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THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
(directed by Martin McDonagh, 2022)
****+ (out of 5)
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> Martin McDonagh scores again, gifting us with another near-perfect film. He and his gifted brother John Michael (THE GUARD, CALVARY), just may be Ireland’s greatest exports… after Guinness of course.
. His previous release was THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI- one of the best films of 2017. As a follow-up, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN was worth waiting for. This one reunites the stars of his first feature, the much-loved cult film IN BRUGES: dole-faced Colin Farrell and crusty Brendan Gleeson, two of the finest living film actors, who both happen to be Irish. Once again, the chemistry between them could hardly be more electric.
. On the surface of this very funny tragedy (you read that right), BANSHEES tells a story about the dissolution of a long-time friendship, when one party simply decides to stop being friends with the other. But one doesn’t have to look very deeply into the plot to see it’s an allegory for something much larger. It’s right there on the distant horizon, when viewed from the remote Atlantic island of the title: civil war, brother against brother, is tearing the Ireland apart. The year is 1923, and though the island is an obvious fiction to anyone familiar with the country, it appears to be offshore of Galway, making it a stand-in for one of the three Aran Islands. Indeed, much of it was shot on Inishmore, the largest of the group. I’ve spent quite a bit of time there through the years, and it is as stunningly lovely as any place on earth, dazzlingly photographed.
. Farrell is Pádraic- a simple man living a simple life without really aspiring to more. Not the sharpest tool in the shed, he could be mistaken for a simpleton. Pádraic takes life’s pleasures where he can find them- caring for of the animals, like his pet Jenny, a miniature donkey, and having a pint at the pub with his older chum Colm (Gleeson), a traditional musician. But all that comes crashing to a halt, when one day, seemingly out of the blue, Colm calls it quits between them. The only reason he can give, is that Pádraic is just too dull a fellow to spend another minute with. Not untrue, necessarily, but harsh! Pádraic can’t wrap his simple head around this sudden ghosting without cause, taking it as a joke, or a whim that will blow away with the powerful winds that blow in off the ocean. He’s always been dull! Hadn’t Colm noticed until now? But Colm stands his ground, shutting Pádraic out of his life.
. Word gets around the island quickly, and everyone makes it their business, from Pádraic’s “spinster” sister (a warm, complex Kerry Condon) to a strange and troubled local lad, wonderfully played by Barry Keoghan. Pádraic tries everything he can think of to soften his ex-friend’s heart, but the harder he tries to make amends, the more resolute Colm becomes about it. Exasperated, Colm threatens self-mutilation if Pádraic continues to bother him. It’s a shocking plot turn- but not that shocking to anyone who has seen all of McDonagh’s films, from his Oscar winning short film SIX-SHOOTER* to SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS, or any of his wonderful plays. (Lucky me, I got to see a professional production of “The Lonesome West” in Dublin!) Abrupt, visceral violence is just a part of his milieu. not my favorite part, but it comes with the genius. Prepare yourself. When the shit hits the fan, it does seem a stretch- only explainable by mental illness.
. But here’s where the somewhat labored metaphor of the film reveals itself. The fraught relationship between Pádraic and Colm mirrors that struggle echoing westward from the main island. Colm suddenly deciding he has had enough of his annoying friend, is an analogy for the Irish telling the occupying Brits: “Okay. We’re done with you now.” Like Pádraic, the Brits did not take “goodbye” at face value. It escalated to a war between the islands. And when it came right down to it, beleaguered Ireland was willing to accept some self-mutilation to affect peace, and Ireland suddenly became two separate entities: the Republic of Ireland in the south, and Northern Ireland- the first and last outpost of the British colonial empire. It’s a sad story all around. Leave it to the Irish to find the gallows humor in it.
. The film was wildly received at its premiere in Venice, and now, it’s up for a shitload of Academy Awards: nine of ‘em- including most of the acting categories, for Farrell, Gleeson, Condon and Keoghan. Rounding out the accolades: Best Editing, Best Original Score, as well as Best Director and Best Original Screenplay nominations for McDonagh. And, it may very well win Best Picture of 2022. For my money, BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS was the best film of ’22. But I don’t get to decide, apparently. When I look at the other nine films nominated, of the ones I’ve seen- THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN was the best of the lot.
– Easily.
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© Kevin Paul Keelan and lastcre8iveiconoclast, 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kevin Paul Keelan and lastcre8iveiconoclast with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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