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| Frances McDormand |
In writing, there is one common rule: "show, don't tell." The act of telling someone your intent is seen as a lazy trope that doesn't allow moments to resonate. In director Martin McDonagh's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the story begins with a perfect subversion of this. The titular three billboards detail a crime that drives Mildred's (Frances McDormand) bitter passion throughout the story. These three signs tell a story, and one that is more powerful than showing a single moment of being "raped while dying." As the story progresses, it deconstructs the idea of telling someone your agenda and shows the complicated faults of a small town Midwest society in powerful detail. In the end, Mildred may still be the protagonist - but the people initially pursued as the antagonists are far less easy to hate. McDonagh's dark comedy is one of the more provocative social commentary movies of the year, but it's also unforgettable thanks to a great cast and McDonagh's phenomenal script. Few films capture characters quite as memorable as those of Ebbing, Missouri, and it's a shame that there aren't more writers as interesting as McDonagh writing movies these days.
