all said and done. Sam Rockwell is the best part of the film, hands down, but the wasted potential (see above) of his character is the biggest failure of the entire project. I watched this because a family member wouldn't shut up about how great it is. After giving it a chance, I don't even have the heart to admit I ever saw it...and quite frankly, I'll probably soon forget I had.

This movie is well-acted, well-filmed, well-paced. Literally no complaints in these areas. The only minor issue I have are some script choices-McDormand's character has some quips that would seem better suited to a Jane Austin novel were it not for the constant f-words thrown in. And while the characters are quite complex and evolved well throughout the film, their spoken occasionally seem effusive for no real reason. But some script issues aside, this film was difficult to watch. Not because of the violence, or the subject matter. But because it is a story of characters completely consumed by grief, unfulfilled desires, hopelessness, and futility. This concept is not necessarily original, but the film provides an interesting story and definitely kept me engaged. The main thing to enjoy about this film is that all the characters are portrayed as flawed, deeply disturbed individuals, all finding was to cope with existence. Moving from one crisis to the next, they deal with life, make their mistakes, and continue on. My biggest issue (outside the script) is that no real people "make this many mistakes" and don't go to jail. The film portrays Missouri as a sort of wild-west atmosphere where people take the law into their own hands (Molotov cocktails, arson, battery on minors while on school grounds throwing people out of windows-all done with literally no legal ramifications) This kind of behavior is just simply not the case any more in this country, and so it is an incredible suspension of disbelief being requested on the part of the viewer. But as a film, I thoroughly enjoyed it for the most part-if not solely for the acting of McDormand and Rockwell.

Summary: A grieving Mom seeking justice for her young daughter who was brutally murdered and she feels nothing is being done to solve. Great Movie. She wants justice not revenge..... mostly. Warning - don't mess with Mom.

An amazing movie about human nature. I don't know if everyone will understand the complexity, however the way all the characters intertwined was fascinating and touching. I was moved by this movie and I am glad I watched it.