The Banshees of Inisherin (A or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Banshees of Inisherin' (written/directed by Martin McDonagh, of In Bruges, Three Billboards ...) is a superb, funny, but also dark drama set on a fictional remote island off Ireland's coast during the Irish Civil War of 1923. It's a barren isle with rolling green hills atop granite cliffs that plunge into the raging sea below. And the title refers to the wailing female spirits of Irish folklore who shriek before a death. Inisherin is a primitive place disconnected from the mainland where they're yet to have electricity & mail deliveries can take weeks to make their destination. Life is basic in the small seaside village where its residents tend to the farms/animals, then head to the pub at 2pm where everyone knows everyone & everything about each other.
Dairy farmer Padraic Suilleabhain (Colin Farrell) & folk musician Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) have been life-long best friends - that is until one day when, outta nowhere, Colm decides that he no longer wants to be friends. Care-free Padraic is unconvinced, "But you liked me yesterday". There isn't even a specific trigger for this decision; it's as if he has (not so) simply grown tired of Padraic & his incessant "prattling on". Colm wants silence so that he can focus on his new life goal: composing music to play on his fiddle & sit in solitude with his sweet dog. This all comes as a shock to confounded Padraic, who doesn't have much in his life other than the companionship of his lovely sister, Siobhan (Kerry Condon); the love of his mini donkey, Jenny; and Colm's friendship. With only 2 of these 3 pillars of life present now, Padraic teeters on the brink of an emotional collapse.
Not knowing what else to do, he befriends Dominic (Barry Keoghan), the sweet, if dim-witted town simpleton who is being abused by his father, the town constable. Padraic assumes that this thing with Colm will blow over, but an exasperated Colm issues an ultimatum: for each time Padraic speaks to him ... he will cut off one of his fingers. If he's a fiddle player with aspirations to make a name for himself in the world of music before he dies, why cut off his finger? Surely, this is just a bluff, right? Not so. Desperate Padraic tests the ultimatum & Colm responds accordingly. Padraic - and others - are horrified. Is this friendship truly dead? All because Padraic is a bore? It sure seems to be that fickle & cruel. From there, matters escalate until everyone's lives are forever changed.
I love this movie and, sitting in the theater as the credits rolled, my mind was absolutely flooded with thoughts & themes of what I'd just witnessed. That's a testament to Martin McDonagh's writing. For all of this film's nihilism & heartbreak, the proceedings are actually very witty & funny, albeit with plenty of gallows humor. Some of the conversations are just so darn funny; my kinda humor. And as mentioned, it is a thematically rich film; one that delves deep into the bleaker aspects of human nature. And while I {and many in my theater} laughed a lot at the characters & dialogue ... it's really a tale of lost friendships, loneliness, the ramifications of life's disappointments, & the 'awareness of death'. It's about the fear of not leaving anything behind {making a name for yourself; having no children}. And the film indicates that the smallest of insults can manifest into something huge.
Colin Farrell is fantastic as our sweet, empathetic Padraic; a simple man who loves his sister, his darling donkey, his ale & his friend(s). That's why his riff with Colm is so soul-crushingly shattering to him. And he modulates to a completely different personality once a certain something happens to him in the last Act -- the repercussions are heartbreaking. Farrell simply gives a master class in raw, emotional acting. Brendan Gleeson is great as our gentle, mild-mannered 'antagonist', of sorts. I don't think he means to be so problematic to Padraic {and everyone else involved}, but he is so clouded by depression & his fear of the inevitable, that he doesn't realize the extent to which his riff with Padraic can cause great problems moving forward.
Kerry Condon provides a warm, fun-loving presence as Siobhan, a strong woman devoted to her home & family, but also desires to better her life. Sheila Flitton amuses as crabby Mrs. McCormick, who waltzes around town with a pipe in her mouth & a snarky comment for all. And I was quietly knocked out by Barry Keoghan as Dominic. There is a key scene at the lake with Siobhan near the end where he lays his trembling heart on the line. "There goes that dream" might be the saddest line reading I've heard in a while and, HOW he utters it {along with the following moments} just left my mouth agape.
From top to bottom, 'The Banshees of Inisherin' is just such a well calibrated film; blending cynicism with soulful tenderness. McDonagh's aforementioned writing/direction, Ben Davis' starkly beautiful cinematography {juxtaposing the untamed beauty of Ireland's emerald landscapes with some blunt moments of brutality}, Carter Burwell's lovely, lilting music theme, and of course, the acting. Now, the film won't be for everyone. It lacks some narrative 'punch' down the homestretch. But that's mainly due to the somber way McDonagh toys with us all. That may sound miserable, but for me, it actually ends in an oddly satisfying way. The resolution is gentle, melancholy & packs a wallop that I didn't expect or know that I wanted.
