Now in Theaters
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell
Chris: Hi everybody! Thanks for joining TJ and I for our chat about the, at times wildly uncomfortable, but mostly enjoyable movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. It is perhaps my favorite movie of the year that features punctuation in the title. I really enjoyed it and thought it was a hoot. TJ, how did you feel, generally, about the movie (which we will hereafter abbreviate into something cutesy like 3BB)?
TJ: Fantastic. One of the best of the year so far. The only negative thing I have to say about it is that it was billed as a black comedy, when in actuality, it felt like a very serious, melancholic, drama, with amazing snippets of comic relief.
Chris: Yeah. I mean Sam Rockwell’s character is responsible for some of the funniest moments in the movie but is almost certainly the most troublesome character. He is so oblivious to anyone other than himself and his mom, he’s a bad cop, racist, sexist, and he’s the character who seems most ripped from a Coen brothers’ movie. What’d you think of Rockwell’s performance (or anyone else that really shined)?
TJ: The acting all around is what I would write home about. Frances McDormand cements herself here. She’s one of the best of our time. Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson also boost their already fantastic resumes. There’s a chance that this movie has iconic roles for three superstars when we look back on it years from now. Not to mention the great supporting cast. Lucas Hedges, John Hawkes, Abbie Cornish, and Caleb Landry Jones were all great. I was a particular fan of Sandy Martin. Her appearance is another thing that makes us feel like this should be more comedy than drama when it’s just not. You know her from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but her role here as the mother to Rockwell is heartbreaking and real.
Having said all that…McDormand steals the show when she’s on screen.
Chris: Absolutely. My favorite scene is Frances McDormand and Lucas Hedges in a quick back and forth featuring one of Martin McDonagh’s favorite 4-letter words. Also, McDormand’s “I am become death” attitude is phenomenal. You forgot to mention Peter Dinklage, whose arc is that of a bullied admirer of McDormand’s character. He’s really great as well. I can’t think of a performance that felt phoned in. Samara Weaving was hilarious as John Hawkes’ new boo. He, by the way, is also great, and REALLY intense.
So the acting rocks… what did you think of the overall story? Seem pretty typical for a McDonagh film?
(FOR ANY READER, THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING, AND THIS IS A MOVIE THAT COULD BE SPOILED)
TJ: Loved it. On the surface it’s a story about grief and recovery. Then it becomes so much deeper. McDonagh does a fantastic job at showing you that the Police Chief (Harrelson) is a multi-layer character. And if that isn’t hard enough to pull off, he does it with Officer Dixon (Rockwell). He’s a “if it ends with -phobic he’s probably it character” and gives him life. It’s a character study of all the residents in this small town with the disappearance of Mildred Hayes’ daughter as a catalyst. The billboards are a MacGuffin for more than just the protagonist. Everyone just wants something different out of them. They are there so we see the true colors of these characters.
Chris: I listened to a podcast recently where someone mentioned that the script is only 86 pages for a 2 hour movie. What efficient story telling. Seems like the kind of script that McDonagh gravitates toward. In Bruges is similarly paced where everything revolves around the titular city while all of the work happens within the dialog of a fairly small cast. The city Bruges is an important symbol to Gleeson, Farrell, and Fiennes that has a different meaning to each whereas in 3BB there are words literally printed on them that state Hayes’ attitude.
Speaking of his prior works, do you have a ranking of his movies? Have you seen them all?
For me it’s In Bruges > 3BB > Seven Psychopaths
TJ: This was actually my introduction to McDonagh. Really excited to go see the other two. And the Oscar Winning short from 2004, Six Shooter.
Chris: I think In Bruges, for me, is a Talk of Fame nominee. Anyway, is there anything else you want to cover before we go live with this?
TJ: One more question. Is this a perfect movie? If not, what about it isn’t good?
Chris: Hmmm. Perfect movie is hard. I don’t buy into the criticism that there is too much moral ambiguity in the characters. I think that people are morally complicated and 3BB does a good job at portraying it.
So maybe, yeah. I am wracking my brain trying to think of something. And I guess it would be that if you are REALLY sensitive to uncomfortable situations then this isn’t for you. But that’s just not true for 99.9% of the population. I would blindly recommend it to pretty much everyone.
What do you think? Did you have something in mind?
TJ: If I have to pick something it’s probably that some of the ancillary characters aren’t necessary for the story they are telling. Specifically Peter Dinklage and Caleb Landry Jones. They don’t seem to affect the story as it progressed. They were just little side stories. They were interesting, and acted well, but I’m not sure they were important enough to be told. They didn’t tie in to our three main characters they way everybody else did.
Chris: I agree about Dinklage, but the CLJ story helped build the universe. He was also the perfect “fuck authority” foil for Hayes and also target for the Ebbing PD.
Any parting thoughts so we can wrap this up?
TJ: Fair point on CLJ. He had some good chemistry late with Rockwell as well. Just a fantastic film that I’d absolutely recommend to anybody over the age of 18…
Chris: Agreed. I would also recommend it to all. Anyway, thanks for chatting with me TJ.
TJ: Fo sho.
