Melodrama in disguise makes the movie fall apart....

Rating: 1/10 (4 February 2018)

From a very focused starting point, that seems almost poetic, namely three Billboards outside a small town with a simple question asked in an accusetory tone the movie gets desorientend and graps to sentimalism in order to create progression.
Mildred is angry. Angry and bitter beyond point of no return. She insists upon, and thereby gambling everything in her life, to have those three billboards standing, accusing the local sheriff (Woody Harrelson) for not catching the person who raped, killed and burnt her daughter.
We follow the reactions in the town as a result of this and at this point it seemed like an interesting premise to explore what conflicts and alliances this could bring about.
Sad to say, but every single personality trait was stereotyped.... I will elaborate by pointing out how the movie seemed to try to force us to laugh of two insecure and retarded people making stupid comments as their most defining characteristic. Even Adam Sandler is more funny than this.
Everybody shouts, curses, threats and beats the hell out of each other.
And then, more or less as a consequence of the sheriffs suicide, everybody decides to become friends and although the movie plays on the socialdrama theme, the reconciliation is fairy tail like. For instance (spoiler) One of the retarded police officers has beaten the hell out of a guy and afterwards thrown him out of a first floor window. By accident they share a room in a hospital and this guy without any preliminary process of anger accepts the apology by leaving a glass of orange juice on the officers table. That scene in itself made me want to leave the cinema. My god!
Definition of "Melodrama": a sensational dramatic piece with exaggerated characters and exciting events intended to appeal to the emotions.
Need I say more?
Regards Simon
Ps.
I have only once left the cinema before time (Sean Connery in "Medicine Man" 1992) but was very, very close at doing that again...
PPs. When you read reviews that gives max score check to see if the user has made more than one review. If not consider the possibility of a lobbyist. If you agree consider putting this post scriptum at the bottom at your own reviews.