The Banshees of Inisherin was one of 2022’s most acclaimed films, having recently won the Golden Globe Awards for Best Musical or Comedy and picking up star Colin Farrell a Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
It’s a film that explores the nature of friendship and how some relationships drift apart no matter how hard one of the parties tries to mend the fences.
Farrell stars as Padraic, a well-liked fellow on the Irish island called Inisherin during the Irish Civil War of 1923. Brendan Gleeson costars as Colm, Padraic’s lifelong friend who decides to end their friendship for the simple reason he believes Padraic is too dull.
Colm decides to spend the rest of his life composing music. While Padraic does whatever he can to reestablish the friendship, Colm rejects his every move.
Padraic shares a home with his sister (Kerry Condon), and he also befriends a boy named Dominic (Barry Keogan), whom he protects from his policeman father, who abuses him.
The movie introduces a lot of intriguing Irish characters that mostly hang out at the local pub, which is where a lot of interesting dialogue and plot developments take place. Colm refuses to sit in the same room as Padraic while the latter tries his best to continue to make amends. They do get a few scenes of genuine, heartfelt, and even darkly funny moments together.
The Banshees of Inisherin was written and directed by Martin McDonagh, who also made In Bruges and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. This is another film where he creates characters that are offbeat with quirky stories that draw us into their worlds with significant character development and moments of humor. I thought Three Billboards was an ingenious film, and it made my 10 Best List of the 2010s.
This film is a showcase for everything Irish: Everything from the language to the culture to the townspeople and especially the drinking and the music is presented in such a fashion that makes it feel completely authentic and helps the film paint a portrait of a life that feels far gone.
Farrell and Gleeson command the screen in almost every scene with sharp, witty dialogue by McDonagh. These three come together to make a film that is made with love for not only the craft but also the world of Ireland in general.
The music by Carter Burwell helps accentuate the mood and feel of Ireland, and the cinematography by Ben Davis captures some exquisite images that only add to the story.
The Banshees of Inisherin is a smart, thoughtful, funny, wonderfully acted and directed film that should not be missed.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for language throughout, some violent content and brief graphic nudity.)
