Oscar-worthy performances, uneven movie

Rating: 7/10 (2 April 2018)

I'll say this: I very much enjoyed seeing ""Three Billboards" and would recommend it to anyone that asks, but it's because of the talent involved onscreen. Everyone in the main cast is incredible and these players help keep the movie going when the story falters. McDormand, for her part, is a force of nature, and years' worth of this character's pain and unflagging determination reside on the actor's face; the smolder in her gaze does plenty of talking. It's why the first half of the movie is exhilarating.
Tonally, it's a bit off, with that excitement waning at around the halfway point (almost precisely with the death of a major character) as sorrow and brutality take over. Sadly, we never get that opening power back, and this feeds into a complicated ending. But one thing I really liked about this movie is that it does become about more than McDormand's grieving and turns into a small-town drama; and empathy comes from the most unexpected of characters. Despite any of these issues, it's highly worthwhile and I doubt I'll forget about this anytime soon.
7/10