Unpredictable strays into confused

Rating: 5/10 (23 January 2018)

This film came with high expectations, fresh from its Golden Globe win for best picture. But while evocatively shot on location in Sylvia North Carolina and featuring a stellar performance from Frances McDormand as Mildred, I just couldn't get into the vibe of the story. There seems to be a fundamental disconnect between the steely determination of grieving mother Mildred Hayes, seeking police action to find and charge her daughter's murderer some months after the event, and supporting roles which came across as heavy handed caricatures or slap stick stupidity.
The story is complex with interplay of relationships and shifting sands of alliances and love interests, which at times just seemed contrived. It can be difficult to define where 'unpredictable' strays into 'confused', but for me, it was more confusing than intriguingly unpredictable. It was promoted as a perfect balance of comedy and drama, but I didn't find the comedy particularly funny; more seriously, it detracted from the impact of the dramatic aspects of the story.
Maybe I got stuck on the police being so unprofessional and little happening to rectify the situation. If this is really small town middle America in 2017, I'm ever so grateful I don't live there.