Review of Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) by Buddah — 26 Nov 2017

The best quality of a movie is how it can play with your emotions. The empathy you can have for the characters is up to both the actors and the director. This movie pulls you emotional in so many directions, that you do not know whether to cry or laugh, get pissed off or clap your hands. While Frances McDormand is truly the star of this movie, and she deserves so much praise, it is both Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson that really shine bigger than life for their roles in this film. They have grown so much as actors over the years from comedic roles to this shows me their range and talent. I also have to give major props to Writer/ Director Martin McDonagh who gave life to this film by giving us some levity in between the tragic elements of the story. There is some serious deep stuff thrown at the movie goer, but letting us smile and laugh at such characters as Momma Dixon, (Sandy Martin), Frances's ex-husband, (John Hawke) and his young innocent girlfriend, (Samara Weaving) was the cornerstone of what makes this movie great. Even the subplots of Peter Dinklage's character, Kerry Condon who plays the sheriff's wife, and Abbie Cornish' marketing/ad guy let us feel so much in their scenes is a mark of truly brilliant storytelling. The director really made his actors' performances come to life, and as a movie goer, I am glad I choose to see it.

In closing, I do not give movies a 10 score. This is as close to a 10 as I will recognize. There is always room for improvement, so to give it a perfect score means that perfection was achieved. That no one can top it and never will is just not my thinking. So I leave a little space for more. 9.49 is where I am at. Great and memorable, but not legendary.