Dairy farmer Padraic Suilleabhain (Colin Farrell) & folk musician Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) have been life-long best friends - that is until one day when, outta nowhere, Colm decides that he no longer wants to be friends. Care-free Padraic is unconvinced, "But you liked me yesterday". There isn't even a specific trigger for this decision; it's as if he has (not so) simply grown tired of Padraic & his incessant "prattling on". Colm wants silence so that he can focus on his new life goal: composing music to play on his fiddle & sit in solitude with his sweet dog. This all comes as a shock to confounded Padraic, who doesn't have much in his life other than the companionship of his lovely sister, Siobhan (Kerry Condon); the love of his mini donkey, Jenny; and Colm's friendship. With only 2 of these 3 pillars of life present now, Padraic teeters on the brink of an emotional collapse.
Not knowing what else to do, he befriends Dominic (Barry Keoghan), the sweet, if dim-witted town simpleton who is being abused by his father, the town constable. Padraic assumes that this thing with Colm will blow over, but an exasperated Colm issues an ultimatum: for each time Padraic speaks to him ... he will cut off one of his fingers. If he's a fiddle player with aspirations to make a name for himself in the world of music before he dies, why cut off his finger? Surely, this is just a bluff, right? Not so. Desperate Padraic tests the ultimatum & Colm responds accordingly. Padraic - and others - are horrified. Is this friendship truly dead? All because Padraic is a bore? It sure seems to be that fickle & cruel. From there, matters escalate until everyone's lives are forever changed.
I love this movie and, sitting in the theater as the credits rolled, my mind was absolutely flooded with thoughts & themes of what I'd just witnessed. That's a testament to Martin McDonagh's writing. For all of this film's nihilism & heartbreak, the proceedings are actually very witty & funny, albeit with plenty of gallows humor. Some of the conversations are just so darn funny; my kinda humor. And as mentioned, it is a thematically rich film; one that delves deep into the bleaker aspects of human nature. And while I {and many in my theater} laughed a lot at the characters & dialogue ... it's really a tale of lost friendships, loneliness, the ramifications of life's disappointments, & the 'awareness of death'. It's about the fear of not leaving anything behind {making a name for yourself; having no children}. And the film indicates that the smallest of insults can manifest into something huge.
Colin Farrell is fantastic as our sweet, empathetic Padraic; a simple man who loves his sister, his darling donkey, his ale & his friend(s). That's why his riff with Colm is so soul-crushingly shattering to him. And he modulates to a completely different personality once a certain something happens to him in the last Act -- the repercussions are heartbreaking. Farrell simply gives a master class in raw, emotional acting. Brendan Gleeson is great as our gentle, mild-mannered 'antagonist', of sorts. I don't think he means to be so problematic to Padraic {and everyone else involved}, but he is so clouded by depression & his fear of the inevitable, that he doesn't realize the extent to which his riff with Padraic can cause great problems moving forward.
Kerry Condon provides a warm, fun-loving presence as Siobhan, a strong woman devoted to her home & family, but also desires to better her life. Sheila Flitton amuses as crabby Mrs. McCormick, who waltzes around town with a pipe in her mouth & a snarky comment for all. And I was quietly knocked out by Barry Keoghan as Dominic. There is a key scene at the lake with Siobhan near the end where he lays his trembling heart on the line. "There goes that dream" might be the saddest line reading I've heard in a while and, HOW he utters it {along with the following moments} just left my mouth agape.
From top to bottom, 'The Banshees of Inisherin' is just such a well calibrated film; blending cynicism with soulful tenderness. McDonagh's aforementioned writing/direction, Ben Davis' starkly beautiful cinematography {juxtaposing the untamed beauty of Ireland's emerald landscapes with some blunt moments of brutality}, Carter Burwell's lovely, lilting music theme, and of course, the acting. Now, the film won't be for everyone. It lacks some narrative 'punch' down the homestretch. But that's mainly due to the somber way McDonagh toys with us all. That may sound miserable, but for me, it actually ends in an oddly satisfying way. The resolution is gentle, melancholy & packs a wallop that I didn't expect or know that I wanted.