THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI:   Yes, that's the title.  When a mother is frustrated at the lack of progress in the investigation of her daughter's brutal mother, she rents space on three billboards in an attempt to spur the police into action.  Frances McDormand  delivers a tour de force performance as the mother, Mildred.  Equally adept in his performance as the town sheriff is Woody Harrelson who seems to get better and better as he ages.  Sam Rockwell as the racist deputy in the case doesn't mask any of his inner demons and is as brilliant as the aforementioned two. I  would expect Oscar nominations for Dormand as well as a best supporting actor nod to Rockwell who goes through the biggest change. The movie careens between comedy and drama with plenty of blood spilled along the way.   But, if there was a theme to this film, I would not cite the violence and blood shed which is in no way gratuitous, but rather the pain that the mother goes through until she realizes she is not alone.  The sheriff  has his own private pain to deal with.  And the moral of the story, is that hate begets hate.  It is a remarkable movie on many levels and will mesmerize you.