Independent films have a way of putting a spotlight on truth and reality that is sometimes hard to believe. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of those stories that has moments that are so unbelievable that they have to be real.

It’s the story of a mother who decides to make her case across these three billboard so that everyone in the small town of Ebbing, Missouri will know how she feels. The rest of the story unfolds from there… The true purpose of the movie is revealed with the messages on the billboards…

Story: Told with great attention to detail. The writer is Martin McDonagh and he does an excellent job of giving each character their bite. The dialogue is unfiltered – It’s down right randy at times. But, given the setting, it seems appropriate.

And this film IS about the dialogue. Some of it is simple rural folks talk and some of it is foul mouthed rural folks talk. But every word seems right for the character…

Performances: Frances McDormand is phenomenal. Everything she says is spot-on – her performance is for sure Oscar-worthy. Her character is stealth but caring and the in between of the two is basically truth-to-power. Her Oscar nomination is well deserved.

Woody Harrelson as Sheriff Willoughby and Sam Rockwell as Officer Jason Dixon give you characters not performances. Also making small but powerful showings are Caleb Landry Jones as Red and Peter Dinklage as James. Bottom line: Somebody here is due and Oscar win and the Academy shouldn’t discriminate.

Visual: It’s very small town. I don’t consider Missouri as rural as some other states like say, Idaho, but, every state has its desolate plains… This is small town fodder. It looks like it, and in some scenes it sounds like it. But again, the details are there from the backdrop to the wardrobe. Missouri…

Rating: A. This film is very well rounded. It starts out quickly – we find out what this movie is about right away… it gets right to the point and continues to get right to the point as the story moves along… And it does move along.

The ending is a bit questionable, but, it is an indie, remember…

This is a movie worth seeing just for it’s entertainment value. It’s nominated for an Oscar and it should be. Go see it…