McDonagh's high wire act mostly works lead by McDormand

Rating: Null/10 (12 November 2017)

Writer-Director Martin McDonagh's THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE E.M. is one of the true high wire acts of the year. It's a dark farce that treads the line from serious drama to satire to some low rent buffoonery that might not make the cut on a mediocre sit-com. For the most part, it works, propelled by a profanely powerhouse performance by Frances McDormand.
McDormand plays a grieving mother (Mildred) who's daughter was killed in a particularly gruesome manner. Fed up with police inaction, she buys three billboards calling out the force. Add in choral music and stark locations and photography and the viewer thinks at the start that they may be in for some heavy going. And then Mildred opens her mouth - and, boy does she! Add in an idiot patrolman played by Sam Rockwell (Dixon), a goofy billboard salesman (Caleb Landry Jones), the local "midget" (Peter Dinklage) and other assorted colorful locals and that first impression is upended.
To his credit, McDonagh continues to defy one's expectations all the way to the delicious epilogue. Adding further support are a wry Woody Harrelson as the Sheriff, and Lucas Hedges and John Hawkes as McDormand's son and ex-husband, respectively. A sense of humor is maintained no matter how dire the situation and that will be a challenge for some viewers. McDonagh doesn't always succeed. Some of the actions and situations go too far even for satire. McDonagh, an Englishman, sometimes muffs the dialogue and characterizations. He knows his targets, but, sometimes his aim is off just enough to mark him as an outsider.
THREE BILLBOARDS is an angry comedy. But, one where that rage feels right for the times.