Right when I saw Frances McDormand in that fully pregnant police woman role in 'Fargo', I became a fan of her. She has that infinite quality of grief built into her that anything she does reeks of sadness - even the jokes.
So during that long, dreary, turbulent flight across the Atlantic - flying out in the slamming Nor'easter - in a longer path flying over Africa and what not, it seemed only apt that she was there to give me company in that economy class misery.
There is a moment in 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' where Mildred (Frances) talks to the police chief Willoughby who is asking her to remove the billboards. She is adamant in her stance when suddenly he spits out blood and Mildred, who till that point was defiant, shows agony for a moment and helps him to get into an ambulance.
The movie deals with loss and grief and almost everyone in the movie go through one. Mildred loses her daughter, Jason loses his job and the Chief loses his life. It is how they deal with each of these loses and what it transforms them into are the core of the movie.
The characters etched in the frames are poignantly sad, angry and almost in grief through the movie. And mostly every frame of happiness follows a tragedy - like the last day of Willoughby.
However, this is not a tragedy movie though. It is black, I mean, the blackest of black. But the jokes - though sometimes morbid - keeps coming. Everyone has a moment to quip and the side story of Mildred's ex and his new , young girl friend from the zoo keeps the family life interesting. The story of Red Delby and his act of kindness towards Jason is something to restore faith a little.
Mildred is a difficult woman to understand - much less, be rational with. She is so bitter with grief, she becomes obstinate. She does go on a date with the town midget - as an act of kindness - but then she also becomes the one who insults him in the end. She doesn't care and all she wants is justice for her raped ('raped while dying' - one of the billboards say) and killed daughter. She wants closure.
When that becomes elusive, she tries to find closure in a way she think she will get it. There the movie ends leaving us to guess what she may do next and what she may become.
It is a tale of loss and grief and a lot of conflicting behavior which comes up with that. The movie does not try to answer anything but try to let the characters take the course. There is no let up of the grief once the loss is encountered and while some try to bury it deep inside, some erupt with it splattering it across anything or anyone who stands around.
And it is difficult to avoid that splattering here.
So during that long, dreary, turbulent flight across the Atlantic - flying out in the slamming Nor'easter - in a longer path flying over Africa and what not, it seemed only apt that she was there to give me company in that economy class misery.
There is a moment in 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' where Mildred (Frances) talks to the police chief Willoughby who is asking her to remove the billboards. She is adamant in her stance when suddenly he spits out blood and Mildred, who till that point was defiant, shows agony for a moment and helps him to get into an ambulance.
The movie deals with loss and grief and almost everyone in the movie go through one. Mildred loses her daughter, Jason loses his job and the Chief loses his life. It is how they deal with each of these loses and what it transforms them into are the core of the movie.
The characters etched in the frames are poignantly sad, angry and almost in grief through the movie. And mostly every frame of happiness follows a tragedy - like the last day of Willoughby.
However, this is not a tragedy movie though. It is black, I mean, the blackest of black. But the jokes - though sometimes morbid - keeps coming. Everyone has a moment to quip and the side story of Mildred's ex and his new , young girl friend from the zoo keeps the family life interesting. The story of Red Delby and his act of kindness towards Jason is something to restore faith a little.
Mildred is a difficult woman to understand - much less, be rational with. She is so bitter with grief, she becomes obstinate. She does go on a date with the town midget - as an act of kindness - but then she also becomes the one who insults him in the end. She doesn't care and all she wants is justice for her raped ('raped while dying' - one of the billboards say) and killed daughter. She wants closure.
When that becomes elusive, she tries to find closure in a way she think she will get it. There the movie ends leaving us to guess what she may do next and what she may become.
It is a tale of loss and grief and a lot of conflicting behavior which comes up with that. The movie does not try to answer anything but try to let the characters take the course. There is no let up of the grief once the loss is encountered and while some try to bury it deep inside, some erupt with it splattering it across anything or anyone who stands around.
And it is difficult to avoid that splattering here.
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